Largest Chameleon.

jernlee

jernlee

New Member
Hi , My name is Jerry Tyler. I am new to chameleons. I have none. I live in greenville texas. I am 58 and married. My wife and I have raised tortoises, macaws,monkeys and parrots. And alot of animals but not chameleons. I was wondering which chameleon was the largest when grown. Plus are they health. thanks for being here so all of us can ask starter questions
jerry
 
Since this would be your first chameleon I would recommend a Veiled. The males can get HUGE! They are a perfect species to start with as well. But to answer your question correctly they are not the largest The Parsons chameleon is known to be the largest chameleon, but they have been proven tough to keep and breed in captivity. They were banned for export from Madagascar in 1994, and the rare captive bred animals you see on the market today are VERY expensive. Another close contender for largest is the Mellers chameleon... Very cool, and get very large, but I don't think I would recommend them as a species to start with. I am not to familiar with the Oustalets(sp) but they are considered to be the "Longest" species on record.

~Joe
 
Also if you get a veiled....Julirs, a member here, would be an EXCELLENT person to buy one from. Several other very happy members here already have bought from her. Jann
 
Thanks to all of you. How about the phather is it as hardy as the veil? I am going to take my time on this . Before I get one. It will be awhile
thanks
jerry
 
Welcome to the forum!

Its a good idea to research chameleons before getting one....they are not the easiest of lizards to keep. Here are some sites to get you started...
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/index.htm
https://www.chameleonforums.com/supplementation-mbd-1-a-2451/

Panthers and veileds are usually recommended as starter chameleons...but they are not the biggest. (Parson's, Meller's and the large morph Oustaleti are the biggest.)
 
Welcome Jerry! You will find a lot of very usefull info on the forums as well as tons of great people ready to educate. To answer your question. Panthers are another good species to begin with. Really between the 2 there isnt much difference besides a little bit of temp and humidity and that doesnt really vary much. It all depends on what you like. Veileds and panthers both get nice sized. Veileds show nice coloring and usually have very bad attitudes although you can find the occasional nice one. Panthers have many different color variations. They get much more color than veileds but are a little more pricey. Panthers are known to be more tolerant to keepers than veileds but again its just the personality of the one you get. I have a very pissy male and a very docile male. They are both great! Both are great to work with though. There are also some people on the forums who are hobbiest breeders like Julirs and myself. Some would say to buy off of an established reputable breeder which would be a good decision but at the moment anyone posting classified ads right now I would buy with confidence. You may save some cash buying off of someone on the forums but again most are hobby breeders. The established companies are aready known for there quality and customer service and have sold tons of chams to many satisfied customers.

Like you said. Take your time, Do all your research, when you think you are ready set up your enclosure and get all the specs right, post it so we can let you know if anything needs to be changed and then purchase your cham. This way everything will be right on when he gets to you. Its stressfull enough for them to be shipped and go to a new home let alone someone franticly trying to set them up when they recieve them. GOOD LUCK.
 
Thanks again, Can anyone tell me what makes Melleri Chameleons difficult for a first chameleon? Does anyone know anyone in dallas tx that has adult chameleons?
thanks ahead of time
jerry
 
http://melleridiscovery.com/index.html

Here is a site all about Melleri. It was made by Studiocham one of the members on the forum. This may answer some of your questions. I dont own a melleri yet;) But one thing that makes them hard is the space you need to give them to make them happy also I think they are more easily stressed out than panthers and veileds. Have fun looking through the site. Its packed full of good info.
 
Like you said. Take your time said:
Welcome Jerry, this is a great place to get information. After you've done your research, remember to have your setup up and running. Take that time to decide where you want your lights to be. Most important (I've found) was determining where the dripper was going to be. It took several different places before I found one that dripped on the leaves just perfect for my cham to drink from.

Have fun, let us know what cham you decide to purchase.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

MedicMan1
The chameleon with no name, a journey of love and patience, revisited.
2
Replies
20
Views
923
elizaann2
elizaann2
bberry820
What do Chameleons do to survive in a Hurricane?
Replies
7
Views
1K
snitz427
snitz427
letterkenny
Thoughts on setup
Replies
14
Views
966
regal81455
R
That Cham Man
Husbandry Review for first time owner
2
Replies
29
Views
1K
MzLaurie
M
Beman
Feel Good Chameleon Keeping stories
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
4K
MissSkittles
MissSkittles
Back
Top Bottom