Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I've been thinking about what kind of herp to get next. I have australian velvet geckos and thought I made up my mind to go with northern velvet geckos.. Up until last night..

I happened apon a photo of a just hatched cham and started thinking.. "hey..these guys are kinda cute.." LOL I looked at more and more pics and was thinking, "how adorable!" So as of right now I've just been looking at photos of them. I know nothing about them. (well ok i know the common sense things from reading care sheets on veiled, flapnecks and panthers, like what they eat, they need a mister, real plants, lots of ventilation, certain lighting) But I know that's NOT enough.

So I have some questions. I don't want to study every commonly kept species that catch my eyes, I'd like to have the species list narrowed down.. With the help from people at this forum.

So here are my questions...and don't laugh lol..

1) First off, what do you all think is hardy enough for a novice besides veiled chasm?

2) Are there any calm chameleons that doesn't mind being held?

3) We live in a mainly quiet house, but sometimes friends and family all show up at once making it not so quiet.. how do they react to noises, people, pets scurrying by? (I'd *like* it to be in our living room but our quiet bedroom also works if a living room setting wouldn't be ideal)

4) I'd prefer a docile, smaller colorful species, but larger is fine as long as its docile and colorful and wont take a chunk out of my finger loll (which reminds me of my next questions)

5) Can you have more then one in a single cage?

6) Do they bite?

7) Do they bite hard?

8) Are there certain species known for biting more then others?

9) Do all chameleons do that cute forward and backwards motion walk?

10) Are they fast if they have to be?

11) Do they jump?

12) If one is walking on your bare skin, do their claws hurt?

Again, me getting a cham is not set in stone. Though I really am leaning towards it. But as of right now Im just checking them out.. And it wouldn't be for another 3-6 months if I do decide to get one.

thanks for your replies

1) First off, what do you all think is hardy enough for a novice besides veiled chasm?

Veileds, Panthers and Jackson's are good beginner species. Veileds can be very aggressive, Panthers are very expensive, and Jackson's are the most delicate of the three. As a beginner I would avoid any others, except maybe Lateralis.

2) Are there any calm chameleons that doesn't mind being held?
No. If you want a lizard to hold, get a Bearded Dragon. The consensus of the experts seems to be that Chameleons are "disply pets". Human interaction stresses them out. And stress kills.

3) We live in a mainly quiet house, but sometimes friends and family all show up at once making it not so quiet.. how do they react to noises, people, pets scurrying by? (I'd *like* it to be in our living room but our quiet bedroom also works if a living room setting wouldn't be ideal)

Pets [dogs, cats] will terrify Chameleons. The quieter, less populated spot the better.

4) I'd prefer a docile, smaller colorful species, but larger is fine as long as its docile and colorful and wont take a chunk out of my finger loll (which reminds me of my next questions)

5) Can you have more then one in a single cage?
Generally, no. But it depends on species.

6) Do they bite?
They can.

7) Do they bite hard?
The big ones can bite very hard.

8) Are there certain species known for biting more then others?
Veileds are one of the most aggressive, but probably the hardiest to keep.

9) Do all chameleons do that cute forward and backwards motion walk?
yes, that is natural behavior.

10) Are they fast if they have to be?
Only the Namaqua Chameleon (a typically non-captive species) can run. Most are slow-moving. Some are VERY slow.

11) Do they jump?
they cannot jump "up" but they can drop off of things, and will.

12) If one is walking on your bare skin, do their claws hurt?
Sometimes. It depends on the size and strength of the animal.

It sounds like you are looking for a pet to handle a lot. If so, I don't recommend Chameleons. They are generally pretty delicate, and won't tolerate much human interaction well at all. Just something to keep in mind.

Reference sites:

http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.animalarkshelter.org/cin/
http://www.chameleonjournals.com/

Best of luck!

1) First off, what do you all think is hardy enough for a novice besides veiled chasm?

A) The next in line in terms of hardiness would be Panther Chameleons (Furcifur Pardalis)

2) Are there any calm chameleons that doesn't mind being held?

A) Generally, chameleons should not be held unless they have to be held. They are considered display animals. Handling them induces stress. Having said that, panthers seem to tolerate being held better than others. I have quite a few friendly panthers in my care. Some seem to enjoy the human interaction. But I also have panthers that will get defensive just by looking at them.

3) We live in a mainly quiet house, but sometimes friends and family all show up at once making it not so quiet.. how do they react to noises, people, pets scurrying by? (I'd *like* it to be in our living room but our quiet bedroom also works if a living room setting wouldn't be ideal)

A) An ideal setting would be somewhere out of traffic and away from other animals. You won't have to worry too much about noise.

