Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I can't decide if I want a jackson chameleon or a leopard gecko. I currently have 4 bearded dragons and 2 of those are the 2 month old babies. Can someone that knows about both help. I wil also post this message in the leopard gecko forum. Thanks sooooo much. Bye.

Hi-

Well I don't know much about the leopard geckos because I don't keep them, but in general chameleons need allot more care then other lizards. Chameleons have very specific care needs, the Jackson's chameleon are #3 on the list of the top 3 chameleons for beginners. I would recommend you doing research on the care needs of both. You can visit my site for info and link to other chameleon only sites, just click on one of the below pics. You will probably find you have more supplies for Leopard geckos then you do for chameleons since you keep the dragons currently. Hope this helps!
-----
John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Not to discourage you from chameleon keeping, but if you even need to ask this question, i dont think youre ready to own one. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but it takes a lot of time and effort to care for a chameleon that even a bearded dragon doesnt require, and believe me, i have had both. My chams took a lot more time every day to make sure everything was perfect, my dragons i can just throw salad in there and make sure theyre eating and basically forget about them. You cant do that with chams.

I applaud you, though, for asking, because thats a step in the right direction.

As far as ease of care and maintenence, go for a leopard gecko, ive kept and bred them, and frankly theyre one of the easiest and least expensive lizards to care for that was ever bred.

You could also go for a crested gecko, they dont even need a basking site.

Just my $.02.
Jamie
-----
Jamie A. Stine and the Gang:

1.1 Bearded Dragons (Lancelot & Guenivere)
1.0 Giant Frog Eyed Geckos (Peanut Butter)
0.1 Borneo Short Tailed Python (Ezmerelda)
0.1 Red Tailed Boa (Buffy)
1.0 Short Tailed O'possum (Jethro)
1.0 Greyhound (Hank)

Save a life, adopt a retired racer!

Okay thanks.

Another thought for you. What do you want from this pet? If you hope to have an animal that doesn't mind handling and interaction with you, go for the gecko. They are really nice to handle. If you want an animal that will be active when you are home in the evening go for the gecko. Chams are active daytime only, so if you are away all day you'll miss their activity. If you are content to sit and watch but not touch your critter and don't mind fussing with a fairly complicated technical setup the cham may be what you want. A lot of the satisfaction of chams comes from getting their little micro-environment just right and working. No cham really wants to interact with you (this varies, but is generally true) and it won't care if you are around...in fact will prefer that you not be around! Physical looks aside, knowing what you want from your pets emotionally is a really important thing to decide.

Well, I really want a pet that I can watch and that is cool looking. I already have 2 lizards that I can really hold. I just want to get a little bit more difficult.