Reptile & Amphibian Forums

You guys are making me so scared!!! i'm reading about all the problems, illnesses, not eatin, taking last breaths, heartbreaks, vet bills.....AHHHHH!(Now breathing into a brown paperbag) WIll it be possible for me to have a first Cham and not have it be an ordeal of heartbreak, wallet killing and more heart break??? Tell me now, is it very very hard to keep one alive? And when one starts turning south, who do you call? When my Dart frogs get into trouble, there's only a Doc to email. There's no one nearby to look and go "oh, see here's the problem". And then you play guessing game and wait painfully until something happens. Is there at least enough vet help when one gets into trouble so that it can be corrected? Which types of Chams are less suseptible to problems(Xnay on the Veiled ones-sounding too temperamental to me)? It nearly killed ME when my first dog died at 18 years old and then my first Dart had some sort of Fungus that I couldn't see and one day he just dropped dead. Who do I call, what do I have to have on hand, and what signs do I watch for? I want to be as prepared as possible so that while I'm acquiring experience, I don't make mistakes that my lovely new Cham has to suffer for. Phew!Thanks-Maggie

I think most of us on here will tell you...prepare for the unexpected.
I took on a 2 yr old veiled, as a rescue. Within the first few months or so of having him I spent close to $1000 on him. Between vet bills, new enclosure (he was originally in a glass tank and thankfully my father built him a new home. It only cost me $60.00!)), new UV bulbs, and heat lamps, gauges...the list just goes on and on.

I never in a million years would of thought that it would of cost me so much money. Even now, he's healthy...but he doesn't eat on his own. I syringe feed him repta-aide. That on it's own isnt' terribly expensive (only $14/mth) but, the time necessary to prepare it, and feed it to him is substantial (when compared to putting crickets into a container and letting him at his leisure).

There are no guarantees that the cham you get will be problem free. But, at the same time, I'm not saying you'll end up with a sickly cham either.
I think with all animals, even if they are very healthy while young, as they age, that brings it's own set of problems with it.
You need to be prepared for that.

I'm not trying to discourage you. Not at all. I'm just saying be prepared for what MIGHT happen.

No matter which cham you choose to come and share your home...best of luck to you both. You'll be amazed at how quickly you fall in love with these wonderful, funny, amazing creatures.
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Kim

Learn from the experiences of others..

If you read this message board for a good six months, you will see just about every situation you will face as a chameleon owner. Study the advice given and find the best ways to apply it.

You would be surprised to see how many times the same questions get asked..

So ask questions; There are some very knowledgable people that frequent this board and would be more than happy to help you.

To answer your question: Chameleon ownership is very dificult if you don't take it serious and don't make it a priority. The benefits of being a chameleon owner can not be put into words.
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Joe
- www.silkwormfarm.com

DEEP BREATHS!! DEEP BREATHS!!!! MEDITATE!!!!

Keep in mind that most of the posts on this board ARE for help!! Very few people post here just to say "Hey! MY chams are doing well today!" This board is kinda designed to post in WHEN you need advise or help from other breeders and keepers.

I have had my Jackson Chameleons for well over a year now. I have had NOT one single problem with them. I did have a huge surprise when my female jax turned out to be gravid and I had 8 kidlets a couple of months after acquiring her from a herp show. That was scary AND fun!! Unfortuntely, I lost all but one of the babies. I dont think I lost them due to anything I did wrong (other than having to move them cross-country at 2 months old).

Anyway...not everyone has issues with chams. As for hardiness. I am biased towarrds jacksons but only because I have had the most experience with them. I love my jacksons and they are the sweetest chams I keep (so far). The other chams I list are recent acquisitions so I dont know how they are going to turn out yet. They are still sub-adults so their temperaments are not set in stone yet.

Money....well....no matter what species you get. It's gonna cost you. They all need housing...they all need food...they all need UVB...they all need supplements....They all need water. They all hook you into gettting more and more stuff and companions for them. If money is an issue for you....DONT get one. It will cost you in the long run. Personally, I feel they are well worth it. I love it when the neighborhood kids congregate at my outdoor enclosure in the summer to gawk and marvel at the "weird lizards with the horns" in the cage.

But...like I said...I am biased towards jacksons. Your mileage may vary.
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too

Well, I think I hear the sounds of a good future cham keeper! You are asking the very questions you SHOULD ask! Such as vet availablility. Sooner or later you will need a vet, so if you don't have one within driving distance a cham may be a lot of worry. Before I get a new animal I always check the local vets to find out who has ever seen one. The other answer to your questions is to read, read, read. The more quality sites you read the more patterns in care will come out. You will tend to hear the better advice more often than the weird stuff. Sites I always recommend include:

www.adcham.com, www.chameleonjournals.com, www.chameleonnews.com, www.calumma.com, www.geocities.com/ccicenter, and www.herpnutrition.com.

Even though veileds can be more tempermental we do know the most about their needs in captivity because there are so many, so take that into consideration. The next species to consider are panthers and jax. Jax have some mysteries still. The other big thing I would do is not buy a very small baby. An older cham (such as a juvenile at least 4 months old) will be better established and the breeder will be able to tell you about its preferences and past care.

