Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to petsmart and saw some so i asked the guy what i would need to get one of these guys and he said i would need this HUGE, not to mention expensive, reptarium, i think its called... its made of cloth with little holes so a breeze can come through. But my friend at petwarehouse said he was and idiot and you only need a glass tank. the reptarium seemed like kind of a hazard because at petsmart the heat lamp burned through and died the black cloth pink and there were large holes at the bottom that looked like crickets had chewed through. nobody at the reptile show had chameleons out so no help there. And you dont have to give me the lector on how "they just want you to spend money," i know. Thanks
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*~*Erin*~*
0.1 Jazmin -leopard gecko- April 17, 2004
1.0 Blaze -bearded dragon- March 20, 2004
My Web Page! Check it out!

You NEED a screened cage. A glass tank will greatly shorten the life of any chameleon. I'm going to assume the petstore had a veiled chameleon. If it was a small one, you don't need a really huge screened cage yet. But you will in the future. You don't have to get a reptarium, but they are cheap and easy to get. As you noticed, pet stores don't usually take the best care of chameleons. Yes, crickets can chew thru the screen mesh, if they are left in there. Most owners cup feed. Easy to track how much the cham is eating and no chewed screens. As for the light, it is never a good idea to just set the light on the screen. No only will it harm the screen, but even worse, could/will burn the chameleon. These animals need specialized care. If you're wanting to get one, you need to do a lot of research and planning before you bring it home. There are TONS of caresheets and websites out there that will get you all set. Cross check as many as you can as some do not have the correct data.

NO GLASS TANKS unelss for VERY young chameleons (hatchling to 2 or 3 months).

YES you will need a large enclosure when the chameleon grows up, around 2'x2'x4'(4' tall) made of mesh screen. Avoid fibreglass screen becasue crickets can chew through, or you can cup feed the chameleon (hang a cup close to a favourite branch so the cham can see the bugs), that way they won't chew through. Some people are gainst metal screen because it files down nails, resulting in lack of grip. You should probably use a 1" by 1" mesh, and cup feed the chameleon, or hand feed.

These enclosures can be VERY PRICEY in stores, but you cna make one for half the price. If you have no capentry skills, then I would reccomend buying off of an online store. An enclosure will run you 100-200$. Chameleons aren't cheap, as you should have read wihle doing your research on the animals.

If you havent done your homework, your new chameleon WILL die. I guarantee it. Make sure you research online for at least 2 months prior to getting your cham, and buy a book or two (good deals on amazon).

good luck with your new guy once you get him!

Wait around for some more opninions on this matter, in case I havent convered everything.

Well reptariums are actually cheap compared to other screened cages. I wouldnt buy one b/c of the nylon screen (melts, crix eat through, cant see in too well) and the cheap plastic frame. Some people like them though. I have a popular aluminum mesh screen from Habitat Designs and I like it. All glass aquariums are only good for babies up to 2-3 months or so - then you need to move to an all screened cage. I wouldnt waste your money on an aquarium - i plan on using my smaller screen cage for an outdoor sunning cage.

-roo

This is an easy to read article written by two well known breeders(Vince at Screameleons and John at Chameleon Paradise). It is very helpful.

Getting Started

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i'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet, but if after doing research, you do decide that you want a chameleon, i wouldn't recommend one from petsmart. you will probably find a much better price and a much healthier chameleon from breeders and hobbyists. just my .02