Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I currently have a bearded dragon and was interested in getting a cham. I was wondering where I could possibly get a cage for a decent price. Also, I read that you should start off with a smaller cage and move them into bigger ones as they get older. To save $ is there a size of cage that would work best for a baby and juvenile? I currently have an empty 20 g. aquarium, would that work for a baby? I'm a college student and can't afford to buy a new cage every few months.

My bearded dragon LOVES to be held and played with. Can I hold and play with a cham?

I've been reading care sheets and it sounds like they are very difficult to take care of. Do you guys agree?

Also, is there anything important I should know before I decide to buy one.

Sorry for the long post but I would like to know EVERYTHING possible before getting one.

Thanks so much!

Emily

My bearded dragon LOVES to be held and played with. Can I hold and play with a cham?

No...they are very solitary creatures and are more like "eye candy"...beautiful to behold but not handle, some can be stressed to the point of death by handling, some permit minimal handling but mostly for cage cleaning, etc..very few actually like being held.

I've been reading care sheets and it sounds like they are very difficult to take care of. Do you guys agree?

I think difficult is the wrong word. They require very specific care. You have to, in essence, mimic their natural habitat i.e. rainforest. You have to be fastidious in maintaining heat and humidity.

Also, is there anything important I should know before I decide to buy one.

They are expensive for start up, all the bulbs, the screen cage, dripper or mister....Live feeders, gut loading...dusting...

I know this all may sound negative...but the upside is they are extraordinarily beautiful- living jewels. You never get bored watching them. We have a virtual rainforest in the house with alll the plants, etc. This site is awesome with pictures of everyone's setups, and all the information is invaluable!!!!!

Good luck on your decision...they are wonderful to have!!

C

Thanks so much for your quick reply. I was just looking at cages online and I was wondering if this was a good choice?

38 Gallon Reptarium Basic.

16.5" X 16.5" X 30.0" Open Air Enclosure

Is it too big for a baby?

Thank you,

Emily

What kind of chameleon do you want to get? I have Nosey B panthers and the one I got was three and a half months old. I put her in the 18 x 24 x 36 cage. She had a lot of plants, alot of vines, 18" 5.0 reptisun and 100 watt basking lamp and had no problems whatsoever...however, I got a boy panther the same age and put him in a similar sized cage and he was not happy, so I bought a smaller one (about the size you mentioned) and kept him there for a month only before moving him to his bigger cage.

First..figure out which kind of chameleon you want...I only know panther chameleons..

C

Hey Emily!
As everyone else has said, you must first decide upon the species of chameleon you want to purchase. If you want a hardy, beautiful, and fairly inexpensive chameleon...I would purchase a baby veiled chameleon. Veiled chameleons are one of the most hardy of chameleon species. They can survive through some of the colder temps. that most chameleons cannot. This is the type of chameleon I have, and when they are only a few weeks old, I would suggest to keep them in a 10 gallon aquarium. But veileds grow EXTREMELY fast, and if your going to purchase a 3-4 month old veiled, I would suggest to keep it in a open air screened enclosure, like you have! It also sounds like you are on a tight budget, and although almost ALL chameleons require alot of effort and money put into their enclosure and needs, the veiled chameleon is reasonably less expensive to maintain, depending on how well you care for them.

Panther chameleons are wonderful as well, and panthers are by far one of the most beautiful chameleons...as they are expensive! I have had Nosey Be and Ambanja panthers, and I must admit they are gorgeous and a joy to have! But they are a bit on the pricey side...

Take heed though, chameleons are very suseptable to becoming ill, and getting Metabollic Bone Disease, the most common disease in chameleons combined!

Yes, please DO NOT hesitate to ask any questions, for we want your little guy to live a healthy and happy life!

Michele
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1.0 veiled chameleon (Godzilla)
4.0 cinnamin blue faced button quail

Hi Emily,

lots of good advice so far, but I would like to make one point and give you some good reading.

point: it is NOT recommended to get any species chameleon that is only a few weeks old. You can gauge a responsible breeder (in part) by the age they are selling their chams. If they are pushing them out the door at less than 3 or 4 months, I suggest you look elsewhere. When the time gets nearer for you to purchase, there are several breeders right on this fourm as well as recommendations to be made.

As for your homework... Check out the many articles on the Chameleon Help & Resource Info. Chameleonnews.com has one on the cost of keeping a chameleon, adcham.com and others have excellent husbandry, vet, nutriton, etc. articles. Besides those links, if you scroll down the page you will see a list of setup questions, this will give you an idea of all the things you need to consider.

On a personal note, I just (last week) got my first bd and realized that it is a lot easier to go from cham to bd, then vice versa. Bd care, personality, eating (not picky!) and other qualities are SO different than with chams. I commend you on doing your research and this forum is a great place to begin.

here is the link

Chameleon Help & Resource Info

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0.1 Veiled - Luna
1.0 Beardie - For now his name is Beardie Boy
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (no name yet)
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
Chameleon Help & Resource Info

Thank you all so much! I really appreciate all of your information. I plan on setting up the cage/cages about a week or so before I purchase the cham to make sure everything is working smoothly and the heat and humidity are correct.

I have not yet decided which kind I am going to get. The panthers are beautiful, so I obviously would like one. But since this is my first cham I may start with a veiled since they seem easier to care for.

I was considering just buying the cham from a herp fair that is about 45 minutes from my house (this is where I got my beardie). I was thinking that shipping him would be very stressful. There are several cham breeders at the show I can choose from. Also, I would like to be able to make sure he appears healthy before I get him. Is it really stressful on a cham to be shipped? And if I do decide to get one from a breeder online, does anyone have any recommendations?

Two places I would recommend are Screameleons and Kammerflage chameleons.......

D

You are going about this just great! Good questions and prep work. One of my concerns about herp show babies is that it is easy to fall in love with them and not recognize possible health issues if you are not familiar with them (ie, seeing them for the first time in person). What I'd suggest is quizzing the seller about their care. Act as if you are clueless and really grill them about what they need, how to gutload and supplement them, everything you have read about before the show. If you are hearing the same info that you get from our sites, chances are the seller's babies have gotten good care. Also, sellers who are offering older babies (3-4 months) are probably more concerned about their welfare than the sellers who have a mass of very tiny hatchling chams. Look at the groupings of babies. If any look stressed and sort of shut down I'd stay away. A good breeder will not leave an obviously stressed baby on display or for sale. Shipping correctly may not be any more stressful than a show.