artgecko
Member
Hello all,
This is my first post to the forum, although I've been lurking around for a while. I've owned reptiles for several years and keep many different species (boas, pythons, skinks, geckos, tree frogs, etc.) but I've never owned a chameleon. This is mostly due to two things that scared me off, their "short" lifespan and how "difficult" they are to keep correctly. I've done a little more research and found that initially what I had read (and had scared me off) many years ago isn't quite true but I'm still a little leery because I know they can be more sensitive than some of the other species I keep.
All that said, I may be considering jumping in and buying one...chiefly because my local petco has had 2 (I believe female), veiled chameleons for several months now and I saw them "fighting" over a good perch under their light the other day.. They are desperate to move these two and have reduced their price to $30. In this case, I am tempted not only because of the low price, but because I might make a better home than some others who might jump on them just for the low price as well, but may not do their research.
I do still have a few questions for you guys though, to determine if one of these chameleons would work with my current reptile setup and routine and also related to them being velied and female (I'm assuming female because they are solid green with no markings).
1. Is starting out with a female risky for a beginner and if so, what do I need to do to be prepared?
2. Are there any signs of illness that I should watch for / avoid?
3. My reptile room stays at around 75f - 78f (temp increases in the summer and is kept at 75 or higher via a heater on a t-stat). Humidity stays between 45%-55% (I use a room humidifier). Are these conditions ok for a chameleon cage setup or would they be problematic?
4. I have a colony of dubia roaches that I use to feed my frogs and geckos. Would I be able to use these as a primary food source? I absolutely hate crickets, so would supplement with worms / grubs but not crix. would that work as well?
If you have any other suggestions or think I should wait and start out with a male, etc. please let me know. I was planning on eventually getting a chameleon but these circumstances have caused me to consider it sooner than I would have otherwise and I don't want to make a bad decision.
This is my first post to the forum, although I've been lurking around for a while. I've owned reptiles for several years and keep many different species (boas, pythons, skinks, geckos, tree frogs, etc.) but I've never owned a chameleon. This is mostly due to two things that scared me off, their "short" lifespan and how "difficult" they are to keep correctly. I've done a little more research and found that initially what I had read (and had scared me off) many years ago isn't quite true but I'm still a little leery because I know they can be more sensitive than some of the other species I keep.
All that said, I may be considering jumping in and buying one...chiefly because my local petco has had 2 (I believe female), veiled chameleons for several months now and I saw them "fighting" over a good perch under their light the other day.. They are desperate to move these two and have reduced their price to $30. In this case, I am tempted not only because of the low price, but because I might make a better home than some others who might jump on them just for the low price as well, but may not do their research.
I do still have a few questions for you guys though, to determine if one of these chameleons would work with my current reptile setup and routine and also related to them being velied and female (I'm assuming female because they are solid green with no markings).
1. Is starting out with a female risky for a beginner and if so, what do I need to do to be prepared?
2. Are there any signs of illness that I should watch for / avoid?
3. My reptile room stays at around 75f - 78f (temp increases in the summer and is kept at 75 or higher via a heater on a t-stat). Humidity stays between 45%-55% (I use a room humidifier). Are these conditions ok for a chameleon cage setup or would they be problematic?
4. I have a colony of dubia roaches that I use to feed my frogs and geckos. Would I be able to use these as a primary food source? I absolutely hate crickets, so would supplement with worms / grubs but not crix. would that work as well?
If you have any other suggestions or think I should wait and start out with a male, etc. please let me know. I was planning on eventually getting a chameleon but these circumstances have caused me to consider it sooner than I would have otherwise and I don't want to make a bad decision.