Where? WHERE?!

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Hello you guys! Chameleon Crazy Chick here. I am getting a chameleon for Christmas! Hooray! My mom wants me to get a Veiled Chameleon from Petco, but I'm not sure. Are the chameleons at Petco healthy? Are they well bred? I've also heard that Veiled Chameleons are easier for beginners, but I'm questioning that too. Any and all information will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Nursemaia]

Stay away from chams from big box stores like petco and Petsmart. Not well bred, not always healthy and generally poorly cared for. They're cheap for a reason. Buy from a reputable breeder. Veileds are the easiest to start out with. Don't expect it to like you or want to be handled.

 

[JacksJill]

I would avoid Petco depending on the store they might not be the healthiest you could get or the most colorful. You would do better buying from someone off the forum. Look at the market page https://www.chameleonforums.com/forums/chameleons-for-sale.47/. Panthers also have similar care requirements. Look at the care sheets for both types here.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/ and https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/ the resources section of this site is very useful for getting started properly.

 

[Crashbandit05]

General searching will say that 'panthers are typically more socialble than veileds' but I'm sure each chameleon has a different temperament/personality. I would 100% recommend going through a breeder.

 

[Nursemaia]

All 3 of my veiled are aggressive, the males more than my female. My male panther is grumpy but I can handle him in small doses. If you were going to get a panther I'd recommend one from @Matt Vanilla Gorilla

 

[Replife]

I got my boy from Petco and he is great however at the other Petco in my town they were in tearable condition so it's a 50\50 gamble however if you go with someone like Matt vanilla gorilla it closer to 100% you will get a good health beautiful friend anyways I would personally never buy from another pet store

 

[Angelwolf]

Buying from a pet store depends a lot on the staff in that store. If you get lucky and whoever is in charge of the reptiles actually knows their stuff, chances are you can get a healthy cham. Beware of the really tiny and adorable ones, though! They are a lot more fragile than one who is say 2-3 months old. My male veiled is a grump in his cage, but after prying him off his branches (figuratively speaking!) he's pretty cool with just about anything. Panther chameleons are absolutely beautiful, and come in such a wide array of colors. I want one very much, myself! So if you are able, I recommend a breeder, over the pet stores. Like someone else said, they are cheap for a reason! Look at it this way. Would you rather invest your money now in a breeder, or later in vet bills.

 

[JacksJill]

I have to agree most breeders are better than pet stores. These are their babies and they get better care than just a pet for sale. Chamlb has some cuties for sale. They aren't pure breeds but they are very colorful and well raised. https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...ambilobe-cross-locale-babies-for-sale.154417/check it out.

Buying from a good breeder could save you a ton in vet bills down the line.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

So.... no petco? good to know. From what I understand, @Matt Vanilla Gorilla is a good breeder, but are there any more good breeders out there? Thank you SOOO much for your help. I appreciate it.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Alright. I was just reading the veiled and panther chameleon care sheets, as JacksJill so kindly suggested earlier, and I was wondering. if I am to get a male panther chameleon, as they are most of the time more brilliantly colored, what is the minimum cage size needed? the care sheet says 24x24x48, but I don't have that much space. Any and all opinions are welcome!

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

One of our site sponsors Canvas Chameleons (Nick Henn) @NHenn is a exelent breeder! @bobcochran breeds phenominal chameleons! @alphakenc is excelling in his breeding skills! You absolutely do not have to buy from me! Lol. Do your research! It surely pays off!

Just a reminder, reptile shipping is not reccomended after about the 14 of December and will not resume for most breeders until mid January of next year.

Best of luck

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

So do I order a chameleon online? Do I meet the breeder in person? How does the ordering process work?

 

[JacksJill]

I messaged the breeder I got my cham from by starting a conversation from the forum. You use the envelope Icon. We arranged payment thru PayPal and she shipped him overnight to me. He arrived by 10:30 am. I had to be there to sign for him and immediately get him in a warm cage with humidity.
True this was in early November & I'm in So. Cal so weather wasn't an issue.
He's been doing well ever since. He's my avatar!
You can look for breeders in you area and go pick up.
I just didn't want you to think pet store was your only option.

 

[NHenn]

So do I order a chameleon online? Do I meet the breeder in person? How does the ordering process work?

I would be more than happy to help explain the process for ordering online and working out all the details. The process is very easy with overnight shipping if you are not located close to a breeder for pick up. Feel free to shoot me a message or even an email ([email protected]) and I can help answer your questions about everything.