Research before i commit

[Jerry91]

Hi guys, like most of you I've fallen head over heels for the chameleon and i have decided to get an Ambilobe Panther Cham. I understand its a big commitment so before i do commit to caring for one i want to make sure i am fully competent and confident in what I'm doing. Can anybody recommend some good books i can read to build my understanding? My knowledge so far is, to be honest, slim. I have cared for musk turtles but the chameleon is all new to me, so i'd be looking for books that start from the beginning.

Thanks in advance,
Jerry.

 

[Kate]

Hi Jerry. Welcome to the forum. You do not need books. You will learn everything you need to know on here. If you have a question just ask. Veileds and panthers care is similar and you will find blogs on here about almost everything. Good luck.

 

[Jerry91]

Hi Kate, thanks for the welcome, i just think that there's so much i need to learn that it would be a lot easier if i could get all the info i need in one place. e.g. a book.
I appreciate the website has all the information i need but i don't know where to start. I'd really appreciate any good book recommendations as i feel it would be an easier option, as apposed to trawling through threads.
Thanks
Jerry.

 

[Seiryu]

Welcome! Glad to see you're researching before impulse buying!

I can't really recommend any books. A good amount of the books, in my opinion have somewhat outdated information. Things can change very fast in the reptile world. Things that people thought were good back just a few years ago now could potentially be dangerous.

The forums are the perfect place and I would recommend asking what all questions you'd like to know.

 

[MollyT]

I don't know of any books. When I decided I wanted to learn about chameleons to see if I could care for one, I started searching the internet. I noticed I kept being led back to these forums. I joined, read a bunch of blogs, and asked a TON of questions. There are a bunch of blogs from members who have had chams for years and years. The most important things you need to learn are gutloading the feeder insects, supplementing the chams food with calcium both with and without D3, and multivitamins. Also, the temperature range and humidity your chameleon will need, as well as hydration and cage requirements. It does sounds like a lot, but it is SO worth it. Give me a bit to look around for some good blogs for you to read to get you started, unless someone else already knows where they are and can chime in.

 

[MollyT]

This is a good one that breaks a lot of it down...

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/isa-my-veiled/707-so-you-want-chameleon.html


Sorry, I'm not good at links. I will post another here in just a second.

 

[Carrie Anne]

There is a blog section on the forums with some very helpful information and here is a care sheet for panther chameleons from a fellow forum member Texas Ranger http://www.freereptilecaresheets.com/site/default.asp?page=Caresheets&ID=72&Type=Lizards I hope this helps you out some. I highly recommend searching through the blogs as there is some valuable info on there about gut loading insects and overall nutrition and supplements and like everyone else says just ask as many questions as you can on here.

 

[MollyT]

Here is another good one.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/dez/155-chameleon-care-101-panthers-veileds.html


Also, JannB has great blogs on caring for chameleons and SandraChameleon is the best for info on gutloading feeders.

These should get you started. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions!!

 

[Jerry91]

Thanks for the heads up!
I better get reading,
Jerry.

 

[Kate]

The size of tank depends on how you are going to feed. Mine was 3 months old and I put him in a 4ft x 3 ft x 2ft. And cup fed him, that way he didn't have far to find his food. As said above most books are out of date. The forum gives tested methods. Also type of tank depends on your location. All mesh seems the way to go, however I use wood/glass/ mesh as it suits my location. You will also find there is differences in feeders where you are. Here I can get locusts, locusts are banned in the states. We cannot get hornworms. So there is not one size fits all.

 

[absolutbill]

I have quite a few chameleon books, but have gained all of my cham knowledge here on the forums. My advice is to start by reading a blog - Jann's is excellent. Then, pick it apart, one section at a time and do searches for additional information. So, if you are reading about cage size, do a search about what types of cages everyone uses to get a good idea about your needs for your particular cham. Then, move on to temperatures, feeders, gutloading, etc. We are always here to help - PM me if you want to - I have 2 ambis - a male and a female. Good luck and happy reading!