It is a big decision, and yes you will spend $$ setting any cham up. If you don't spend a lot up front chances are you will spend it down the road as you learn.

Hi Maggie,

As Carlton pointed out you are doing the right thing by asking questions. I too would stress the importnace of a local vet. I don't know what state you are in but here is a helpful link:
www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html. Along with the importancee of a vet is to remember that as wonderful as we all are here (right gang?? ) even the most knowledgeable and experienced are no substitute for a vet.

Your second consideration should be - can you afford to own one? Here is an article (I may have given it to you, I know I posted it for someone recently) about the "true cost" of owning a cham. www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/july2003/costs/costs.html. he gets into some real specifics, it is worth a read along with the other sites that have been recommended.

lele

>>You guys are making me so scared!!! i'm reading about all the problems, illnesses, not eatin, taking last breaths, heartbreaks, vet bills.....AHHHHH!(Now breathing into a brown paperbag) WIll it be possible for me to have a first Cham and not have it be an ordeal of heartbreak, wallet killing and more heart break??? Tell me now, is it very very hard to keep one alive? And when one starts turning south, who do you call? When my Dart frogs get into trouble, there's only a Doc to email. There's no one nearby to look and go "oh, see here's the problem". And then you play guessing game and wait painfully until something happens. Is there at least enough vet help when one gets into trouble so that it can be corrected? Which types of Chams are less suseptible to problems(Xnay on the Veiled ones-sounding too temperamental to me)? It nearly killed ME when my first dog died at 18 years old and then my first Dart had some sort of Fungus that I couldn't see and one day he just dropped dead. Who do I call, what do I have to have on hand, and what signs do I watch for? I want to be as prepared as possible so that while I'm acquiring experience, I don't make mistakes that my lovely new Cham has to suffer for. Phew!Thanks-Maggie

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

u would probably want to buy a chameleon from a dealer at a show.... u would then be able to see which one u want, and the healthyness of it...

there are many websites that describe about what a chameleon should look like when they are purchased.....

they should have a strong grip for their size, very alert with the eyes, pelvic bone should not be terribly soft if a baby or adolescent, general good apperance, no mites or other exterior impurities..

then u should get the chameleon to gape at you (open the mouth), blowing on your chameleon can create this or covering him/her. Look inside the mouth for swelling, bacteria build ups, and an overall pinkish hue to the interior skin, also make sure it is moist or wet...

these things will allow u to purchase a stronger, healthier chameleon that will have a better chance of living as opposed to another

...thanks you guys! I'm more worried about loosing a friend,then the money. Money is a reality of course, but I already read up on the costs(thank you lele!) before I started investing everynight reading on the wonders of ownership(I couldn't get hooked then discover I couldn't provide for this lovely creature). It just sounded all of a sudden like an agonizing journey of trying to keep someone you love alive. We just made our budget for 2004 and I can have $1500.00 set aside for the first Cham(thats to cover everything including getting the animal). Now I have to find a Rep specialist nearby before I think more about getting one, or I just can't think of it anymore. I held a Vieled today for the first time, and I could barely swallow because of how smitten I was by it. I can not imagine what a Panther might do to me...will I be able to stand it ???

$1500??? WoW!!!! This is going to be a very spoiled and well taken care of little companion!!! There should be more people like you who do research before they jump into pet keeping.

I am one of those that just jumped in without researching. I have been very fortunate to have had no issues so far (1 year). I am learning every day and I hope to become an even better cham keeper.
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too

Because, as expected, on a forum such as this one would mainly find the stories, qs on the troubles and I got a little worried. I sure would like to do a survey and find out just the percentage of keepers that have experienced trouble and what that troubles was so I can be informed. Thanks for the encouragement! Maggie

sorry, if you've already posted it just chalk it up to my 49 year old brain!

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

I wished I lived near you Lele, then I could come and chat with someone who seems to the encylopedia of Chams! I live in Southern CA(San Gabriel to be exact) where Agar Agar is plentiful! Do you have any other Chams other then Luna? Oh, I can't decide on the type of Cham to get, its killing me!

I grew up in Pasadena. I lived in Temple City for a bit too. Up until this forum, I had never heard of agar agar, much less know what it was for!

My family still lives in Pasadena.
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
1.1 Nosy Be's (Mars and Roja)
1.1 Veiled - No Names Yet
0.1 Adult Sulcatta (POOPIE,I bought it from Victor at Kobey's in SD)
0.0.2 Baby Sulcattas (frick and frack)
1.0 Home's Hingeback Tortoise (SPEEDY, From Victor as well)
1.2 Red ear slider babies (Hingis, Dingis and Dorkus)
0.0.1 3 toed box turtle - No Name Yet
0.0.1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle - No Name Yet
1.0 Red Siberian Husky (Harley)
0.1 Black Lab (Krissy)
0.1 English Bulldog (Alice)
0.1 Blue Merle Great Dane (Wednesday)
Saltwater Fish and Inverts too