Reptile & Amphibian Forums

when my b day comes around im gunna bve looking to get a few new animals to add to my collection. I am gunna be getting a boa,another 1/2 bearded dragons to breed with my other, and now im looking to get either ackies or a pair of Veiled Chameleons(babys)

i just need to find out some answers to some questions to see what ill be getting im self into(in a good waY)

what size cage would a pair need.
what is the best substrate
what are the best type of cages? screen?(i heard glass are bad)
when older are they still eating crickets, or do they eat pinkie mice
how much would two babys cost like a male and female
when isd the best time of year to get them.

thanks for your help

Some answers:

You won't be able to house the pair together, nor will either cham tolerate seeing the other, any of your other animals either. Chams have really good vision and will stress out if they can see other pets or each other even from across the room.

Screen cage with live potted shrubs for anything older than a small baby. If you haven't had chams before, don't get a tiny hatchling. They can be tricky to acclimate and to feed. Try to find one about 3-4 months old. The better breeders will raise them up to this age before selling them. Most volume breeders don't bother to do this which is a shame, as some babies out of every clutch simply don't survive a move to a new home with a newbie keeper.

Chams need relatively cool setups, so check your room climate. If the room (with your other herps) is going to be very warm day and night it won't be a good place for the cham cage. Chams need a 10-15 F drop in temp at night...no visible lights on either.

Here are some good info links where you can read all about their care before you buy one:

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

Check these sites out and come back with more questions if you need to!

I don't ever use substrate with veiled chameleons...many of the
things that people use for substrate can be ingested and may
cause a blockage....so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Most people recommend using a screen cage....but in part, it
depends on where you live. I have always used part screen and
part solid cages, but I live in a cool climate where the winters
are very dry. This would be fool-hardy if you lived in a hot
climate, of course.

Cage size for a single adult, I wouldn't go smaller than 2'high
X 2' X 18"...the bigger the better. You can house a young one in a
smaller cage to allow it to catch the insects more easily if
you free range the insects.

Young ones (up to three or four months of age) I never keep as
warm as adults...they have smaller bodies that can heat and cool
faster than adults do. They can also become dehydrated quicker
than adults. I also never house veileds together past three
months.

When veileds are about six months old they usually become
omnivores. They will eat crickets, waxworms (not too many since
they are fatty), super worms, silk worms just to name a few
insects...they will also eat leaves of plants (so be sure to
only use well-washed non-poisonous plants in their cages), leafy
greens (dandelion, collards, kale, etc.), fruits (apple, pear,
melon, berries, etc.) and veggies (red pepper, squash, slivers of
sweet potato and carrots, etc.) Some people feed them pinkie mice
but I don't. I'm not sure that they are good for them.

The cost will depend on where you live.

They are available most of the year as a rule.

You're a lucky person to be getting all those things for your
birthday!