Need your advice/answers

[hiccup219]

Hi.... I have had numerous different reptiles all my life. I have wanted a Chameleon for a very long time and am now very serious about making them my new hobby. I confused about a couple of things.... I keep seeing all kinds of different names/kinds of chameleons and can't figure out which is what. Could someone give me a basic run down please.
I think I am most interested in the Panthers. Would that be a good kind to start with? Also, after a little bit of time and more research I want to breed, are Panther's good to breed, and would I be able to get rid of them since I know I can't keep them all
Thank you for any and all replies

 

[jamncristian]

if you are looking to make money off breeding your chams........... you probably should not have a cham

veileds and panthers are the best beginner species because they will tolerate the most mistakes

breeding chams is an expensive, stressfull, and difficult thing to do but can be really rewarding

here is a care sheet on panther chams
http://screameleons.com/How_to_care_for_Chameleons.htm

 

[morpheon]

For a beginner, there are two recommended species: Chameleo Calyptratus and Furcifer Pardalis.

The Calyptratus are probably the most robust chameleon health-wise, but are territorial and most of them truely hate humans. You can find thousands of pictures and are very commun. Another good thing is since they are so commun, they usually are unexpensive.

Furcifer Pardalis can be a bit more pricy, but they are worth it. They show great colors, depending on their origin. They range from yellow to red, and green to blue. They also have a good immune system compared to other chameleons, but not as good as Calyptratus. However if you take your time, read a lot, ask question and such (like you already are doing), i see no problem in getting one for your first chameleon. They also TOLERATE human touch a lot more than Calyptratus, but they TOLERATE, not like. So manipulating them still needs to be at it's minimum.

Either way, you should take a look at this page: https://www.chameleonforums.com/chameleons-sale/ .You might find a chameleon that suits your taste.

If you have any other questions, do not hesitate!

EDIT: Veiled are Calyptratus, or Yemen chameleon. They can be named in different ways. The same goes for the Furcifer Pardalis that can be called Panther Chameleons. And as Jamn said, if you are trying to make money, it most likely won't work. But if you are worried about finding people to get your eggs or babies, Pardalis should be easier (in my opinion) to sell/trade them to cover A BIT of your expenses.

 

[hiccup219]

I am not looking to make money, honestly I have been wanting to breed lizards since I was 6 years old.
I know Chameleons aren't to be held a lot but I would like a species that would most tolerate touch.
And just to clarify the panther species are the most colorful correct?

 

[jamncristian]

there are many different kinds of chams and alot of them are colorful so I cant say panthers are the most colorful

Veileds are tend to be more defensive and really dont hate people just look at miss lily's Tommy and Amy

check out this link, it is a list of panther & veiled breeders
http://flchams.com/breeder_chameleons.asp

 

[ChamFreak]

it depends on the chameleon but MOST will not tolerate you touching them! if thats going to be a problem, maybe a chameleon isnt for you.

Yes you're correct, panthers are the most colorful as in a general however, many of them hold unique coloration and are great chameleons!

 

[jrh3]

I have found that male Veileds are a lot more easy foing than Female Veileds, dont ask me why but all of my males are hand friendly, only 1 or 2 of my females wont try to bite you when you hold them. Biten you will be if you raise chameleons its just natural.

 

[hallenhe]

I would agree with the people who have recommended panthers (Furcifer pardalis) and veileds (Chameleo calyptratus). The veiled chameleons can be very colorful with lots of interesting patterns; the color range is not as great as with the panthers (can get solid blues with the Nosy Be's, pink with Ankaramy, reds with Tamataves, mutiple colors with Ambilobe, etc. - look at some of the pictures on some of the sponsor's sites. All the "varieties" of panther (Nosy Be, Ambilobe, etc.) refer to regional color morphs and are named for locations in Madagascar - so the east coast has some of the red/orange varieties, like Tamatave and Maroansetra, while multicolors with blues and reds are more prevalent in the northwest - Ambilobe and Ambanja). My general impression is that panthers have smaller clutches than veileds (one member, Julirs, had 69 baby veileds; this is a wonderful post of hers if you're interested in breeding. She's also bred and raised panthers).
You have to be prepared to respect the animal's boundaries and needs (I get the impression that you are); that being said, I don't know that I'd agree with a blanket statement that chams are unfriendly or will merely tolerate people. There are several members on here who can tell stories of "friendly" veileds and panthers (Miss Lily with Lily, Amy and Tommy; jannb with Luie and Camille [all veileds]; several of my older posts with Thaxter [panther]). Some chameleons seem to welcome human interaction, especially if they learn to associate humans with good things - treats, showers, trips outdoors, a warm place to sit... I'd just say don't force the animal to interact with you; let it be on his/her own terms.
Welcome and look around!