New to this.....

bsm1982

New Member
:confused:I have never owned a reptile and i have read eveything on chameleons i could my eyes on. I would like to buy a complete set. The cham and the cage setup.
screameleons complete setup with the 30 day health looks like a good deal, also FLchams.com has the same kind of deal. Also im wondering whats the real diff between a Veiled and a Panather. THE only reason i ask is bceause a veiled is 100$ and a panther is a good bit higher. I'M just looking from some feed back and a direction to go in!!!
 
Welcome to the forum and the world of chameleons!
Its good to hear that you are doing your research before buying the chameleon.

Here's some information you might find helpful......
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. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

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. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

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. 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. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

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. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. 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 and your parents 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/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
 
The care for Veild's and Panther's is pretty much the same. The Panthers tend to have more variety in their coloring than the Veild's but don't get me wrong there are some gorgeous Veild's out there. Depending on what type of Panther you get, their colors range from different shades of blue, orange, red, yellow, green, the Veilds are more green with some yellow, blues, browns. The Male Panthers are much more colorful than the females. Also you might want to consider getting a male instead of a female as the females can lay infertile clutches of eggs without being mated and you have to deal with egg laying and problems that may arise from them carrying eggs.
 
Well, did you decide what kind of chameleon you want to get? Look in the upper right hand corner and click on sponsors. There are alot of good companies that sell veilds and panthers if that is what you are looking for.
 
Thinks for all the info. Where is a good place online to buy from?

Our site sponsors are reputable, screameleons has some gorgeous panthers! It really depends on the genes you want and the price you can afford. I have both a panther and a veiled and I love them both. They are not typical in the way that they get along with each other which is almost unheard of. Most chameleons are solitary animals and will only tolerate a mate, but on the occasion we get those that are very docile and civil with one another. Veileds are known to be more aggressive, but I can name many who are the sweetest little things, and I can also name some panthers who are nasty little buggers :D It's like children, you never know how they will turn out, and no matter how hard you try, if you get an evil little brat, your screwed :p
 
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