4) I'd prefer a docile, smaller colorful species, but larger is fine as long as its docile and colorful and wont take a chunk out of my finger loll (which reminds me of my next questions)

A) The smaller, more colorful species are not as readily available in the market. Besides veilds, panthers can display some beautiful colors. In my opinion, I think panthers are one of the most beautiful chameleons.

5) Can you have more then one in a single cage?

Depends on which species. If you are looking for one of the hardier species such as the veiled and panther, they must be housed individually. Housing them together induces stress and one will eventually die.

6) Do they bite?

Depends on the personality of your chameleon.

7) Do they bite hard?

Depends on the size of the chameleon.

8) Are there certain species known for biting more then others?

In my experience, veilds seemed the most aggressive.

9) Do all chameleons do that cute forward and backwards motion walk?

Yes, they do this to simulate being part of the tree.

10) Are they fast if they have to be?

Younger chameleons can be very fast. But after the first year, they become very, very slow. They could'nt be fast even if they wanted to be.

11) Do they jump?

Younger ones will jump, but not in the sense of jumping like a frog. They are capable of running and leaping.

12) If one is walking on your bare skin, do their claws hurt?

I've only handle a few species, and so far none of them hurt. But I guess its how much the handler can tolerate.

Check out the links below for a quick read on what to expect if you decide to buy one. Keep in mind that housing the chameleon can cost more than the chameleon itself. They are not as hardy as other pets. But successfully keeping a chameleon is just a matter of paying attention.

Good Luck.

Vincent

http://www.screameleons.com
Getting Started Part 1

1) First off, what do you all think is hardy enough for a novice besides veiled chasm?

No cham is "hardy. The hardiest of them is extremely delicate. But novices are urged to try a MALE CB jackson's, panther or veiled.

2) Are there any calm chameleons that doesn't mind being held?

No chameleons should be handled any more than absolutely necessary. They are "look but don't touch" herps.

3) We live in a mainly quiet house, but sometimes friends and family all show up at once making it not so quiet.. how do they react to noises, people, pets scurrying by? (I'd *like* it to be in our living room but our quiet bedroom also works if a living room setting wouldn't be ideal)

A quiet room is better but you can minimize tyhe effects of traffic by a)placing the cage as high up as possible. They like to look down on you and b)planting the cage heavily so they can stay well hidden.

4) I'd prefer a docile, smaller colorful species, but larger is fine as long as its docile and colorful and wont take a chunk out of my finger loll (which reminds me of my next questions)

Adult veileds & panthers can give a painful but not particularly injurious bite. But since you shouldn't be handling them that shouldn't matter. FWIW, I agree that smaller is better because they seem to adjust better to the standard sized cages. If you want smaller, get a jacksonii. There are others that you'd like(e.g., F. lateralis) but those are rarely available as CB and WC animals are NOT recommended. There are just too many health problems.

5) Can you have more then one in a single cage?

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,

6) Do they bite?

Yes, but you shouldn't be handling them anywqay. And some, e.g., jacksonii, don't bite very much.

7) Do they bite hard?

See question #4

8) Are there certain species known for biting more then others?

Veileds are notoriously feisty. Of course, there are always exceptions.

9) Do all chameleons do that cute forward and backwards motion walk?

Yes

10) Are they fast if they have to be?

Not by gecko standards but if you turn your back for a minute they have an uncanny ability to diasppear.

11) Do they jump?

When trying to escape they'll drop off of a tree, etc. but I wouldn't call it a "jump."

12) If one is walking on your bare skin, do their claws hurt?

Not a lot. But they shouldn't be doing that. If you want a herp to play with, get as bearded dragon.
Ed

Okay, here it goes... I wouyld recommend a lowland species to begin with, they adapt the easiest, and also tolrate more temperature ranges. Veileds are perfect, because of avalaibility and affordable price. I keep and breed veileds, I have only gotten bitten once by the twenty something chameleons that I have. Veileds are colorful, pretty, and can be great fun to raise. Chameleons are deaf, but they will react to animals such as cats. In my experience, females have sharp strong claws that will leave little marcks where you held them. (Or they held to you...), males are softer in their grip. You cannot keep chameleons in the same cage, it will stress out the females and the males will constantly try to mate the female. So in my opininon get a veiled: Cheap, hardy, good looking, and relatively easy to take care of. (Most people will say that "The hardiest chameleon is extremely delicate", but I have to disagree. My first reptile that I have ever kept was a veiled, and a year later, I was breeding them.)

Tony