Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking to buy a cham. It will be my first one and am looking for a sub-adult because I hear babies are hardest to keep. I've had a leopard gecko for 3 years and have always wanted a cham but never bought one. I've ordered stuff from LLLreptile.com before but I am nervous about buying an animal that has to be shipped because of the stress he will endure. Am I better off buying from a show or petstore? I'm in central NJ, can anyone recommend somewhere?

Definately stay away from any pet store. I like getting reptiles from shows because you can see the animal in person and often times talk to the breeder. You usually can not order online during the colder months too.

-Sarah

-----
1.0 Veiled Chameleon
1.0 Normal ball python
1.1 100% het pied BP's
0.0.1 Normal Corn

VTEC,
Do you have a particular species in mind? If you are considering a veiled (highly recommended as a first), then there is a breeder located out by Pittsburgh, Duane Beattie, who has some great veileds. He usually advertises here or on Reptibid. The shipping distance would be short. Also, next weekend is the NARBC show in Philly (Valley Forge), which would be a great chance for you to meet breeders and get an idea. Hope this helps.

amazon in CA. i just got a baby from there and its great. they did quick work and were very informative. i called them at 3 yesterday and i have my chameleon already. i definitly recommend them for any reptile purchase. they have a lot more than chameleons too.

generally most petstores keep their animals in poor condition and will just cause you trouble. their are some exceptions, but unless you know the owner, a store employee, or are absoutly sure that they take proper care of their animals i would not recomend buying from a petstore. reptile shows are great because you can examine the animal you are buying, the breeder will have taken care of his animals (hopefully!), and he will be able to answer more specific questions you have. ordering offline isn't too bad. i've bought a veiled off line before and it was fine. just make sure they are shipping the animal properlly and the specific weather conditions accross the shipping path won't be to dangerous to the health of the animal. try reasearching a few of the species of chameleons you like, make sure you know what a healthy individual looks like, and pick one out from an upcomming reptile show. good luck.

-jon

I would agree with others that are recommending shows for herps, but I want to add word of caution. The NY Reptile Expo I went to this past summer had some questionable dealers. Just talk to the people & try to get as much info as you can. And don't get pulled in to "the best deal at the show" as there may be a reason the herp is so much less expensive than other dealers at the same show. On the flip side, I also saw a lot of caring breeders & well-kept animals at the show. If for no other reason, go to get info & see what options are out there. It's also generally a great place to find deals on quality supplies.
And one final note: def don't buy from a pet store that you don't have personal connections to... (see my earlier rant on neglect & cruelty at a local store).
Good Luck!
~Chrissy

I just wanted to add that its always better to buy an animal directly from the place they were bred. animals at pet stores have been shipped a few times to get them there. so even if you have to have the breeder ship your chameleon its still going to be less shipping than a pet store. plus you'll get a better price from a breeder usually. so first find a good breeder and try to pick up your cham yourself, than have one shipped out to you if that doesn't work out.

The show itself can be stressful for chams. Look over the animals very well and ask plenty of questions.
My best buying experiences have been from The Kammers, Cham Paradise and I have heard good things from Amazing Blue Reptiles.
Also if you wait till the weather warms up you can pick and choose from the best breeders with the best reputations instead of having to rely on the show.
Pet stores are not usually a good place to get chams unless you know them well. Sometimes a reptile shop may have nice chams and sometimes not.
If done properly shipping can be done with minimum stress at the right time of year. Lows should be above 40 and highs below 90 even with heat or cool packs.
You could take the time to set up a great enclosure and to research and ask lots of care questions.
Always have the enclosure up and running for a few days or better still weeks before you bring one home because you will have kinks to work out and better you solve any problems before you have a tenant in your enclosure.
Good luck.
Sonia