Hello, I have seen panther chameleon eggs being sold for 100. Is it wise to try one an see if I get a male. I don’t want a female or plan on breeding. An females aren’t even colored. Let me know if anyone has tried this successfully. I rather own a panther then veiled. But veiled are cheaper. 400+ is insane for panthers.
New cham owner
- Thread starter ChamInMe
- Start date
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hello and welcome!!
Ultimately buying an egg is your decision. I personally would never do it. When a chameleon is a baby it is at its most fragile stage in life. Its body is so small it has no resources to fall back on if you don't get the husbandry just right and will die very easily. I myself have only been doing this for a year and a half. I have 3 chameleons but I bought them when they were either well started juveniles or adults. Chameleons are fun and stressful because something can go wrong very quickly. I myself with a year and a half experience do not feel equipped to care for a baby chameleon.
The debate is that someone who sells a chameleon egg is putting all of the risk on the customer. A breeder who takes care of the chameleon until it is a well started juvenile is taking all that risk on themselves. Yes its cheaper up front but when you weigh in all of the cost of the bugs (babies eat a LOT) and everything it actually may cost you more than if you just buy a well started juvenile from a reputable breeder. There is a question of ethics as well. It is a life and eggs are being sold to individuals who do not know how to care for a chameleon at all. These lives don't stand very strong changes at survival.
Now with my 3 I have a variety of places I purchased from, a pet store, off of online adds, and from a reputable breeder. The breeder by far was my best experience. I had someone to hand hold me through the process and answer my questions. I didn't get that with my online adds and pet store baby and it was honestly far more stressful because I didn't have that support. Yes it costs more but you get what you pay for, ESPECIALLY with chameleons. You want to quality shop, not price shop. My relationship with the online add seller/rehoming situation and pet store ended at the end of my purchase. My relationship with the breeder started at the beginning of my purchase. For that reason, unless I am rescuing, I will not purchase anywhere else other than a reputable breeder.
Don't purchase an egg and hope you get a male. What if you get a female? There is a 50/50 chance you will get a female and no matter what others may say there is no such thing as a guaranteed male, you cannot do anything to chameleon eggs to manipulate how many males you get. What if it doesn't hatch? Some of these sellers get your money and either stop what they are doing or go out of business. Eggs can take 9 months+ to hatch, thats a long time to hope that this seller is still around and will honor their 'guarantees'. What if something is wrong with the baby? Like all other creatures, not all babies are born at 100% health. Some die shortly after due to defects.
You may find these interesting, check them out and let me know what you think.
https://chameleonacademy.com/should-i-buy-panther-chameleon-egg-or-juvenile/
https://ipardalis.com/blog/2023/06/07/egg_sales_101/
Lastly, yes panthers are more expensive. If you really want a panther maybe you save up and buy one then. Keep an eye out for sales from reputable breeders. If I were to buy another panther this is who I would purchase from.
iPardalis
Frams Chams
Kamerflage Kreations
You could also check around here, there are others on the forums who breed on a smaller scale, they may be able to help you out. Either way lets keep the conversation going.
Best,
Ultimately buying an egg is your decision. I personally would never do it. When a chameleon is a baby it is at its most fragile stage in life. Its body is so small it has no resources to fall back on if you don't get the husbandry just right and will die very easily. I myself have only been doing this for a year and a half. I have 3 chameleons but I bought them when they were either well started juveniles or adults. Chameleons are fun and stressful because something can go wrong very quickly. I myself with a year and a half experience do not feel equipped to care for a baby chameleon.
The debate is that someone who sells a chameleon egg is putting all of the risk on the customer. A breeder who takes care of the chameleon until it is a well started juvenile is taking all that risk on themselves. Yes its cheaper up front but when you weigh in all of the cost of the bugs (babies eat a LOT) and everything it actually may cost you more than if you just buy a well started juvenile from a reputable breeder. There is a question of ethics as well. It is a life and eggs are being sold to individuals who do not know how to care for a chameleon at all. These lives don't stand very strong changes at survival.
Now with my 3 I have a variety of places I purchased from, a pet store, off of online adds, and from a reputable breeder. The breeder by far was my best experience. I had someone to hand hold me through the process and answer my questions. I didn't get that with my online adds and pet store baby and it was honestly far more stressful because I didn't have that support. Yes it costs more but you get what you pay for, ESPECIALLY with chameleons. You want to quality shop, not price shop. My relationship with the online add seller/rehoming situation and pet store ended at the end of my purchase. My relationship with the breeder started at the beginning of my purchase. For that reason, unless I am rescuing, I will not purchase anywhere else other than a reputable breeder.
