im new

JessicaBay · Apr 1, 2012

hey everyone! i have never owned a reptile before and am hoping to start out with a chameleon. Before you start yelling at me saying that i am not ready, i know im not quite ready. that is why i am going to research a lot on them and figure out how much it is going to cost. i just have one question... well, no. i need to know as many facts and cool tips i can before i commit to something i am not ready for. so please, tell me everything. oh and btw, i have been researching for about a month now. thanks!

mychamtini112012 · Apr 1, 2012

Hello! Welcome to CF.

It's great to have you here, this is the best place to learn everything you need. What kind of chameleon are you looking at getting.? That will decide on what facts we give you.

chameleonfan101 · Apr 1, 2012

hey welcome to the forums!!!!! the best advice i can give you is read,read read and read. just know that chameleons require lots of time and money! it also depends on what species you get i recommend starting with a panther or a veiled. if you have any specific questions feel free to pm me. good luck!! you will really enjoy this little creatures

sandrachameleon · Apr 1, 2012

JessicaBay · Apr 1, 2012

i was looking at getting a veiled, and by the information i have read so far, they seem well tempered, and they seemed like a good begginer chameleon.

JessicaBay · Apr 1, 2012

wow! thats a lot of links! thanx so much! it will really help me out!

DekuScrub · Apr 2, 2012

mychamtini112012 said:
Hello! Welcome to CF. It's great to have you here, this is the best place to learn everything you need. What kind of chameleon are you looking at getting.? That will decide on what facts we give you.

the fact that youre here, curious and spending time researching before purchasing is friggin awesome. even the most seasoned veterans of the hobby learn thing now and again just with regular interaction with fellow keepers. for instance ive been keeping and breeding since i was 12 im now 26 and guess what i found out? calcium supplements with D3 expire..../facepalm. i act like i know everything most of the time (and i do) but there always gaps to be filled in and things to be learned.

there is no ONE right way to keep a chameleon but discussing it with us and checking out reliable care sheets is a great start. i disagree with may people on certain things that are commonly perpetuated as requirements. but abiding by these "requirements" minimizes any room for error. once youve covered your bases we can discuss diversion from the norm.

please let us know if you need more information on any aspect of keeping youre unsure about or has many different methods of application.

for instance watering you can buy a dripper or you can poke some holes in a jug with a sewing needle. ones free ones around $10. using a hand sprayer to mist or a pressure sprayer. ones around $2 the other will keep your forearm from falling off for $10.

mychamtini112012 · Apr 2, 2012

Veileds are a great beginner, as well as panthers but they are a little more expensive. SC posted some great links. Things to know about veileds, are the same for panthers. They will need a cage that is minimum 2x2x4 and all screen. They will need to be sprayed 2-3 times a day either by hand or with a misting machine, and many people buy drippers as well that go on throughout the whole day. Live plants are great and help with humidity, and if you go to flchams.com and look on the left hand side they have a HUGE safe plant list you can look at. You'll need a UVB bulb, many members buy linear repit-glo/sun 5.0 bulbs. You will also need a basking bulb to keep the temperature up. They need a basking spot that's in the high 80's to low 90's, and then a gradient throughout the top and bottom. TONS of vices and sticks will need to fill the cage, to make tons of highways for him to travel on. Males would be the best, as you don't have to mess with eggs in a female. Females can produce eggs even without a male present. You'll want a large variety when it comes to feeders, and if you have crickets, superworms, mealworms, or roaches they will need gut loaded. You'll have to supplement feeders and there are two routes with that. 1. repashy calcium plus lightly dusted on every feeder. OR 2. Calcium NO D3 on every feeding. Calcium WITH D3 twice a month. Multivitamin twice a week. I think that's it. Any questions, message me.

I'm on a lot.

Whatcamo · Apr 2, 2012

Great plan and it seem you've already received some great Info!
Bruce from cheleon paradise helped me tons so that's where I bought mine from!

JessicaBay · Apr 2, 2012

thank you all for all of this info! oh and i am really really really sorry i am dropping this on you now, but i am only 11, and in the 5th grade. hopefully this doesnt change anything that you have already said!

oh and one thing i am confused with is the lighting. can you just describe how it all works?(including heat lamps)

JessicaBay · Apr 2, 2012

Oh and i also need to know which one is better for a begginer... male or female?

ChamFreak · Apr 2, 2012

Id say a male, so you dont have to deal with the female laying eggs.

