Where can I get a Chameleon this beautiful?

[Jeremy2792]

Hello all;
This is my first post, I was happy to see that a Chameleon Forum existed! I'm a huge reptile enthusiast. I currently have a Columbia Boa, he is just a few months old and growing so fast. Previously I had a Ball Python for 17 years. He was 23 when he died last year. I rescued him and he lived a healthy life. I'm located in Florida so in the summer time at optimal temperatures, I take my snake EVERYWHERE with me, and he loves it.

Anyway, I love Chameleons and always have. I am particularly looking for this kind of Chameleon [The 1st one listed] but the other 2 are also pretty cool. Before I get one of these guys, I am going to do my research as far as care taking, diet, caging, etc.

What I am interested in knowing is where can I find a Chameleon like this one? I've tried doing research and nothing has really been clear. Approximately how much do they go for as far as price? Are they relatively easy to take care of? I mean other than monitoring the temperature, basking temperature, humidity, diet, water, tender love and care, etc.

All help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Carlton]

You can check with this forum's sponsors who work with various panther (Furcifer pardalis) chameleon locales like these. They are good breeders who can help you. There are good husbandry articles and websites listed under Resources you should read first. Then, when you have some specific questions we'll be happy to help.

As for "relatively easy", compared to boids they are not easy. You have to learn the visual signs of problems quickly. In some ways chameleons are like a cross between a cage bird and a lizard. Their metabolism is faster than a boid but less fast than a bird. They take more daily attention because of daily feeding, specialized lighting and air exchange requirements, day to night temperature cycling, misting and dripping drinking water needs, monitoring screen cages with live potted plants, etc.

Panthers are easier than some other less common species however. Along with veiled chameleons are better for beginners.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

One of the pics says lost lake chameleons they have amazing looking chameleons http://www.lostlakechameleons.com/panther.html

 

[hallenhe]

Welcome! That first cham is really unique; they're all beautiful, but I've seen several like the other two. Those are all panther chameleons; the second one you picture is a blue-barred Ambilobe, and the third a Nosy Be (color variants named for the locales in Madagascar where they originated); all three are males. The first one might be a Nosy Faly; do a search on Nosy Falys and you'll find lots of pictures (also known as Oorana mena). If you look at the sponsors ("View our sponsors" link on the upper right), they'll picture available chameleons and the sires - many of the panthers sold are juveniles (full color potential may take 18 months to develop), but you can get some idea of what they might develop into by looking at the sire and, especially, if there are older brothers pictured from the same sire and dam. I think it's fun to get a young one that doesn't have much color and watch it develop, but if you want to be more certain, adults and holdbacks (ones that have been allowed to develop at least some of their color) are also commonly available; the classifieds section also commonly lists adults for sale and shows them pictured.
Beautiful panthers are available pretty much year round; safe shipping often requires 35 degree F or greater temperatures and you may have to wait a bit depending on where you are. I would suggest spending time in the "Enclosures" part of the Forums and seeing what people do for panther chameleons and getting everything together and ready. You're going to need: UVB light (linear Reptisun 5.0 is popular); incandescent light for warmth (40-60 W); safe, pesticide-free live plants (Pothos, Ficus, Hibiscus); cage with good ventilation (screen cages are common); a suite of supplements for dusting prey (calcium with and without Vitamin D3, and a multivitamin); food and housing for prey, and prey (crickets, superworms, lobster roaches, silkworms - size and sort depending on the size chameleon you get); some means of watering your chameleon (as simple as a cup with a pinhole in it, set on top of the cage, to as complicated as a dedicated system like a MistKing - chameleons don't understand standing water, and need mistings, and droplets collecting on leaves).
This site is helpful; it's written about veiled chameleons, but the care parameters are pretty much the same for panthers. Also check out the links in this thread.
Price-wise, you're generally looking at a couple hundred dollars for a panther (more for the set-up); some morphs (like the Nosy Faly/Oorena mena) are comparatively rare and go for more. Adults may be $100 or more more than juveniles, because the color potential is known.
Again, welcome! Chameleons are beautiful and can be very rewarding to keep.

 

[Jeremy2792]

I appreciate all of the replies. I went to the Reptile Expo here in Orlando, FL over the weekend and I spoke with a couple Chameleon reps and owners. One of the questions I asked is, do they like to be handled, and apparently it is best to never handle them, which kind of upset me, because I like to interact with my pets. I have a Columbian Boa, and I hang out with him 3 hours a day. Is this information true? It is best for the Chameleon to NOT handle them? I know that even at adults they are delicate.

 

[pssh]

Chameleons stress and eventually will die from the stress if handled that often. If you're lucky you may find a chameleon that is more tolerant where you can hold it say, three times a week for five minutes as opposed to (what I recommend) once a week for maybe five minutes.

Mellers are known for being more personable, but they get huge, need a huge enclosure (or free range,) and needs lots of water. A lot of the time they can even be housed with another mellers comfortably (in a large enclosure/free range of course.). Unfortunately most mellers are wild caught and to get a captive bred one you will have to jump through many, many hoops. There are always exceptions to the general temperment too, so not all mellers are handleable.

