I will be researching for months yet before I get my cham, but I wanted to ask for peoples top picks for a first chameleon. Although this will be my first time owning a chameleon, I have worked at pet stores (good and bad) for many years, and have taken care of them and many other reptiles. I think I want to order from FLChams because the pet stores around here have sad looking chams. Everyone says get a veiled, but I keep reading that they get crankier with age. I was looking at Jackson's, but keep getting warned that they are only for experts. Also, FLChams has several types of Jackson's--how do you pick?! I want a cham that is on the smaller size. Although they all have different personalities, I would like one that generally has a good disposition throughout life. Any feedback would be great!
A jax would fit your wish for a smaller species, but they are touchier in terms of humidity, cooler temps (year round), and you need to pay more attention to correct supplementation. So, while considering between a montane species like jax and the other two, first think about your house climate throughout the year:
How hot does it get in summer? Jax won't do well if your room gets over 80 very often.
How dry or humid? If your climate is dry a jax will require more sophisticated misting or fogging systems to stay healthy.
Do you need to run an AC in summer? It will really dry out the air and the cage without more misting, and if you are not home you'll need to automate it.
Do you use forced air heat in winter? This also dries out the air, so the more you have to heat the more you'll have to humidify.
Will you be able to provide decent nighttime cooldowns into the low 60s in summer? If your house/room stays humid and warm at night you'll have a harder time providing the night time cooldown for a jax.
These types of things may help you decide if a jax will do OK without a more complicated cage setup.
I don't know if I'd say any cham tends to change its disposition during life other than the more obvious change from baby, through the "terrible teens" of hormone emergence, into a mature adult. Almost every cham will change somewhat at those phases of life. I wouldn't say a veiled or panther gets dramatically more or less cranky as it ages. A trend like that is much more of an individual one, not common to the species.
Jax may not be as cranky as veileds or panthers can be, but they are still prone to stress. They just express their stress differently...hiding and avoiding issues rather than facing them. ANY cham can decide to be cranky, especially if it is suffering from a long term stress or health problem. Veileds can be mellow, panthers can be very mean or very nice. Just hard to predict. So, I suggest choosing the species based on other aspects instead. If you pick the species that seems to fit your particular situation and interest, the personality you end up with will still be acceptable...you'll be willing to live with the animal that intrigues you most.
