New owner....

[Kingbobobo]

I am new at this and have never had a chameleon, but really want one. I want one that is "playful" and i also need to know tips/equipment need to care for said chameleon. If anyone could offer suggestions I would be vary grateful.

 

[drcrossfire]

I am new at this and have never had a chameleon, but really want one. I want one that is "playful" and i also need to know tips/equipment need to care for said chameleon. If anyone could offer suggestions I would be vary grateful.

Im not sure what you are expecting when you say "playful"? Please clarify! Thanks

 

[Kingbobobo]

Well I was looking in to Veiled Chameleons but I looked around and everyone said they hiss and bit when they get picked up so I am looking for one that will not bit me when I go to pick it up....

 

[dlegare]

I also don't know what you mean by playful.

Chameleons aren't a pet to get if you want something to interact with a lot.

Even friendly Chams stress out from being handled too much.

As far as suggestions I do have a few.

1. Research the type of Chameleon you want to purchase as each type can have some specific husbandry (heat, light, humidity, food, housing) requirements.

2. Make sure you can provide needed food source.

3. Get everything up and running before you get the cham.

4. Really look into getting an automated misting system. They are a bit pricy but well worth the money. You can hand mist and use drippers but if you want to take a day trip somewhere you'll need a cham-sitter.

5. Do not skimp on caging or lighting or humidity/watering, and monitoring (Temp/Humidity) These are crucial for cham success. Also keep in mind that your cham may need a baby cage and an adult cage. If you put a baby cham in a cage for an adult you may have a hard time finding the little bugger believe me. My bright blue Cham Blueberry can hide very well in his Ficus tree. ALso baby chams may not be able to effectively hunt for insects in too large an enclosure.

6. Ask lots of questions. This site is a fabulous resource for new and experienced cham owners.

Welcome

 

[ReptiGeek]

I have had my veiled chameleon for over 3 months and he has not once hissed at me or bit me. Not every chameleon is going to bite and hiss. If you're worried about that, look for the one veiled in the clutch that doesn't react to your hand (get pissy), and go with him.

 

[Kingbobobo]

I'll have to look into the different types. Thanks!!

 

[tvrsir]

wrong animal to want for playfulness.

 

[dlegare]

I have had my veiled chameleon for over 3 months and he has not once hissed at me or bit me. Not every chameleon is going to bite and hiss. If you're worried about that, look for the one veiled in the clutch that doesn't react to your hand (get pissy), and go with him.

Good suggestion but I'm not sure if its always true. My Booberry (Avatar Pic) is such a sweetheart but he was a little monster as a baby. He would puff, hiss, run, turn sideways on his branch, and lunge. As an adult he is absolutely amazing. Very friendly, never puffs or gapes, and will crawl onto my hand whenever I put it in the cage.

 

[Kingbobobo]

well its not like i want to have it out all the time but i want to make sure that if i do take it out it won't bite me...

 

[drcrossfire]

Yeah, not every chameleon is the same, even if it's the same species.

For instance, of my 5 female adult panthers-- i can pick up and handle 4 of them. They let me check them for eggs with no problems-- just wait for me to put them back and feed them...

then I have female #5--- draws blood half the time i try and move her to her lay bin. I dont know what her deal is, but she will squirm and fuss until she can bite even just a little of me.

So, that being said, try and find out the temperament of the chameleon you are purchasing from the breeder. Some always are pissy, and some are always calm.

 

[dlegare]

well its not like i want to have it out all the time but i want to make sure that if i do take it out it won't bite me...

Its hard to determine temperament. My female would probably chew my arm off and beat me with it if I gave her a chance. She is also a Nosy Be.

The hard thing with Chams is its hard to interact with the animal before you purchase it.

I wonder if the more we get into captive breeding the better they will get in regards to temperament.

 

[MollyT]

My veiled is nearly 6 months and he is slowly coming around. It's already been said, but it's so true that temperment varies greatly in every species of chameleon. None of them are playful, though. Even though I can't interact with Kush, I get so much joy from just sitting and watching him. They are truly amazing creatures and I have never been so captivated by one of my pets like I am with Kush. That more than compensates for not being able to handle him.

