New here!

[Big Gulp]

Hi guys and gals. Looks like a great place you have here. I'm sure you get threads like this quite often, so I apologize ahead of time.

I'm really interested in getting a chameleon. I've been a reptile lover for many years, and I've always loved chams, but have never owned one.

I still havent decided on what species to get. Most places say Veiled are the easiest to take care of, and easiest to find in stores. Would you recommend them, or Panthers, or something else?

Is it a must to have a cage thats at least 48" tall?

What are the main differences between male and female (looks, temperament etc).

Has anyone ever gutted out an old armoire (and screened it) and used it as a cage?

Thats it for now. Thanks.

 

[AMGChams]

Has anyone ever gutted out an old armoire (and screened it) and used it as a cage?.

I took one of our old cabinets about 3' wide x 2' deep x 3' high and gutted it and replaced the top and sides with screen. I kept the bottom wood but cut out a space for where the live plant window box could fit in it that way the soil was flush with the wood. I have had no problems other than wishing I had not made the planter part of the floor (its hard to keep as clean as I would like) also I need to remove the top and add some hight to it to allow the plants to continue to grow as well as give my little one more room to climb. He is only 3 months old now so I don't think I need to rush on that right now. Its not pretty though.

 

[rcutchens]

Hi guys and gals. Looks like a great place you have here. I'm sure you get threads like this quite often, so I apologize ahead of time.

I'm really interested in getting a chameleon. I've been a reptile lover for many years, and I've always loved chams, but have never owned one.

I still havent decided on what species to get. Most places say Veiled are the easiest to take care of, and easiest to find in stores. Would you recommend them, or Panthers, or something else?

Is it a must to have a cage thats at least 48" tall?

What are the main differences between male and female (looks, temperament etc).

Has anyone ever gutted out an old armoire (and screened it) and used it as a cage?

Thats it for now. Thanks.

Welcome Big Gulp. I'm fairly new myself so I don't pretend to have all the answers but can assure you that you've come to the right place! There is just a ton of information out here as well as a great community of users that have a wealth of experience to offer.

Regarding the cage size, my understanding is it really depends on the size of the chameleon you're planning on getting. For a younger, smaller chameleon, for example, you may want to start with a smaller cage so he/she doesn't have a difficult time hunting prey. Additionally, you may find it easier to control the temperatures and humidity in a smaller setup if you are planning on getting a younger, smaller chameleon. At least that's what I've come to understand.

Rico's cage is a medium Zilla open air cage which is 24x12x26 and I was originally concerned that this would be too large as he's only 3 months old and is about 5.5 inches in length. However, he seems to have adapted well to the environment and we've gone between loose and cup feeding him and he seems to do fine either way. It's pretty amazing to see him stalk down cickets in the cage and without knowing for sure I have to believe he and hear/smell them and just goes on the prowl. How he knows which area of the cage they are tinkering around in before actually seeing them is just too uncanny! Of course, that would only make sense because they are meant to be able to survive in the wild after all.

As for the difference between males and females I don't know much other than I'm told males are generally bigger and typically have brighter colors. I do know that females can obviously produce clutches of eggs and there are special considerations you might need to be aware of if considering a female. As for temperament I really don't know for sure but I'm sure other members can help you with more info regarding differences.

With regard to the veiled vs. panther, I'd originally heard the same thing - that veiled were easier to care for and generally hardier. I've no real experience to confirm or deny this advice and it's probably true but given the amount of information and support I was able to find out here on CF I had greater confidence in our ability to work with a panther for our first chameleon. I'm not saying that's the right choice for everyone and, truth be told, only time will tell if it was the right choice for us but finding CF really helped me feel more comfortable in the decision to go with a panther. Although, I must say, I've seen some INCREDIBLE veileds out here as well!

I hope you find this information useful and I'm sure you'll receive more feedback from other, more experienced members so, again, weclome and have confidence that you've found a great, great community and rources here at CF!

 

[Ace]

Hi guys and gals. Looks like a great place you have here. I'm sure you get threads like this quite often, so I apologize ahead of time.

I'm really interested in getting a chameleon. I've been a reptile lover for many years, and I've always loved chams, but have never owned one.

I still havent decided on what species to get. Most places say Veiled are the easiest to take care of, and easiest to find in stores. Would you recommend them, or Panthers, or something else?

Is it a must to have a cage thats at least 48" tall?

What are the main differences between male and female (looks, temperament etc).

Has anyone ever gutted out an old armoire (and screened it) and used it as a cage?

Thats it for now. Thanks.

