One Month Checkup

[the cw]

There's the little guy(he sucks in his belly when I see him or try to take pictures--he's so fat when he's sleeping or I sneak up on him. He eats like a pig all the time[I put in 20 crickets a day, and he eats at least 10]. Maybe doubled in size since I got him last month! Spray him 3 times a day, vitamins 3 times a week) He's pooping good. Eating phoenix worms(thanks Mulberry!) like a champ, and giving me the stink eye at every chance he can. All in all, a happy, healthy Chameleon.


Now, part of the reason I made this thread was because, before this guy, I was new to Chameleons. I've had many reptiles before, but this was the first Cham. So, I thought I would say a few things to the veterans here so, when more new guys come by, you can help them out. Many things are stressed about Cham care, but these didn't seem clear to me before I got the guy(I don't regret it at all, though).

1) Chameleons are grumpy! Nobody stressed this enough to me. I didn't expect to handle him--honestly--but he is a pissed off guy half the time. Like, once I was changing his food dish and he just ups and hisses at me.

2) Chameleons can be pricey! If you buy crickets from PetSmart, let's say, they're 10 cents each when small. A young Cham can eat that many a day. So, you've already sunk around $15 a week. But, that's not good variety(and I'm not even counting supplements and or feeding the feeders). I knew start up was tons of cash, just not week to week.

3) Chameleons are active! He's *always* up to something. I can't believe how much he moves around his enclosure in search of food. I always thought they basically sat in place. Boy I was wrong. He's far more active than most of the Geckos I've owned over the years.


I'm not scolding anyone by saying these. Rather, I just feel some of these weren't said enough. Some are minor, some not. Just my 2 cents. And thanks Chameleon forums for allaying some of my fears and helping me have a nice friend.

 

[heartben]

its good to hear things are going good.

all chameleons have different personalities, and they do seem to change over time. some people get a cham home and day one they are climbing on their owners hands only to be antisocial months later..some are grumpy from day one and down the road take a liking to handling.. some dont change much at all.

i know one thing, its a slow road to gain a bit of trust from what ive read so..dont "give up" but dont expect anything either.

as for crickets...why not just order them? i get 1000 for 25 dollars shipped and there are even cheaper places out there.. you can get similar deals on superworms as well and they seem to last a long time.

some chameleons are active some hide all the time. i have 2 chams, one seems to move all the time, the other one will move like 10-15 times a day and hang out for a chunk of time. when i first got darwin he would only move like 4 times a day (wake up, bask, drink, bask, sleep) but he has become more active over time.

im not saying you are wrong, chameleons can be grumpy, chameleons can be expensive, chameleons can be super active.. but they can also be nice, affordable, lazy. haha.

either way, its good he is doing good!

 

[the cw]

I do order them. At first I didn't, but then it quickly became apparent how much these guys eat. Where do they put it?!

I'll try my best with this guy. He knows when I feed him and he's not scared them(more like staring patiently). And I think he's calming down a bit. We'll see, I suppose.

Those were my thoughts. I don't claim for them to be right, rather just some things which had been on my mind. Like you said, the main thing is this guys is doing good. Never brown and *never* a dull moment.