whats the best chameleon for a beginner?

Thezillaman21

Avid Member
im new to the hobby of raiseing chameleons. iv been reading as much as i can the past 5months but i still cant pick which type i want. i dont want nothing longer than 12" i would like to get something cheap to start so im maxing my budget at $100 altho if i can find something that i can get a pair of cheaper id prefer that. i know pygmies r cheap(sometimes) but i would prefer something that has a tail that can curl up. i understand thier aint alot of choices in these standereds but id like to here any ideas anyone has!
also i have a cage thats 2x2x4:D
 
If your budget is $100...is that just for the cham or for everything??? This is not a cheap hobby. The least expensive part is probably the cham, but the supplies and feeders can add up quick and heavy...They are also time consuming and need a routine of feeding (including dusting with and with out d3 and multivitamins) misting, cleaning enclosure, showers...and so on.

I am sure you read all this and know it already but I just don't ant you to think it is inexpensive or a carefree pet.

I have heard that veilds are a good starter. They are rugged and hardy, but also are temperamental! (and escape artist in my case) Pygmies are less expensive but also more fragile. ( They are adorable too, even with their stubby tails:D)....
 
In your case, you have a 2x2x4' cage. is it all screen? can you post a picture? You are doing the right thing with coming to the ChameleonForums.com to research, but you want to research the chameleon you get before you purchase.

As CalaMala stated, Chameleons aren't a cheap hobby they cost you well over $100, if that is all you can spend you might want to look into another type of pet or save up more.

For a starter you will want to start with a Veiled Chameleon. I refer newer keepers to males, because they don't lay eggs and it's a little less work.

You will want to get a screen cage, lights (UVA/UVB), live plants, misting bottle or automatic mister, feeder insects, dusting supplements, and time and extra money..

When purchasing a Veiled Chameleon or any Chameleon, you will want to find the most reputable reptile breede, we have many to choose from in the sponsors which is the right hand corner of the screen when looking at the site. You can research each breeder and find the best. I recommend not asking about them on the forums or making a thread, because it will more than likely be closed. So you can e-mail the breeders as many questions as you want and they should be willing to answer them.

Welcome to the hobby of Chameleons!
 
For a starter you will want to start with a Veiled Chameleon. I refer newer keepers to males, because they don't lay eggs and it's a little less work.

You will want to get a screen cage, lights (UVA/UVB), live plants, misting bottle or automatic mister, feeder insects, dusting supplements, and time and extra money..
True, but OP did say no bigger than 12". I still would also recommend a male Veiled. We don't get pygmys for sale here (in England) very often, but I know they are particularly delicate.........
 
Budget

Cage ain't finished It's just a frame of wood I'm getting screen and stuff budget is $400 total(cages supply not included) $100 for Cham! I really don't think I want a veiled because thier rep of biting and I'm one of those people who would get mad if it did and backhand it! But maybe i will get a veiled. Idk.
 
Cage ain't finished It's just a frame of wood I'm getting screen and stuff budget is $400 total(cages supply not included) $100 for Cham! I really don't think I want a veiled because thier rep of biting and I'm one of those people who would get mad if it did and backhand it! But maybe i will get a veiled. Idk.

Lol, whichever kind you get, you do not handle them often (better not at all, usually - controversial topic, because some do seem to be 'friendly')
A Veiled baby will not be aggressive, but once they grow up they go through a phase.........after that some are aggressive, some friendly. Mine is 10 months old and has never bitten me (because I'm very careful, and don't piss him off)
 
I can honestly say that my male veiled has never bitten me or anyone else. I'm not going to pretend he doesn't have an attitude though... that most certainly would not be true. He's like a perpetual teenager. :rolleyes:

Learn to read the cham's body language and you will know when he/she is stressed by whatever you're doing. Be willing to back off if the cham doesn't want to be touched, and also willing to accept that the cham might end up being a display animal rather than one you can handle.
 
Yeah I don't wanna sound cocky or anything but I think I can handle raiseing any type of chameleon even tho I don't have experience just because I have spent months reading as much as I could. so far just the supplements and the
The lighting setups is just alittle confusing but I'm not getting my Cham for another month so Ill b able to figure it out!
 
Nvm my dad said no to to veiled cuz of their size :/ honestly I might go with the elliot's chameleon

Some peopel think 18 -24 OMG...but that is total lenth nose to tail end. Tell him about half of that is tail (which is usually curled up), he might change his mind. Good luck and keep researching...you will learn something new everyday.