 

[Benton1576]

like yourself, i too have had a tonne of experience with reptiles from geckos to iguanas, various snakes along the way too. I have found though that the chameleon is much more demanding on both your attention and time. mine are ill at the moment with a respitory infection, however, with the help from the kind people on here im finding it easier to look after them. make sure you do a tonne of homework before getting one, and dont be afraid to ask questions on here if you cant find the answer your looking for elsewhere. the more you ask, the more you know in my opinion!

As for handling, im fortunate enough to have a male blue bar ambilobe that loves to be handled, even climbing on me whilst im in there cleaning up!!! the female however hates me going anywhere near her although she is starting to get used to me a bit now ( doesnt try bite me anymore ). i guess what im saying is chams are a bit like people, they have their own personality, and mood swings! lol

 

[staysixsixsixkid]

i personally would pick up a chameleon from www.screameleons.com, ever panther ive bought has been from them also www.chameleonsonly.com foramlly known as kuluma kreations* spelling. But definatly do you home work they take a lotttttt of care which takes a lot of time out of your day escially if your getting a youngster under 3 months. your best bet is to try to get a chameleon that is a little bigger around 4 months so hes well established and isnt as extremely dependent on you. i bought my bluebar X ambaja at 4 months 2 weeks from screameleons at a expo. i find it that once they start showing some serious color that i move him to 175 gallon 49hx30wx30L and he loves the freedom and found out that he got much friendlier when i moved him frm the smaller start cage i got with the chameleon. in the money department for something top of the line like your looking at with those pictures are gonna be 400-500 depending on age of a blue bar , a bit more for a nosey b and the first one i dont even know exactly what locale that would be or if its a x-breed but somethign that insane looking at that size prbably is well over 600 dollars. but regardless what you pick i suggest for ur first chameleon and u seem to be set on a panther get a well established male. and get ready to buy boxes n boxes of crickets, my my guy is only 8 months old and easily eats 30 crickets a day.

 

[pssh]

I believe there was a thread about the first chameleon not too long ago and it was said that it was an ambilobe.

Any site sponsor is good to buy from! There are also chameleons offered in the classifieds section.

 

[hallenhe]

RE handling - the important thing is that you don't force it on the animal (and you have experience with other animals, and you won't). Some chameleons never want to be handled. Some chameleons seem to enjoy it. Mine will climb on people unbidden and stick around for twenty or so minutes before wandering off, but you can't count on that, so just be ready to accept and appreciate the animal for what it is. A new one should be left pretty much alone for the first couple weeks (especially if it's a juvenile) to allow it to get used to its new surroundings and settle in. Once acclimated, you might try coaxing it to climb on to you by offering it a snack; many chameleons can be bribed with food. If it learns to associate you with food, trips outside (weather permitting) and other good things (you're warmer than a chameleon; if nothing else, you might be a comfortable perch!) it may be willing to hang out with you.

 

[Chameleonator]

Welcome to the forum!

The first one is a blue bar red bodied Ambilobe. One of the site sponsors sells them occasionally (Kammerflage).

The second and third pics was from a breeder who used to be a sponsor on this site. I think he sold off most of his breeding stock (including the second pic of a blue bar Ambilobe - named Lemieux). A little while back he posted some other chameleons he was selling.

Best advice "READ, read, and read some more!" Key to keeping chameleons is making the fewest mistakes (because at one point or time we all have made them). What may work for one may not work for all. Get to know those who are respected from their quality posting as opposed to those who just post quantity. If you can distinguish between the two, you will find chameleon keeping enjoyable.

 

[OldSkoolxReasons]

I'm not so sure the first is a red bodied blue bar ambilobe. I have read a couple threads and heard from a couple people who had met the owners and seen it in person that it was suspected to be a cross bred. In any case it is beautiful. If you go to the flchams website www.flchams.com and click the link 1/2 way down the homepage called our breeders you will get a pretty good idea of what certain morphs of panther chams look like and then you can go from there to find out who has the type you want available at the moment. good luck and be sure to read a ton on them.


Justin

 

[Zen Reptiles]

If I were you, I'd look around to buy an adult.

Many breeders will have sub-adults and adults that have taken too long to sell, and will sell them at pretty good prices.

This way, you can select the one you want KNOWING FOR SURE the color you will be getting.

Some of the most beautiful panther chameleons can have the ugliest babies, and there can even be variations within a single clutch where one or two males is extraordinary, and the rest are nice, but not that 'amazing' that you're looking for.

It might cost a bit more, but you get what you want instead of taking a gamble.

As for handling, I am a strong supporter of taming your chameleons to reduce life-long stress and encourage good health and longevity. If you're unlucky enough to get an aggressive one (which you might, buying an adult), start slow and be non-threatening. Never come from above, or put your hand over their head (like a bird swooping down to eat them).

Go slow and let them be tamed at their own pace. Start by taking them out of the cage and letting them crawl on you for several minutes without you moving too much, and slowly work your way up at each handling session to letting them crawl over your hands as they move one in front of the other.

Eventually they will trust you, and the best way to tame a chameleon is to have food around. When they take food from you at any time while you are handling them, then you know you've succeeded.

Good luck, it's a fun and worthwhile quest.

 

[pssh]

I do not suggest you handle him all that often if/when you get one. Once a week is plenty. You can use a stick to get him out (not as stressful as a scary hand) then place him on your hand when you get him completely out of the cage.

If the chameleon is an aggressive animal, it probably wont ever be comfortable with you taking him out. Handling causes stress, and stress kills.