Don't purchase an egg and hope you get a male. What if you get a female? There is a 50/50 chance you will get a female and no matter what others may say there is no such thing as a guaranteed male, you cannot do anything to chameleon eggs to manipulate how many males you get. What if it doesn't hatch? Some of these sellers get your money and either stop what they are doing or go out of business. Eggs can take 9 months+ to hatch, thats a long time to hope that this seller is still around and will honor their 'guarantees'. What if something is wrong with the baby? Like all other creatures, not all babies are born at 100% health. Some die shortly after due to defects.
You may find these interesting, check them out and let me know what you think.
https://chameleonacademy.com/should-i-buy-panther-chameleon-egg-or-juvenile/
https://ipardalis.com/blog/2023/06/07/egg_sales_101/
Lastly, yes panthers are more expensive. If you really want a panther maybe you save up and buy one then. Keep an eye out for sales from reputable breeders. If I were to buy another panther this is who I would purchase from.
iPardalis
Frams Chams
Kamerflage Kreations
You could also check around here, there are others on the forums who breed on a smaller scale, they may be able to help you out. Either way lets keep the conversation going.
Best,
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi there welcome to the forum. In this hobby you get what you pay for... This is in every aspect from the cage to the misting system to the lighting all the way to the chameleon and breeder you choose to buy from. With Breeders you are paying for their reputation and history of breeding healthy chams. Their time and attention to detail to ensure they are providing quality over quantity.
Just doing a proper set up with everything you will need will run you for a basic set up $500-1000. Then if you go the route of a premium cage your looking at about 500-800 just for the cage. This is not a cheap pet by any means.
I personally would NEVER buy an egg. Again you get what you pay for. You are not guaranteed gender because they simply can not do that. You are also not guaranteed that it will hatch and the timeline they say it will take to hatch is almost never accurate from what I have seen. Then there is the risk you take on with a hatchling. The first few months they are extremely fragile. If you are new to the hobby this is something I would not take on. They can die easily at this point. Their cage set up has to be done correctly because they screen climb the top constantly and their feeders are extremely tiny not to mention your feeding them a ton every single day which in turn you have to keep up with.
Just doing a proper set up with everything you will need will run you for a basic set up $500-1000. Then if you go the route of a premium cage your looking at about 500-800 just for the cage. This is not a cheap pet by any means.
I personally would NEVER buy an egg. Again you get what you pay for. You are not guaranteed gender because they simply can not do that. You are also not guaranteed that it will hatch and the timeline they say it will take to hatch is almost never accurate from what I have seen. Then there is the risk you take on with a hatchling. The first few months they are extremely fragile. If you are new to the hobby this is something I would not take on. They can die easily at this point. Their cage set up has to be done correctly because they screen climb the top constantly and their feeders are extremely tiny not to mention your feeding them a ton every single day which in turn you have to keep up with.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’ve been selling eggs for years, but only to experienced keepers. If you are a new keeper, I’d highly recommend buying a chameleon. If you are looking for a panther, I’d get one at least four months old or a veiled at least 3 months old. Most veileds grow faster than panthers and are ready to go to news home earlier than panthers.
MikeyBen
Established Member
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks!Well said @elizaann2
Camiezone
Avid Member
Hey I saw your posting. I've got some extremely beautiful & healthy pure ambilobe panther 2.5ish months old juveniles. I am selling the females for $50 & the males for $200 + fedex priority overnight shipping if nessesary. Here's a few pictures I just took last night of a few of them. I can provide you with much more info + pics, lineage etc if your interested. I hope to hear back from you
Camilla
Last 3+2 are of the dad, homer
Last pic is from the same dam n Sire, he's 4.5 months in picture.
Attachments
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
They are all so beautiful.Hey I saw your posting. I've got some extremely beautiful & healthy pure ambilobe panther 2.5ish months old juveniles. I am selling the females for $50 & the males for $200 + fedex priority overnight shipping if nessesary. Here's a few pictures I just took last night of a few of them. I can provide you with much more info + pics, lineage etc if your interested. I hope to hear back from you
Camilla
Last 3+2 are of the dad, homer
Last pic is from the same dam n Sire, he's 4.5 months in picture.
