Help me choose a chameleon buddy?

[Trace]

Apart from a VERY few clutches every year - and these numbers are dwindling quickly as exports from Africa have stopped for the moment - most melleri, quadricornis, deremensis et.al. will be wild caught and I know that is something you don't want or need. Fischers and Carpets are being bred with regularity.

Here is a better website on Mellers: http://www.melleridiscovery.com/

 

[Carlton]

A major concern for any free ranged cham you have in a larger open format house is going to be humidity...in the winter when you have to heat the place. I'd say a free ranged quad, deremensis, or other "montane" (ie: higher humidity rainforest sub canopy species) will be harder to provide for. You'll have to humidify the entire room! If you plan a large cage you can create a humid space a lot easier by partially enclosing the cage during drier seasons and it will take a lot less water too! I've free ranged melleri in a bedroom in bone dry Colorado and it took a lot of attention. Worked fine, but it did take quite a bit of trial and error, technology, drainage, humidifying and auto misting to get the relative humidity stabilized. Smaller species are going to be harder to keep track of, and any newly free-ranged cham you get may wander a while until they are convinced that their planned space is really the best place to stay in. Smaller species like carpets are more likely to get lost or injured. Some species may be too shy to keep free ranged unless you really create a very bushy micro forest out of a tree surrounded by large bushy plants like Scheffleras. The plants will need lots of direct lighting to stay bushy too, so plan on hanging your lights above the clump.

A less ordinary alternative might be a female Oustalet's or a verrucosus. They are pretty hefty, not as high humidity dependent, I've heard that captive bred Oustaleti at least are mellow, and they are quietly beautiful too.

 

[Trillian]

I've been considering the Oustalets and Verrucosus too, I shall do some delving, thank you.

 

[pssh]

A member on here (lizardlover) works for a reptile shop and is currently raising some baby T. bitaeniatus chameleons. They are smaller, but they are live bearing so if you get a female you don't have to worry about eggs. They will be ready for new homes shortly.

 

[maxttu]

I've been considering the Oustalets and Verrucosus too, I shall do some delving, thank you.

I vote verru! I can hook you up with my handsome lil guy!


https://www.chameleonforums.com/benefits-houston-84280/

 

[JonRich]

Contact "Suzi" and get a girl from her . The End!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rkaEgUuVk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlw15y-7fUA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Edit: just saw you said "besides Panthers"! Lol

 

[laurie]

Contact "Suzi" and get a girl from her . The End!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_rkaEgUuVk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlw15y-7fUA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Edit: just saw you said "besides Panthers"! Lol

You are now required to submit 3 chams for consideration, as punishment.

 

[Trillian]

I think I'm leaning towards Oustalets, whaddya think? Anyone here breed them? I'd really like to get a baby if possible. I have two daughters (6 and 8), but they are ridiculously well behaved, and very respectful of animals. The chameleon would have the dining room pretty much to herself, we use it gor meals 3 times a day and that's about it. There are two archways, one into the small kitchen, one into the lounge. Hardwood floors, and it's a townhouse, so the window is above the garage, so not ground floor, and there is dense woodland and a lake. No traffic aside from the occasional train.

How tolerant would an Oustalet be to all of this? The chameleon's welfare is paramount, and overrides all of my preferences.

 

[thephotoprincess]

I've wanted to get an oustalets but am out of room with the melleri .. I think you would run into the same issue as with melleri - they are mostly WC. They are very cool chameleons though and I have heard they have a good demeanor.

I know someone who has some in good condition if you are interested. WC but not fresh off the boat.

 

[Trillian]

I'm almost ready to give up and cry...

All my options are just going around and around in my head, and I suspect that my Hubbles will be less keen on us acquiring a chameleon since we recently found ourselves with 3 new mouths to feed (two gecko eggs hatched, and a ball python found her way to us).

I'm now leaning towards getting the 'easiest' chameleon, that I can provide a good home for, rather than fitting one into my ever-changing opinions.

So I reckon my best option is to go for a CBB panther, although I'm still keen on a live-bearing species if I can find one that I can manage. And I'm giving up on the idea of a full-time free range, but will go for a regular screen cage, and no doubt will acquire some tall indoor plants for a supervised chameleon playground. And I'll bite the bullet and go for a Mist King, there are only so many repetitive hand movements I can fit into a day.

I'm still open to suggestions though... and I'd love one of Suzi's babies, if she has any, much as I will prepare myself for a look-but-don't-touch pet (Again), the many tales of the lap-chameleons she produces are hard to resist... Though I've also been in touch with a few members with female panther babies, and they have some gorgeous delicate colours, more than I was expecting from female panthers.