Whats with the price difference in Panthers? Specifically Ambilobe.

[Coby]

So Im looking to get a my first cham sometime in the next month. So Ive been looking around trying to decide where to order it from, and Ive noticed theres quite a difference in prices on some Ambilobes on different sites. Ive seen some as low as $195, and others at like $450.

Can anyone explain that to me?

Whats generally a good price to pay for one thats not an adult?

Where would you recommend I get one from?

 

[pssh]

It depends on how much you are willing to pay for the chameleon you want. Sure, you can find them as low as 70-100, but you might not know the gender, sire, dam, Locale, etc. Buy what you want, not what's an 'acceptable' price to other members.

 

[Coby]

Yeah, that makes sense. I think Ill get one in the $300 range from Screameleons. I was just wondering why the prices varied so much.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

It depends on alot of things
How old they are/how the sire looks/the site you buy it from.
The older the more expensive they are.
The sire play a part deff. The nicer looking sire the more expensive.
The site you buy from also play apart like screameleons.
Theyre have a huge popularity and proven blood lines that look awesome.
Thats why theyre more expensive. (ive seen as expensive as 500 NOT shipped and their only like 5 months old)

Other smaller sites will typically sell for cheaper.

I would buy from one of our sponsors
or if your looking to buy cheaper you should check your craigslist or buy from a local breeder, I wouldnt buy cheap from a untrusted/unknown site, just because you cant physically inspect them.

 

[Coby]

Oh okay, that makes sense.

Yeah, Ill deffinetly get it from a reputable place.

 

[Jonah S]

Yeah, that makes sense. I think Ill get one in the $300 range from Screameleons. I was just wondering why the prices varied so much.

I have only heard great things about Screameleons. They are very well known and I'm willing to bet a lot of the forum members have ordered from them. Something worth keeping in mind is the health of the parent chameleons. I bought my male veiled from a local breeder and he is about ten to twelve weeks old (I believe). He is doing well and is in good health, though when he is compared to a chameleon with reputable parents (Stanley for instance, one of Jann's baby chameleons if I'm not mistaken has great chameleon parents) the differences are pretty dramatic. Size and color are the two biggest ones that jump out, hardiness may be a characteristic as well that isn't as easily recognizable on the surface. Stanley is pretty close in age to my baby male veiled and he is showing a lot more color, size, as well as casque size.

Long and short of it, there is nothing wrong with buying from a local breeder but when you have a well known, reputable breeder, you can pretty much guarentee that your chamaleon will have not a good but a great running start when he/she gets to your care. Also, considering that your chameleon will probably live anywhere from 5-7 years, the extra money you spend in the beginning is pretty nominal when it is spread over the chameleon's life.

Hope this proves beneficial to you

 

[JohnnyD]

I bought three Ambilobes from Chameleons Northwest and they are turning out great. Screameleons and Chameleons Only have awesome stuff but a little out of my price range. Definitely buy from a reputable breeder or a reputable forum member.

 

[reptoman]

I think a large part of the cost comes from the lineage you are buying from. If you buy offspring from a wel known breeder like screameleons and start a breeding project down the road, you will be more likely to get more for the babies that you get.

 

[ColorCham427]

There are only two, as far as I know, Panther chameleon breeders in the US that charge in the 300 range as of today. Most of the smaller breeders have either down sized on their breeding stock or have lowered prices due to getting stuck with animals they cannot afford to care for any longer... Economy effects everyone. I remember when a member with no reputation could charge $300.00 for an ambilobe male, or even $400.00 for a young male Nosy Mitsio. Now people are coming out with deals, discounts, and price ranges that are half the price above.

Another GREAT reason why some of these animals are priced in the $250-$350 dollar range is simply because of where they're coming from. These breeders provide an insane amount of time on the phone/emails, answering the most annoying questions that are constantly asked ALL THE TIME. Customer service is the best, and let's be honest, panther chameleons are extremely easy to care for and keep very healthy.

I remember I called Vinny (screameleons), and emailed him the with multiple questions, I definitely repeated question after question. He continued to answer them. Vince really is a cool dude by the way. But to take that much time out of your day, to help one single person... You deserve the reputation you have built, and you're entitled to charge the amount you're asking for.

These breeders, chameleons only (no experience with them) and screameleons (bought from them a bunch of times) don't just breed animals and sell them, they provide an outstanding customer service.

Oh yeah and also, most large scale chameleon breeders don't have time to breed their own feeders, and cricket bills add up.

Hope this helps.

You can never go wrong with screameleons.

 

[eisentrauti]

Just a question of supply and demand. I still wonder why the prices for pardalis are relatively high in the USA. I mean in many parts of the country you can keep them most months of the year outdoors and if you breed your own feeders, it's not expensive to raise them up.
Additionally I bet that over 75% of the forum members won't have problems with breeding pardalis if they try it. So why should they be round 200$ each ?