And these people are GREAT :D
 
Yeah I don't wanna sound cocky or anything but I think I can handle raiseing any type of chameleon even tho I don't have experience just because I have spent months reading as much as I could. so far just the supplements and the
The lighting setups is just alittle confusing but I'm not getting my Cham for another month so Ill b able to figure it out!

Your right. Keeping most chameleons isn't that hard. Keeping a happy and healthy chameleon, now that a whole different story. Offering the bare minimum will certainly keep the chameleon alive for awhile. Anyone can live off of some bread and water. Chameleons should be spoiled. No matter what your going to have problems at first. Whether it be temp problems, chameleon problems, misting problems, to feeding problems. The best way to eliminate most of the technical problems is to have your habitat running a week before you get your chameleon. This ensures that any temps problems that may come up can be fixed before hand. When I first started keeping chameleons I use to try new things all the time until I finally settled on certain things for different species. I hope everything works out and keep us posted on your which ever chameleon you choose.

If you want small try a Rudis or Jacksons. With a cage 2x2x4' you could house a small colony of rudis or elliots. You can get a pair of either for around 100. Remember the smaller the cham the less you should TRY and handle them. Smaller chameleons stress more because a human is a pretty big animal in their eyes.
 
I really don't think I want a veiled because thier rep of biting and I'm one of those people who would get mad if it did and backhand it! But maybe i will get a veiled. Idk.

Honestly you shouldn't get a chameleon at all then...even the nicest cham in the world can bite you.
 
The problem with being cocky when you don't know anything about a subject is your less inclined to actually learn the actual volume of information you need to, instead falling back on all the skills you've convinced yourself you already have. You only think you can handle raising any type of chameleon because you really don't know very much about chameleons to start with. If you don't understand supplements and lights, you don't have a chance of being able to handle most chameleon species at this point. In my opinion you should be concentrating on the care requirements of species that are best for beginners, not any species that a sudden whim strikes you over. If you can't provide for species that are appropriate for beginners, whether because your dad says no, or otherwise, you should reevaluate whether a chameleon is for you. Try reading up on introductory care information: http://www.chameleonnews.com/05DecAndersonIntro.html That said, if you are prone to backhanding an animal that is less than 1/250th of your size, then you might consider something like a pet rock or goldfish.

Chris
 
Honestly you shouldn't get a chameleon at all then...even the nicest cham in the world can bite you.

Let alone a cham, anything that has a mouth may bite you. There's always that risk whether you're keeping a cat, dog, reptile, or anything else. As I said before, learn to read the cham's body language (believe it or not they're quite expressive) and don't intentionally do anything to stress it out.

The closest I ever come to being bitten by my veiled male is when I have to remove him from his cage. If this happens to you, use a long stick to get the cham out of the cage (when you're cleaning, etc.). NEVER poke at the cham, just use the stick as something it can grab onto then remove the cham from the cage.

...That said, if you are prone to backhanding an animal that is less than 1/250th of your size, then you might consider something like a pet rock or goldfish.

Chris

This is very important. You should not be considering any pet if you are aware that you would harm the animal in response to a bite. I know you are young and I do not mean to be rude, but you will have to practice self-control before you consider getting a cat or dog, let alone an advanced animal like a cham.
 
Oh I know that small chams can bite too! But it's like my friends baby veiled it bites but dont hurt but his moms adult panther can break your fingers obviously I don't want something that's constantly aggressive considering I have a 3yrd nephew and a little brother on the way. And altho they won't have contact with it often I don't want them to fear it! I understand ubv and heat lamps I'm just not sure what strength I need yet because of climate that's why I'm bn trying to prepare for months!! And depending on species chams require different amounts of calcium. And to the person who said about the chameleo rudis that was my original choice to get but flchams and lllreptile dont have any of them and the elliot's Cham is suppost to b a higher level of care someone told me! Altho I think I could handle it because I got the time to get it right! Also to people saying bout veileds my dad said no to anything big!
 
the elliot's Cham is suppost to b a higher level of care someone told me! Altho I think I could handle it because I got the time to get it right!

No, actually you don't have the time to get it right. With species like this, you don't have the time to figure out how to do it right as you go, you need to do it right from the start. Most species are not considered starter species because they don't take figuring out how to get it right well.

Chris
 
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