ShirleyRomero
New Member
I appreciate you for the info, it is my first time and that is why I am curious to know everything before buying. I will surely keep those things in my mind while buying. Thank you again.
Andrew1283
Chameleon Enthusiast
A few words about Chamiezone…
She’s friendly, knowledgeable and was an excellent communicator throughout my buying process. She will send you a beautiful, healthy, well-loved baby chameleon overnight at an amazing low price and will proceed to follow up with you to see how you and the baby are doing. She will coach you on proper husbandry. You will fall in love with the baby chameleon and will want more.
She’s friendly, knowledgeable and was an excellent communicator throughout my buying process. She will send you a beautiful, healthy, well-loved baby chameleon overnight at an amazing low price and will proceed to follow up with you to see how you and the baby are doing. She will coach you on proper husbandry. You will fall in love with the baby chameleon and will want more.
Last edited:
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
I've seen this myself here on the forums. My next panther is going to come from her. She is fantastic and all her babies have been so beautiful.
Steve A
Chameleon Enthusiast
Take it from someone who first bought a Veiled chameleon for like $75 at petsmart, had an awful experience, and then decided to purchase a $425 male panther from a reputable breeder.
Yes, $400 is a lot of money. And I do not personally have a lot of money. However, the experience has been greatly different. Now, a lot of that was my fault (although.... it seems like my veiled from PS may have actually been sick before I even had her) and I've learned a lot from that intial experience.
I was looking for cheaper options before I spent the $400+. Ultimately, based on the information I gathered, I likely would have ended up with the same situation had I gone with a cheaper chameleon. The reason these chameleons are as much as they are, is because the breeding process (when done RIGHT) requires a lot of attention and is costly (imagine having to house and feed like 30-80+ baby chameleons separately.), and the chameleon you are getting is much more likely to be healthy and hardy. Also, the type of customer service you'll get from a reputable breeder won't be the same elsewhere. I can promise you that.
I've had my chameleon for about 2 months now and I am REGULARLY in contact with his breeder via email and they're always available on the phone if I need to call them.
Here is the thing, and please don't take this personal. If you're not willing to spend this much on the chameleon him/herself, then I think this might not be the pet for you (at least until you've gained more perspective! Which I hope happens). The reason I say this is because I personally went from "well do they really need this? They probably don't need that. We can probably get away with this.." to "I want to do everything the best I possibly can so that my chameleon can not just survive, but THRIVE.".
Without this mentality you will probably have a difficult experience that ends badly. I ended up comparing it to what I spend on my dogs and that helped nudge me into the right mentality to become a chameleon keeper. You TRULY have to care and you truly have to put that effort in.
I suggest you do research to see what this entails (ask questions on here and check out chameleonacademy.com). If it still ends up being something you want to do, I highly suggest you reconsider. I have nothing to gain from suggesting this to you. I am simply talking to you from experience. This was suggested to me and I could not be ANY happier that I went this route. I'm telling you, the $425 was worth it.
Going through building my own 3'x2'x4' enclosure was worth it. Learning how to take care of the bugs was worth it. Cleaning out the darn bugs cages, and feeding them is worth it. Getting the proper lighting, supplements, etc was all worth it. Make sure you do what's best for you, and if you decide to still get a chameleon, please make sure you do what's best for the chameleon
Buying from the cheaper options keeps those places in business, and is not what's best for chameleons. 
Andrew1283
Chameleon Enthusiast
I couldn’t say it better!Take it from someone who first bought a Veiled chameleon for like $75 at petsmart, had an awful experience, and then decided to purchase a $425 male panther from a reputable breeder.
Yes, $400 is a lot of money. And I do not personally have a lot of money. However, the experience has been greatly different. Now, a lot of that was my fault (although.... it seems like my veiled from PS may have actually been sick before I even had her) and I've learned a lot from that intial experience.
I was looking for cheaper options before I spent the $400+. Ultimately, based on the information I gathered, I likely would have ended up with the same situation had I gone with a cheaper chameleon. The reason these chameleons are as much as they are, is because the breeding process (when done RIGHT) requires a lot of attention and is costly (imagine having to house and feed like 30-80+ baby chameleons separately.), and the chameleon you are getting is much more likely to be healthy and hardy. Also, the type of customer service you'll get from a reputable breeder won't be the same elsewhere. I can promise you that.
