Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a corn snake and I'm moving to Hawaii. Just recently found out their illegal there, so I'll have to change hobbies! Was wondering about basic facts on chams, and also the more relevant question: are they forbidden in Hawaii too???

There are many "invaders" to Hawaii that are not legal.
Here's some of the information you need...
http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2002/archives/2002/overseas_special/burkes_backyard_in_hawaii
"During the late 1980's and early 1990's it was illegal to keep
Jackson's chameleons in Hawaii, but in 1994 that ruling was
rescinded; it remains illegal to transport them between islands
in Hawaii but not to ship them to the mainland. At present,
chameleons exist as free-ranging populations on Oahu, Maui,
Hawaii, and most recently Kauai."

http://starbulletin.com/2003/02/03/news/story6.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jun/03/ln/ln03a.html

http://www.hawaiiislandjournal.com/stories/6a03a.html
"According to Domingo Carvalho of the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture's
Plant Quarantine Division, which also handles cases involving the transport of
invasive species, it is illegal to possess any member of the
chameleon species in Hawai'i, except for Jackson's chameleons."
"Possessing a single restricted animal without a permit in
Hawai'i can cost the perpetrator a fine of $5,000-20,000.
Those caught with either three animals or a breedable pair face
prosecution for a Class C felony, with penalties of
$50,000-200,000 in fines and up to three years in jail.
"If someone had a pair of male and female veiled chameleons, I
would not hesitate to go for the greater penalty," observes
Carvalho."

So ON THE UP-SIDE, if you live in the right place there,
you may find Jackson's your back yard. I would recommend you let
them remain free and enjoy their visits to your yard. That way,
they get everything that they need (no husbandry errors)
in the wild and you get the "benefit" of seeing them.
If you caught some insects and fed them to them,
they would likely visit regularly.

Chams range a lot in size depending on species. The smallest leaf cham of the genus Rhampholeon is about the size of a wooden match full grown. The largest Malagasy species is either the Parson's or Oustalet's at just under 3'. Largest species in Africa is the Meller's at about 24" TL. The species you are most likely to see as pets are the veiled, panther, or Jackson's. Veileds and panthers can reach 18" TL (usually a bit less), and Jackson's about 14" TL. For lots of species info here are some sites to read:

http://www.chameleonnews.com
http://www.adcham.com
http://www.chameleonjournals.com

Honestly(and Im surprised no one said this), chams may not be your thing. I have kept many many reptiles and chams are by far the hardest(but also one of the funnest). They have strict requirements and can be quite expensive to house PROPERLY. I would recoment(if you want a lizard) to try Ackies or crested Geckos. Both of which are great beginner reptiles but also many experieced keepers really like them. I have obviously left out Ball Pythons and leopard geckos because everyone know how easy they are to take care of. I do not know enough about chams to recoment one or the other. I like panthers(since its all ive ever kept) but even these chameleonscan be quite a challenge.

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A truly wise man will always be humbled.

I didn't go into that because moving to Hawaii means not keeping a cham. They will have to change their hobby regardless. Most people would move and find out later they couldn't keep their cham. I like the idea of "hosting" the feral jax...you can plant shrubs that attract lots of insects and enjoy the ones that show up for the feast. A very low maintenance cham which is a rare thing!