Welcome to the forums...but before u become a member there is a initation test....................lol...jk

Well Veileds and panthers are similar in care so its just your choice, except panthers are a little more expensive then veileds, because of the colors they have....in panther chameleons the males have the colors and the females dont ,

veileds well, they are both green, but there are some few different characteristics that differ males from females, ....please do your own research and keep lookiing around, i believe "Sandrachameleon" has links about the care of veileds and maybe panthers(i thnk).......overall it really all depends of what you like and once you decided then research ALOT, plan it, have a good amount of money saved up(ALOT), and of course be in the this fourms

good luck

 

[kinyonga]

Generally you start a baby off in a small cage. I prefer longer lower ones rather than high ones because it makes it more likely that they will get enough UVB.

Here's the set-up...
http://chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html

For panthers and veileds, the males are easier to keep in that you don't have to worry about reproductive issues like you do with the females. The females can produce eggs whether mated or not. Temperament-wise its really an individual thing....some will tolerate your handling and others won't...and you may not find out until they are sexually mature what they will be like.

Here's some information I often post for newbies...
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it.

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. (Some UVB lights have been known to cause health issues, so the most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light.) D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it.

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while.

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs....so its important too. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060114031124/http://www.adcham.com/

I can only advise you to read lots before you get one. There's a lot to learn if you want to keep one in a healthy state that will live a long life!

 

[Ace]

Generally you start a baby off in a small cage. I prefer longer lower ones rather than high ones because it makes it more likely that they will get enough UVB.

Here's the set-up...
http://chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html

For panthers and veileds, the males are easier to keep in that you don't have to worry about reproductive issues like you do with the females. The females can produce eggs whether mated or not. Temperament-wise its really an individual thing....some will tolerate your handling and others won't...and you may not find out until they are sexually mature what they will be like.

Here's some information I often post for newbies...
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it.

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. (Some UVB lights have been known to cause health issues, so the most often recommended one is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light.) D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it.

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while.

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs....so its important too. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

I can only advise you to read lots before you get one. There's a lot to learn if you want to keep one in a healthy state that will live a long life!

Kinyongia- u r a lifesaver....i didnt hve the links on hand, and truth b told, i couldnt right all that info u put, and kudos to u for doing it

 

[Ricardo]

After those loads of info, i just wanna say: Welcome to the forums

 

[Carlton]

I still havent decided on what species to get. Most places say Veiled are the easiest to take care of, and easiest to find in stores.

Is it a must to have a cage thats at least 48" tall?


Has anyone ever gutted out an old armoire (and screened it) and used it as a cage?

First, getting any cham in a typical pet shop may not be the best idea unless they can demonstrate that they are very knowledgable (and, how can you determine this?). The cham may not have had the best care and you could inherit health problems along with your cham. True, veileds and panthers are easier partly because they are many many more keepers and breeders out there with experience, and because they are less fussy about humidity.

If you plan on keeping a male, a larger cage is better simply because you can give your cham more living space. You can offer larger potted trees, more climbing room, and more variety in microclimates it can choose from during the day and night. Baby or very young chams do better in smaller temporary setups. Maybe that's my own bias...I hate crowding any creature and I don't own so many that space is a problem.

I once saw a beautiful cham cage made from a large library bookcase (about 6' tall, 4' on a side). Wood sides and back were screened, lights installed in the top, a bushy Ficus tree filled it. But, you will have to completely seal all wood that will get sprayed or stay damp. Cham cages get wet multiple times every day. The wood frame may not look perfect over time due to water.

I have also seen cages made out of free standing shower stalls with a screen front instead of a glass door.

 

[carol5208]

Welcome to the forums and good luck in your research in both buying a chameleon and learning how to care for them! Hope to see you on here in the near future with some pictures of your new chameleon!!!

 

[Big Gulp]

Thanks for the welcome and all of the great info so far. It is very much appreciated!

Do you guys think it would be better getting a cham from a reptile show/expo over a pet store?

 

[Ace]

Thanks for the welcome and all of the great info so far. It is very much appreciated!

Do you guys think it would be better getting a cham from a reptile show/expo over a pet store?

i think so, u can talk to the breeders, and have a wider selection....ckeck the clssiifieds section and our sponsors they r great too

 

[Big Gulp]

Is it true that Panthers, in general, have shorter life-spans than Veileds?

Also, besides looks/colors, are there any big differences between the different kinds of Panthers?

Thanks.

 

[reptoman]

I can't speak to the lifespan of veilds but Panther live 8 years for males and around 5 for females on average.
The difference between locals of panthers is the coloration. go to some of the sponsors websites and you can see good examples of different locals.

Welcome to the forums!