Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do you guys feel about purchasing chameleons online?

At reptile shows the advantage is that you can choose which baby cham you want, and examine it before you buy. I personally like to see the patterns, color and how active the baby cham is. The disadvange is that not all of us can attend shows, and for many of us, there arnt any shows.

Most online breeders offer a pic of the sire and dam, and maybe a pic of the hatchling. But the pics become outdated as the weeks go by. I have also requested pics be sent by email, but that is sort of a hassle for both myself and the breeder. The advantage here is that those of us who don't have the luxury of reptile shows can still enjoy the hobby.

IMHO, I think its important to see what I am about to purchase. Maybe im lazy, but requesting pics by email is a pain. I use hotmail and on a few occations, the email did'nt go thru because the size of the email exceeded my limit.

Anybody have an opinion on this?

If the breeder is a good one and comes hightly recomended...then I would buy from them without a thought. There are a few out there that I have heard nothing but great things. I would bet they take pride in their offspring and only offer wonderful specimens.

Im buying my female Jackson this way.

the person has always been a great help, takes great care of her breeders and is a good person.

I trust her to give me a great cham.

If I dont know the breeder or have heard nothing about them..then Id contact them and get a read on their personality...ask for references and such. Call them..ask what they think about him/her. Spend some time asking Qs. If they seem like you are bothering them too much - then go elsewhere. If they are helpful and curtious the entire way - then I'd say go for it.

I've seen herps at reptile shows that are far inferior to what comes from a good - established breeder.

i got ours online from a breeder(kammerflage kreations). i think the main thing to concider is how reputable the breeder is. is the guy or persons selling isn't a breeder but just a person with bunch of babies i'd like to see the animal in person. if the "breeder" or person has a reputation like mystical, kammerflage or amazing i don't think you would have a problem buying sight unseen. reputation is everything.

dennis
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working for the man again

I agree that reputation is a huge factor in determining who to buy from. But I would still be more comfortable seeing the baby cham first. I think that its very possible that some babies will show better lineage and color than their siblings. If given the opportunity, would'nt you want to pick the better of the two? I know it might seem shallow, but I would definitely pick the brighter, more colorful out of the liter.

most of the time a baby shows little or no color. so i don't think seeing the "merchandise" would really matters. one thing to consider if you must buy at a show is not all breeders go to all(or even some) the shows. i suppose it really comes down to what YOU the comsumer is comfortable with. if seeing what your getting eases your mind then go with it. below is picture of my chameleon at 3 1/2 months, 2 weeks after i got him.

dennis

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working for the man again

I have seen many very stressed chams at shows. They are boxed, confined, travel who knows how far to get there, are exposed to a lot of other animals and prying humans during the show. Very hard on them. If I were seriously thinking about buying a cham (or any other animal) at a show I would probably contact a vendor who is planning to be there and arrange a potential sale beforehand. Then if I like the cham they bring for my approval I would buy it and get it out of there.