hello! i am getting a chameleon this sunday and i need help.
i am not new to the world of reptiles, i had a bearded dragon and a few anoles awhile ago and decided that i would like a chameleon. unfortunatly i only have around $120 to spend this weekend for him. i will be able to buy better stuff later, but for now this is all i have, so if you know of anything thats on sale please tell me!!!!!!!! i heard that senegal chameleons are cheap, and are the best for beginners, is this true? also, what brand of cage is not extremly expensive, but good. and what should i feed him, is mealworms and such okay? ( roaches and crickets not allowed in the house) is ther any vitamins i will need to get? and what else do i need?
please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well to be honest I don't think you are going to get that chameleon on Sunday because you aren't ready. You don't seem to have everything you need to set one up correctly.
Are you certain that you can get the correct type and size caging locally? If not you'll have to order one. Can you be certain that you can get the correct lighting (ReptiSun 5.0 fluorescent tube plus a basking spot) at any local shop? Most pet shops don't carry them and ordinary fluorescent tube lights won't work. UV for desert species like your beardie will be too intense. You can use a regular incandescent light bulb for basking, but you must have the correct UV.
You need an accurate thermometer and a humidity gauge. Again, the typical pet shop stick on types are just not reliable for such a humidity-sensitive herp. To provide correct humidity and drinking water you will need to be able to spray the foliage down several times a day and/or set up a dripping water source so your cham can drink enough. A dish of water won't work as the water has to be moving to attract the cham's attention. Forget those decorative waterfalls. They are a headache to keep clean and most chams won't drink from them anyway.
You'll need several live foliage plants too (such as Ficus, schefflera, Pothos and need to wash them down to get rid of any pesticide or fertilizer sprays the nursery has used on them.
A starter colony of feeders other than roaches or crix? If neither of these are allowed in your house just what are you planning to feed a cham? Mealworms are not a decent basic feeder at all and there are not very many other options readily available. You won't be able to keep a cham healthy on just one or two feeder types. You will need several dusts for the feeders...plain calcium, calcium with vitamin D3, and a herp vitamin dust. Also gutloads for the feeders, but don't bother with the typical pet shop cricket foods as they aren't worth the money.
And, once you have all this stuff on hand you will need time to set everything up and check the resulting temps and humidity before exposing your new cham to the setup. It takes some trial and error.
Sorry to burst your bubble but you really need some prep time before buying any cham. That "cheap" Senegal is not a good choice because it was most likely imported from the wild, is suffering from stress, possible injuries, dehydration (and in the early stages of kidney or organ failure), poor care (after all they are cheap so no one seems to care very much if they die before someone buys them) or if a female could be gravid. Not an easy newbie choice at all.
Really, take some time and read the sticky forum messages about "basic cham husbandry" and assemble your equipment list first, then ask us specific questions that aren't clear, and then think about your cham choices before bringing anything home that will be counting on your readiness.
