New Here! No chameleon...yet :-)

[AromatherapyKim]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Kim, I keep various reptiles and love them all to pieces but since I was a kid I wanted a panther chameleon and I'm finally in a apartment large enough to add an enclosure for one.
I would love some tips on where to start. Ofcourse I'm reading care sheets and lurking on forums but I love asking questions.
So, what is in your opinions a good place to start finding affordable caging, supplies, and ofcourse where do you get your most beautiful panthers? I think I'm looking for an ambilobe but am open to others aswell. Also I'm wanting to get a young panther, what is the best size starter cage? I've read that 20X18X12 is good up to 9 months.
I look forward to getting to know you all and getting some great advice!

 

[Zephalia]

Welcome to the forums! Glad to see yet another informed reptile enthusiast who does their homework before diving in head first.

I will say that in my opinion, the bigger the enclosure, the better. I don't believe it's necessary to have a smaller baby cage and then move up to a larger one but it can be a little more convenient. In a smaller cage, baby can find food more easily - but beyond that - the more space the better.

I started my baby Panther out in an 18"x18"x24" Exo-Terra screened enclosure and he's now in a 4'x2'x2' DIY screened enclosure. After owning 2 Exo-Terra's, a Reptibreeze and DIY cages, I would strongly recommend DIY cages for their resilience, sturdiness, easy access & cleaning and most of all the price is right!

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!
It's always nice to hear from someone who is doing their research in advance, so they will have everything set up the right way before getting a cham.
The most reliable information that I have ever found online about chameleon care has been on this forum.
Elsewhere on the internet you will find plenty of unreliable advice on cham care.
The cage dimensions you listed are actually smaller than the minimum for a Panther.
The most important thing to keep in mind about chameleons is that their requirements are very specific. Cutting corners typically leads to chameleon health problems or worse.
Experienced chameleon caretakers have typically learned the hard way that the suggested care on this forum is based on what doesn't work, as well as what does.
The resources section of this forum has some excellent info on a number of pages.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

This resource page is specific to Panther chams and their care https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/ but the other pages linked above contain valuable info regardless of which type of cham you will care for.

As for where to get your desired Panther, I don't know of anyone specific but I am sure you will receive plenty of recommendations from fellow forum members.
Most importantly, be sure to obtain a captive bred chameleon, as it will typically have had a much more healthy and healthful life prior to you receiving it.
Typically, responsible private breeders are an excellent source.

Now, if you needed a Jackson's cham, then I'd recommend one of my captive bred Jackson's chameleons

 

[christineacero]

Welcome to the forums! This is a great place to start, and I'm glad you chose to come here first before purchasing a cham- very smart girl!

Where do you currently reside? Your location will impact where to get supplies (whether locally or online). I'd suggest a good first step would be to find out if there is a reptile vet close to you that has experience with chameleons. A lot of people purchase them without researching that first and run into problems later on down the line. Not to say that you'll ever need one, but its good to know just in case you ever do.

If you're in the US, check out our classifieds section. There are a lot of forum members that breed panther chameleons, and I'd suggest purchasing one from one of them as opposed to buying one from a store. If you buy from one us, you can be sure that they are captive bred (which is by far more beneficial to you as well as your new cham!), and you'll have a support system available to you for the length of your chams life. Highly recommended you go that route.

One word of caution- don't think you can do this cheaply. Prepare to spend at least $300 on enclosure set up, accessories and feeders before you bring your cham home. I'd suggest a Mistking automatic mister, which will run you over $100, but it will be well worth it. I'm in the process of saving for one, as they are much more expensive here in Canada.

Hope this helps!

 

[Devokid]

Hi Kim,

Welcome to the forum! For cage supplies and cages on the cheap, I would check your local classifieds and craigslist. If you want a nice cage, some of the site sponsors (Upper right corner) sell some very nice ones.

For your chameleon, I would check out the site sponsors again. They are able to provide you with support and give you all of the help you need, as well as stunning chameleons.

For cage size, I have found that the quicker you can move them up in size the better. It helps them grow and be healthy, but you don't want to go too fast or the baby will not be able to find enough food. 20X18X12 is probably good until 4 months, but you definitely want him in something much bigger at 9 months. 48X24X24 is the accepted rule, but I have found that my male panthers are much more active in my 72X36X36 enclosures.

 

[hpc1979]

Welcome....personally I would get three size cages. Too keep it simple I would get a small, large, and X - large Zoo - Med Reptibreeze cages. Start off with the small cage, and upgrade in size as your chameleon gets bigger. I phase my chameleons through each size cages as they get bigger. You can buy many variants of the Reptibreeze style cages. There are many companies that make cages for chameleons, but you can find Zoo Med's cages in pretty much any pet store.

 

[AromatherapyKim]

Thanks for all the welcomes everyone! And ofcourse I'm doing my research before jumping in head first. I've always love researching but after I starting getting into reptiles I really understood why it needs to happen waaayyy before the actual animal gets home.

I'm in the US, Austin, Texas to be exact.
I will definitely check out the classifieds section and yes I'm highly aware that this will not be cheap, I learned very quickly after getting my first reptile (Dwight the leopard tortoise) that they come with a big cost so I'm definitely prepared. I just got a proven pair of blue tongue skinks so my wallet will need to recover for a month or so from that but in the mean time I will be planning everything I need for a panther and keeping an eye out for the perfect one.