 

[Robyrango]

Hello

Hello and welcome! You'll find this forum very helpful. As said before chameleons are not playful pets. They're lots of work, it will take time to figure out the perfect schedule for ur chameleon, but it will be worth it. I have an ambilobe and he's very placid, he never hiss and he's ok to pick him up, but he looks happier in his enclosure I have to say. I take him out of his cage once a week for not longer than 5 minutes.
I hand feed him so I consider that my funny time with him. I'm happy he's not a cuddly, needy pet. his personality kind of suits both.
It really deends what do you expect from caring about a chameleon, their very delicate animals, so do lots of research before you purchase one, it will make your life much easier in the long run. Let us know what you decide. Good luck
http://www.flchams.com/general_chameleon_care.asp

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

Many will tolerate handling but they would much rather be left alone. Chams are not the lizard if you want to have it on your shoulder all day. If that's the type of reptile you want, look into bearded dragons

 

[LitldevlblueBar]

if you wanna handle a pet buy a dog or a cat. maybe even a gold fish i know when i was a kid i used to pick my gold fish up outta the tank and i was like 4 haha and i gave it a bath with a tooth brush ! and he still lived on to tell the tail of the tooth brush and when i thought the water was to cold and i put VERY hot water in the tank haha, but he still lived. as far as handling a Chameleon you might wanna rethink your options as far as playing with them. They can get stressed out very easily and that is not a good thing. also if you do take them out it should only be for a few mins at a time and not multiple times a day. I only take mine out to give him his medication and to clean out or rearrange his cage. Chameleons are mainly for viewing and not interacting with. I hope this story made some laugh haha because my gold fish was a TROOPER. But to the person who posted this post about playing with a chameleon I hope it gave you some information about Chameleon handling

 

[DavidBuchan]

I hope this story made some laugh haha because my gold fish was a TROOPER.

Hahaha, classic When I was a kid I spent months digging a pond in the back garden (it was originally going to be a hole all the way to Australia....). I got it looking really good though and 'stole' some sticklebacks from the local park pond. Everything was great and I even had a couple of frogs in there the next year......things went wrong when I decided it had got too dirty and I cleaned it out with washing up liquid.......my fish were not quite so lucky as yours

 

[ChameleonMom]

Honestly I think it comes down to trust with a chameleon! If you are patient and provide, love and make no sudden movements or wear red, you should be able to turn any mean spirited Cham into a happy, ball retrieving, lay at your feet kind of companion!

 

[SaintJimmy]

wrong animal to want for playfulness.

Not really. A lot of people have friendly chameleons. As long as you don't over-do the handling, you'll be fine. :\ Not all chams are super grumpy unhandleable beasts.

 

[Trik]

Not really. A lot of people have friendly chameleons. As long as you don't over-do the handling, you'll be fine. :\ Not all chams are super grumpy unhandleable beasts.

I think the point of tvrsir's post was a good warning to give, especially for a new/potential owner.

Yes, some chameleons can become tame enough to tolerate handling, and some more so to the point where they see humans as another "high perch" that provides them with food, etc. These results require consistent, knowledgeable care, and are still not guaranteed, as it also depends on the cham unique personality. The abundance of veteran cham owners on this forum makes this reality seem commonplace, but the time, knowledge, and quality of care they put in is not available to anyone that buys a cham.

A new owner should go into the cham process expecting an animal that will not tolerate handling and won't be "playful". This way, worst case scenario, they get what they expect out of the cham. If things go well, and they end up getting a calm, well cared for chameleon that doesn't mind being held, then good for them, but a new owner should not go into it expecting this.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Yeah, it partly depends on your definition of 'playful' - in my experience I have had one lizard out of dozens that I would call playful. A male Savannah monitor who also gave me the worst bite I ever had from one of my own pets........
I would not recommend any reptile to someone who wants to 'play' with it, unless they have a good awareness of what to expect.
My current Sav has had lots of patient care and training and she is nearly 2 years old. She is a very curious girl, but still very nervous and panicky if someone moves too quickly to pet her.
In my opinion a chameleon should in general be thought of like a tropical fish -a look but don't touch animal which is more for display. Anything else is a bonus but not to be expected with any species or sex.
For completeness all my Veileds have been quite nice and tolerant, even my male has not hissed at me for about a year.......but I haven't had any need to pick him up since before Christmas