Newbie here, a few questions :)

[tgreen588]

Hello Ladies and Gents!

I have probably researched raising chams for at least 20 hours so far, most of which done on this forum!! I am very interested in getting a veiled, however i have a few questions that I would like some honest answers to.

1) What are the bad things about keeping one?
2) Is a dripper enough or is misting mandatory?
3) How often must they be fed, can a bunch of food be added every couple days or must I put a few in every day?
4) Do they stink?
5) Does anyone have any chams that they want to sell/give up for adoption?


Thanks in advance!!,

 

[eisentrauti]

Hello Ladies and Gents!

I have probably researched raising chams for at least 20 hours so far, most of which done on this forum!! I am very interested in getting a veiled, however i have a few questions that I would like some honest answers to.

1) What are the bad things about keeping one?
2) Is a dripper enough or is misting mandatory?
3) How often must they be fed, can a bunch of food be added every couple days or must I put a few in every day?
4) Do they stink?
5) Does anyone have any chams that they want to sell/give up for adoption?


Thanks in advance!!,

1) don't understand what you mean with this
2) dripper is enough, you can build one yourself and save some money
3) adult chameleons just need all 2-3 days something to eat. For an adult calyptratus it's even no problem when you give him a few weeks nothing to eat
4) chameleons never stink, maybe your cage will when you never clean it
5) chamelisa maybe ?

 

[bigcappa]

Welcome to the forums:

1. Not sure if this is a bad thing but Chameleons aren't cheap and take a lot more work at first(experience) than other reptiles.

2. It depends on how much you like your cham , no but you definitely want to do both, have the dripper going all day and mist the cham at least twice a day(hour after lights go on and hour before lights go off)(lights should be a 12 hour period)

3. Depends on the age, under a year old your looking on feeding them everyday as an adult once every 2 or 3 days is fine depending on the feeders.

4. They do not stink but they plant or feeders def can

5. Not at the moment

hope this helps and also check out this blog:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hello Ladies and Gents!
I have probably researched raising chams for at least 20 hours so far, most of which done on this forum!! I am very interested in getting a veiled, however i have a few questions that I would like some honest answers to.
1) What are the bad things about keeping one?
2) Is a dripper enough or is misting mandatory?
3) How often must they be fed, can a bunch of food be added every couple days or must I put a few in every day?
4) Do they stink?
5) Does anyone have any chams that they want to sell/give up for adoption?
Thanks in advance!!,

Hello
Glad you're doing your research. Hope you've had fun doing it! Feel free to check out the links HERE - lots of good reading.

1) - the bad stuff
They dont give back the way many pets do. For the most part, They do not want to be touched/ held. Its sometimes hard to find a Vet that knows anything about chameleons, and vet treatments for exotics tend to be expensive. There is a lot of mis-information out there, contributing to people buying the wrong equipment and ending up with sick animals. They have fairly specific needs (food, supplements, temp, housing, lighting), which are not always easy to provide for.

2) Is a dripper enough or is misting mandatory?
Some misting is always recommended. Even for those that take very well to drippers (not all of them do), the misting helps them keep eyes and skin healthy. But if it takes to a dripper well, and your ambient humidity is high enough normally, misting can be minimal.

3) How often must they be fed, can a bunch of food be added every couple days or must I put a few in every day?
How old is it going to be? Young ones ought to be fed daily. I prefer to feed my adults almost daily, in small quantities - I think this is a better practise. But Many people choose to feed every few days rather than every day. Make sure you remove anything that is not eaten by end of the day.

4) Do they stink?
No. If the poop stinks, there's probably a parasite issue to be dealt with.
Crickets (commonly used as a feeder insect) can stink though.

5) Adoption?
Those available for adoption usualy have special needs - not a good option for a beginner.
If you cant afford to buy a chameleon, you can't afford a chameleon. The maintenance is far more expensive than the animal.

 

[tgreen588]

Thank you sooo much, I'm deff going to get one. Got to build a enclosure first!

Much Love,
Tom

 

[kinyonga]

Its important to know what they need to keep them well in captivity...lighting/temperature (UVB and for basking), supplementing, gutloading/feeding your insects a nutritious diet, etc.

Here are some sites that might help you to learn enough before you get one....
http://adcham.com/
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...als.com/vet/index.php?show=8.Gout.Basics.html
http://chameleonnews.com/
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[brighteyez]

Before buying anything, be aware they are high maintenance. Like, you can't just go out of town for the weekend, and put a few extra bugs in the cage for him and expect him to be ok. I also found that they take a lot of patience, or at least mine has. Sitting there with the cup waiting for him to eat can take a while sometimes.
But, on the other hand, they are amazing animals!!!!

Hello Ladies and Gents!

I have probably researched raising chams for at least 20 hours so far, most of which done on this forum!! I am very interested in getting a veiled, however i have a few questions that I would like some honest answers to.

1) What are the bad things about keeping one?
2) Is a dripper enough or is misting mandatory?
3) How often must they be fed, can a bunch of food be added every couple days or must I put a few in every day?
4) Do they stink?
5) Does anyone have any chams that they want to sell/give up for adoption?


Thanks in advance!!,

 

[tgreen588]

Before buying anything, be aware they are high maintenance. Like, you can't just go out of town for the weekend, and put a few extra bugs in the cage for him and expect him to be ok. I also found that they take a lot of patience, or at least mine has. Sitting there with the cup waiting for him to eat can take a while sometimes.
But, on the other hand, they are amazing animals!!!!

Damn see thats the kind of stuff that I was worried about, what would you do in that case, short of having someone come over and take care of em' when your gone?

Can they be kept in a bed room? or is that to much of an annoyance with the moisture and all?

On a side note, any suggestions for a paint or stain that can be used to coat a wooden framed cage, (stain if possible)?

 

[djfunkshowkid]

If you leave, and will be gone for a while, have someone that you trust and that is responsible take care of it while your gone. You might even need to write out a list of "What to do" like you would for a babysitter...as in a way, your chameleon is your child. It depends on YOU for health and comfort.

You could keep your chameleon in any room in your house that isn't overly noisy. Just make sure that it isn't in a spot where it will get drafts of cold air.

I personally wouldnt reccomend stain or paint. If your worried about decor, you could always buy some nice crown moulding to make the cage more attractive.

But whatever you decide...you must realize one thing.

A Chameleon is a LONG TERM COMMITMENT. You can't wake up, and look over at its cage and say "screw it, it'll be fine today" and not feed, water, or turn on its lights. Imagine if your parents did that to you! Imagine what a child would feel if you stick him/her in a box, and not provide light, food, or water.

Before you THINK about buying a chameleon. Realize what your getting into. This is a living creature that has very specific needs. Im not saying you will or you are going to...but please just dont get a chameleon on a whim...

Good luck!

 

[Chamero]

Just remember that when you get into chams..you also get into bugs and plants. Youl be required to to know proper care/housing for both...