Hello New to Forum

[Debbie61]

Hi, I am new to this forum and would like to introduce myself. I love reptiles and have had a crested gecko in the past and my son has a bearded dragon. I am currently investigating the possiblitiy of getting a Panther Chameleon or a Veiled Chameleon. I have done tons of research and feel that I have educated myself to the best of my ability.

I would love to get a panther chameleon, but have been discouraged by most people that I have talked to that have raised or have had one as a pet. They say that they are not very hardy and that they will not live long once in my possession. So I was once hyped and now am very discouraged. So I am on here to ask some questions and for people to be up front with me as to what I may be getting myself into when I get one.

1. what is more hardy a Veiled or a Panther??

2. Which is more social?

3. Who do you recommend for either a Veiled or Panther Chameleon as to buy one from?

Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

I am also considering a Uromastyx if the Chameleons are out of my reach.

Thanks for taking the time to read this thread.

 

[jeanjacket812]

1. I have had 2 veileds and now have one panther. My veiled experience was good my male was super cool and he freeranged stayed on his plants and never wandered, my female was the complete opposite was super aggressive and got huge she was a tank. My new panther baby is super cool, she is shy but hasn't hissed at me or gaped yet.
2. Neither are social chameleons don't get down like that.
3. Anyone of the sponsors are where people will tell you to shop.

Anyone can keep chams I think the most important thing is to spend the money or have the ingenuity to get setup correct from the start. Next get on schedule, get your lighting on a timer, a misting schedule, feeding schedule. If your setup is suitable your cham will thrive, at least thats my experience. It is true they are more of a hobby than a pet and I am completely innamored with them. I've got another baby coming probably next week. I am now a speciest to me there are chameleons and then there are lizards. I love em

 

[jamncristian]

hello welcome, first of all a chameleon is not a social animal and does not enjoy being cuddled and handled.

a veiled would be more hardy but both are good choices. If you have everything right from the beginning you shouldnt have much problems.

there is no other animal like the chameleon and you shouldnt be discouraged because its an amazing experience

do you know what you have to buy before you get one??

 

[jamncristian]

here is a couple pics our users have put of their setups to give you an idea of how yours should look like

https://www.chameleonforums.com/lets-put-our-setup-enclosures-36332/

 

[pssh]

Welcome! Chameleons are very rewarding animals, but they require more work than a bearded dragon.

Both are 'starter' chameleons and have very similar care except that panthers temps are a little lower and the humidity needs to be higher. The veiled is a tiny bit hardier and more tollerant of mistakes.

Here is my basic checklist for a baby veiled:

-a screen cage of appropriate size (baby:16x16x30, adult female 18x18x36, adult male 24x24x48) you can also buy the adult sized cage and just section off the bottom so it is smaller
-live plants that are non toxic and have covered organic fertilizer free soil
-a normal incandescent house bulb of appropriate wattage
-a dome to put the house bulb in
-a linear reptisun 5.0 and appropriate hood
-a digital thermometer or temp gun to check temperature
-a digital hygrometer to check humidity (you can buy a 2 in 1 thermometer/hygrometer)
-three supplements: calcium with d3, calcium without d3, and a multivitamin that contains no vit A (make sure all are phos free)
-a pump style spray bottle to spray chameleon
-a dripper of some sort
-drainage for the water so that the cage does not flood
-many horizontal, vertical, and diagonal branches/vines/perches make sure there are many at different levels under the basking branch so he can move around under them to get a certain temp, the closest one to the bulb (6-8 inches under it) should have the maximum temperature a baby veiled can handle (80-83 degrees)

All of this can be bought on lllreptile.com but it would be cheaper to buy the uvb hood, normal incandescent house bulb and dome, plants, and digital thermometer from home depot or lowes (unless you are getting a temp gun, then tempgun.com) Veiled chameleons can handle temps as low as 50 degrees (at night) so there is no need to use a night light, though I would try to keep it around 60 for a baby. If you do need extra heat, use a space heater or ceramic bulb.

This can also be used for panthers but as adults the requirements are a little different. Panthers night temps also have to be above 60.

EDIT: I would like to add that how difficult they are is completely relative to what you consider hard and if you have everything set up and researched from the get go.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

It depends on what you want from your cham. Research both and then decide. I personally prefer panthers, but others love their veileds. Its all in what you personally prefer. But if you want an animal to hold then I wouldn't suggest a cham. Also get ready to learn about a lot more than just chams. You will need to know about feeders and about plants also. Because you have to feed nutritious bugs and you have to keep your plants alive and make sure they aren't toxic also. It is a very rewarding experience if you put in the research and the work to get things correct.

 

[boj3434]

They are very similar in terms of setups and living the temps and humdity is a little different but not much. The main difference is the way they look. Do you like the bright colors of the panther of the interesting patterns and head of the veilds. Personality depends completely on the chameleon and you. Good luck and make sure to do your research. Good luck.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Neither panther nor vieleds are hardy if kept incorrectly. And regrettably, many people do not do their reasearch, listen to bad pet store advice, and end up killing their chameleons young.

Chameleons are not social. they are look at and dont touch animals.

If you are fully aware of the needs of the chameleon, they are a very interesting animal and not really that difficult. Well, more difficult than a beardie or a dog for sure, but its not like brain surgery.

Welcome to the forum - this is a very good source of information.

 

[Vegas Chad]

<Rant>
It’s rather frustrating to see a forum of chameleon keepers go all doom and gloom on a person who is obviously doing the research before an animal is purchased. Keeping chameleons is NOT hard IF you have the correct set up AND the correct information. Keeping a bearded dragon is just as hard if you don’t have the right information on how to keep it. If you have the correct cage/supply set up (Mostly what PSSH listed) a veiled or panther is just as easy to keep as a dragon.

No a chameleon won’t want to go for a ride to the 7-11 for a Pepsi with you but MOST tolerate handling just fine. If done on the chameleon’s terms they are great at letting you know when they don’t want to be fussed with. I do agree that they don’t need to be held just for the sake of holding; however I always encourage interaction of some sort.
</Rant>

 

[Debbie61]

Thank you all for the advice. I see that this is going to be a hard decision to make especially what species to go with. I was leaning toward a panther, but now after looking at all the pictures, that the Veiled is also a nice looking chameleon.

 

[pssh]

Lol, I bet you'll get the bug and eventually end up with both I have both and i love them both, but my favorite will always be veileds.