DekuScrub · Apr 2, 2012

see like i said i started when i was 12. i made a lot of mistakes, i learned from those mistakes and learning from experience is invaluable compared to "book work" luckily i started with a very hardy male veiled. the only long term problem i had with him was he was sterilized (couldnt inseminate eggs).

one of the longest lived chameleons ive ever had.

i didnt have such a grand resource or community such as this one at my disposal. so hopefully you can avoid the mistakes i had made.

get a male. as was mentioned earlier females will produce clutches regardless of having been mated. in which case you need to provide an egg laying chamber and be ready to respond to her physiological changes. male on the other hand tend to be a bit more aggressive but the aggressive behavior is more manageable than egglaying. either way if youre prepared and come to us for support you'll likely be more than successful

oh and at such a young age expect this passion to turn into obsession over the next couple of years XD glad to have you on our side

Ace · Apr 2, 2012

welcome,

by just being here you are on the right track you seem to be a bright person, on their way to cham keeping

my suggestion is don't be afraid to ask questions

I know people may get tired hearing the same thing but when it comes down to it, this is a forums, there will always be new people and unfortuantely cham keeping there isn't an exact way to do things, just different things you can do that should benefit your chameleon.

relax, age shouldnt matter, just need patience and committment and you should be fine

JessicaBay · Apr 2, 2012

haha ok i will get a male! thanks for being so supportive

DanSB · Apr 2, 2012

I was keeping complicated and sensitive saltwater tanks when I was 11. The main thing you need to worry about with your age is that you will need the support and commitment for financial assistance from your parents. Make sure you do your research and include vet bills, supplements, all equipment etc... and tell your parents about it up front and get their commitment to help first. In my opinion nothing teaches responsibility and grows compassionate intelligent people better than keeping exotic pets that require complicated care.

If you aren't particularly fond of Veiled or Panthers I think most species are within reach for someone committed and responsible who is willing to do the research and invest the time required. Read about every chameleon you can and make sure you love whichever one you pick.

jannb · Apr 2, 2012

I would like to welcome you and add that at your age it's very important to have your parents support. Taking care of any animal is a big responsibiliy and in my opinion a chameleon is a high maintenance animal. You will need to be able to count on your parents for money for the many supplies that chameleons need, along with a large variety of feeders and gut load that you will have to have all the time and of course vet visits. I'm attaching my blog below for new keepers. It will tell you what you need to get started, with links to pictures of each item and where you can buy it. Most chameleon supplies can not be found in local pet stores.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

JessicaBay · Apr 2, 2012

i have talked to my mom and she said that if i save the money up to buy the actual chameleon, she will help me out on the cage, lighting, food,plants, gutload, etc.im sooo excited!

ChamFreak · Apr 2, 2012

Congrats. Spend your time finding out what one you want.

and then how to raise it

Look forward to seeing most posts. "

ScalesTailsandClaws · Apr 2, 2012

Hey, Welcome to the forums!

Please don't take any offense to the following.

I STRONGLY urge you to STAY AWAY from chameleons at this time. You're completely new to reptiles and while I have over 30 different species of herps, my chameleon is the most difficult species I own. I would try a leopard gecko for maybe 6 months to get the hang of heating, feeding and dusting/gutloading feeders as well as providing a great home for a specific species. Leopard geckos are VERY forgiving to errors and are probably one of the easiest lizards. I personally started with a pair of ball python way back in seventh grade. I just feel that there are so many things that can go wrong with chameleons that they become overwhelming to someone not used to trial and error as well as setting up different animals. We don't want you scared away from the hobby before you've begun. For instance, after I got my argentine black and white tegu, my argus monitor is a breeze but it's still a difficult species.
You said you want a tame animal. I don't recommend handling your cham unless it is necessary to do so. I just feel that you may be looking for qualities in a cham that you'd be more likely to find elsewhere, say, in a crested gecko. They're easy and will tolerate handling quite well, and are fun, arboreal lizards that fire up and change color nicely.

I just suggest more reptile experience before jumping into chameleons. I don't think your age is an issue in the slightest given you're dedicated, and you seem to be since you're doing research BEFORE buying the animal

You could very well prove me wrong and go right ahead and buy a Parsons (lol, don't do that.....) but I'd personally take things slow.

Just my spill on the subject, and NO OFFENSE intended!

Message me if you want a list of good starter herps/care info. or if you have any other questions.

Danny Sternfeld

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