I've had my chameleon for about 2 months now and I am REGULARLY in contact with his breeder via email and they're always available on the phone if I need to call them.
Here is the thing, and please don't take this personal. If you're not willing to spend this much on the chameleon him/herself, then I think this might not be the pet for you (at least until you've gained more perspective! Which I hope happens). The reason I say this is because I personally went from "well do they really need this? They probably don't need that. We can probably get away with this.." to "I want to do everything the best I possibly can so that my chameleon can not just survive, but THRIVE.".
Without this mentality you will probably have a difficult experience that ends badly. I ended up comparing it to what I spend on my dogs and that helped nudge me into the right mentality to become a chameleon keeper. You TRULY have to care and you truly have to put that effort in.
I suggest you do research to see what this entails (ask questions on here and check out chameleonacademy.com). If it still ends up being something you want to do, I highly suggest you reconsider. I have nothing to gain from suggesting this to you. I am simply talking to you from experience. This was suggested to me and I could not be ANY happier that I went this route. I'm telling you, the $425 was worth it.
Going through building my own 3'x2'x4' enclosure was worth it. Learning how to take care of the bugs was worth it. Cleaning out the darn bugs cages, and feeding them is worth it. Getting the proper lighting, supplements, etc was all worth it. Make sure you do what's best for you, and if you decide to still get a chameleon, please make sure you do what's best for the chameleon
View attachment 343849
ChamelaChameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I have one of @Camiezone babies and she has been amazing and baby cham Bolt was delivered as a well loved healthy baby.
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree 100%. Well said.Take it from someone who first bought a Veiled chameleon for like $75 at petsmart, had an awful experience, and then decided to purchase a $425 male panther from a reputable breeder.
Yes, $400 is a lot of money. And I do not personally have a lot of money. However, the experience has been greatly different. Now, a lot of that was my fault (although.... it seems like my veiled from PS may have actually been sick before I even had her) and I've learned a lot from that intial experience.
I was looking for cheaper options before I spent the $400+. Ultimately, based on the information I gathered, I likely would have ended up with the same situation had I gone with a cheaper chameleon. The reason these chameleons are as much as they are, is because the breeding process (when done RIGHT) requires a lot of attention and is costly (imagine having to house and feed like 30-80+ baby chameleons separately.), and the chameleon you are getting is much more likely to be healthy and hardy. Also, the type of customer service you'll get from a reputable breeder won't be the same elsewhere. I can promise you that.
I've had my chameleon for about 2 months now and I am REGULARLY in contact with his breeder via email and they're always available on the phone if I need to call them.
Here is the thing, and please don't take this personal. If you're not willing to spend this much on the chameleon him/herself, then I think this might not be the pet for you (at least until you've gained more perspective! Which I hope happens). The reason I say this is because I personally went from "well do they really need this? They probably don't need that. We can probably get away with this.." to "I want to do everything the best I possibly can so that my chameleon can not just survive, but THRIVE.".
Without this mentality you will probably have a difficult experience that ends badly. I ended up comparing it to what I spend on my dogs and that helped nudge me into the right mentality to become a chameleon keeper. You TRULY have to care and you truly have to put that effort in.
I suggest you do research to see what this entails (ask questions on here and check out chameleonacademy.com). If it still ends up being something you want to do, I highly suggest you reconsider. I have nothing to gain from suggesting this to you. I am simply talking to you from experience. This was suggested to me and I could not be ANY happier that I went this route. I'm telling you, the $425 was worth it.
Going through building my own 3'x2'x4' enclosure was worth it. Learning how to take care of the bugs was worth it. Cleaning out the darn bugs cages, and feeding them is worth it. Getting the proper lighting, supplements, etc was all worth it. Make sure you do what's best for you, and if you decide to still get a chameleon, please make sure you do what's best for the chameleon
View attachment 343849
Camiezone
Avid Member
Awe thank you so much everyone for all the kind words. I'm all touched n teary, lol. I'm so happy that everyone is happy and satisfied with your new family members. You are correct. I do put ALOT of time n heart into every single chameleon I blessed to be involved with,from neos to senior adults. I feel that they are such a unique and special animal, and deserve to be provided with the optimal nutrition and husbandry we can offer them.
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