i'm as green as they come....

[lisagr07]

so ALL input will be greatly appreciated..

i don't even have a chameleon but am very interested in getting one. i am very pet oriented, in our home, we have 500ish gallons of saltwater aquariums and 2 cats.... i'd love to add a chameleon to the group. i'm looking at the jackson's and the veiled. i'm begining to lean veiled. from what i'm reading they are a bit more hardy and addapt to greater temp swings... from what i'm reading, many more reptile keepers seem to have them over jacksons..

i'm trying to decide between the all screen cages verses the glass cages.. it seems to me the screen cages are going to have much better ventilation over the glass thus reducing the chances of mold causing respitory issues. but less misting is necessary with a glas cage than a screen cage. we have ALOT of humidity in our house with all of the aquariums so i'm not sure there would be a need for multiple mistings.?.?.


this is just the beginning of the questions i'll have to ask. i'm trying to do a lot of reading bith on th einternet and books. i want to know as much as possible before i make the decision to keep a chameleon...
any web sights that might be helpful to me as to care, housing, feeding ... anything that will help me improve my knowledge before taking the plunge..

thanks for the input, i really appreciate it!!!!! lisa

 

[JaxyGirl]

Hi Lisa, I wanted to welcome you to the forum. I have a Jackson's chameleon and can help you if you decide to get one. Unfortunately, I'm no expert on the veilds so I would hesitate to give you any advice on those except for the basics. Good luck with either choice you decide on. Chams are fantastic creatures and I know you'll enjoy yours as much as I do mine Natalie

 

[Elizadolots]

A million bonus points for finding this board and asking questions before you buy your chameleon.

I don't have either a veiled or a Jackson's. I do love the look of those Jackson's though.

Here's a wonderful site that has loads and loads of information about veiled.

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Brad Ramsey is a moderator here and will, I'm sure, be willing and able to point you toward the right chameleon for you.

 

[kpritch17]

Welcome! I don't have a veiled or jacksons, but many people can give you advice about them. As far as the screen v. glass cage, I would definitely get a screen. If the only thing you are worried about is the mistings then you can get a mistking that you can put on a timer so you never have to spray, just make sure it has water.

Good job doing your research first! Feel free to ask any questions!

 

[boj3434]

Good start with this website and im sure you have heard it but chameleons are much different than all pets so just continue your research and make sure you have the money and time and it will be an amzing exerience. Good luck

 

[Elizadolots]

On the cage, I think anyone who's sure they have lots of humidity should definitely be looking at screen (or mesh). Glass can be invaluable in keeping in humidity, but it needs to be done right or there are ventilation issues. If humidity isn't a problem, screen is easy.

 

[laurie]

Hello Lisa and welcome. We all love a person who knows what they are getting and how to care for it prior to buying the chameleon, but people like you are rare.

Where are you located? Different countries and even parts of the US do thing a bit different so knowing where you are helps with giving you correct information for your situation.

All of that said, I would say get a juvenile veiled male. Females have egg laying issues so it is more common to lose a female. Jacksons are a much less forgiving chameleon if your husbandry is off at all so a veiled is a safer choice, IMO

 

[Elizadolots]

I'll second the male thing if you go for veiled. I've read that both are hardy and forgiving so can't offer an opinion on that, But Veiled are egg layers so the females are a higher level of difficulty (not that you couldn't handle it, just that I cannot recommend it for a first time chameleon owner).

Jackson's are live bearing so the "female" vs. "male" thing is mostly about looks and future plans...it's the males that have the horns.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

Here are some sites you might like to check out...
http://adcham.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=102
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/

 

[Olimpia]

Just in support of the Jackson's, I got a wild caught male from a show as my very first chameleon ever, and we haven't had a single problem yet. Honestly, I don't find them any harder to take care of than any of my other reptiles, once you have the set-up up and running (the lighting with the bulbs you know give off certain temps for his basking spot, the little drainage system for your cage so you don't have water going everywhere... etc.) I don't have a $100+ misting system set up, but I do have one of those $20 pesticide pumps with a hose that I've attached to the cage, and I just pour X amount of warm water, pump, and let it go. The thing will give him 20 minute long showers without me having to do anything else. Between him or my Panther, there's really no big difference in what I do.

It's really up to you. No one can decide how much time and effort you want to dedicate to your pet except you. So just ask questions like you're doing now, read a couple of good books on their care, think about budget, and decide what look you like the most and just go for it Having a chameleon is really rewarding, so whatever you choose it's going to be a lot of fun having it in your life.

 

[chameleon master0091]

welcome to the forum.

 

[lisagr07]

thanks everyone soooo much for the replies!!!!! anything and everything any of you can add will be much help for me.
the local pet store only had one book which i purchased, "Chameleons" by Gary Ferguson, Kennith Kalisch and Sean McKeown... i'm off to the bookstore today to see what else i can pick up...

i'm a firm believer in thorough researching before purchasing something i can't provide for.. prior to aquiring my first saltwater aquarium i joined a Reef Forum and asked soo may noob questions i'm sure they were glad when i "moved up a level" to beginner.. right now i bet i have 25 or so SW books that i frequently return to when i have a question... i've had my SW tanks for 5 years now...
they're quite amazing and i'm the world of Chameleons will be just as rewarding!!!

that being said, trust me.... the questions will be coming, many of them!!!

thanks again for the links and input

lisa