It is very common for people to be misinformed about the care of chameleons by local petshops. They frequently give out wrong information that can lead to the downfall of your chameleon. Hopefully this information will help you understand the requirements and care needed to own a healthy chameleon.
Veiled chameleons and Panther chameleons in my opinion are the best starter chameleons, as they are generally a lot more forgiving to beginner mistakes.
Veiled chameleons are cheaper, but aren't as colorful as Panthers. Panther chameleons are more expensive, but are a lot more colorful. The care for both are similar. However, Veileds can withstand more extreme temperatures.
Some good Panther chameleon breeders are:
Chameleon Company chameleoncompany.com,
ChamalotChameleons (Dez on chameleonforums) http://chamalotchameleons.com/
and Kammers. chameleonsonly.com
A very good reputable breeder I know for Veiled chameleons are FLChams.
FLChams.com
You can't go wrong with any of them. Those breeders are where most of us have purchased our chameleons, and are very happy we did so.
Chameleons have a lot of unique requirements. For a beginning chameleon owner, it is recommended to get a screen cage. LLLReptile.com has them, and is a fantastic site. For each chameleon (Besides pygmies) you need a separate enclosure. Chameleons can NOT be housed together. If you do, they will stress each other out, become territorial, and fight. Chameleons also have unique lighting requirements. They need both a UVB bulb, (We recommend the Reptisun 5.0) and a basking bulb. (Two separate bulbs in total)
Without a UVB bulb, your chameleon WILL eventually develop MBD. This stands for Metabolic Bone Disorder. This is a calcium deficiency which slowly destroys the chameleons bone structure until the chameleon is no longer able to support its own body. This disease can be identified most commonly by bending or curving of the arms, and double joints. Below I will provide a link to the sticky which contains pictures of chameleons with MBD. UVB rays are needed for chameleons to absorb the calcium into their bones, which is why they will develop this horrible disease if they don't have a UVB light present.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-looks-like-38000/
A younger chameleon will eat around 15-20 crickets or feeders per day. They should also have a varied diet. Crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, locusts, and phoenix worms would be great to alternate with. Crickets are generally the most common fed, due to the price, availability, and gutloadability (Is that even a word?). When chameleons get older, their appetite slows down a lot. Around 6-8 feeders every other day is a common quantity feed. Feeders need to be gutloaded and supplemented before given to your cham. Here is a blog about gutloading from a user named Sandrachameleon.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
In addition to gutloading, you need to supplement the crickets. You need dust them with calcium WITHOUT D3 every day right before you feed it to your cham, calcium WITH D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin twice a month. There is a product called Repashy Calcium Plus, which has all in one and is meant to be used every day.
There are also unique watering requirements. Chameleons do not like to drink from standing water. You have to give them their water by misting their enclosure. A lot of us on here use automated misting systems. However, these can be expensive. It is recommended to mist around 3 times per day for around 3 minutes each misting session. You should also have a dripper running so your chameleon can drink while you are not home.
If you get a female, you need to worry about egg laying. Female chameleons can form eggs without even mating. This is why you need a laying bin. If you fail to provide a laying bin to a female with eggs, she will eventually become eggbound and die. JannB has created a great, informative blog about this. I'll attach it below.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
Before purchasing your chameleon, make sure you have found a vet experienced with chameleons. It is likely in the time you have your chameleon, you will need to take it to a vet. They can go downhill fast, so make sure you are prepared.
Chameleons are generally not social animals. If you purchase one, be prepared to have an animal that will never like to be held by you. There are plenty of exceptions, but they generally require a lot of work. You can try to make your chameleon more tolerable of of you by:
Using gentle movements
Handfeeding
Cupfeeding
Free ranging
and most importantly, interaction.
Keep in mind that it will take time, and it isn't guaranteed that doing everything above will make your chameleon more tolerable of you.
If taken care of properly, chameleons can be a VERY rewarding animal to have. They are beautiful creatures that can be admired day after day while putting a smile on your face.
__________________
Veiled chameleons and Panther chameleons in my opinion are the best starter chameleons, as they are generally a lot more forgiving to beginner mistakes.
Veiled chameleons are cheaper, but aren't as colorful as Panthers. Panther chameleons are more expensive, but are a lot more colorful. The care for both are similar. However, Veileds can withstand more extreme temperatures.
Some good Panther chameleon breeders are:
Chameleon Company chameleoncompany.com,
ChamalotChameleons (Dez on chameleonforums) http://chamalotchameleons.com/
and Kammers. chameleonsonly.com
A very good reputable breeder I know for Veiled chameleons are FLChams.
FLChams.com
You can't go wrong with any of them. Those breeders are where most of us have purchased our chameleons, and are very happy we did so.
Chameleons have a lot of unique requirements. For a beginning chameleon owner, it is recommended to get a screen cage. LLLReptile.com has them, and is a fantastic site. For each chameleon (Besides pygmies) you need a separate enclosure. Chameleons can NOT be housed together. If you do, they will stress each other out, become territorial, and fight. Chameleons also have unique lighting requirements. They need both a UVB bulb, (We recommend the Reptisun 5.0) and a basking bulb. (Two separate bulbs in total)
Without a UVB bulb, your chameleon WILL eventually develop MBD. This stands for Metabolic Bone Disorder. This is a calcium deficiency which slowly destroys the chameleons bone structure until the chameleon is no longer able to support its own body. This disease can be identified most commonly by bending or curving of the arms, and double joints. Below I will provide a link to the sticky which contains pictures of chameleons with MBD. UVB rays are needed for chameleons to absorb the calcium into their bones, which is why they will develop this horrible disease if they don't have a UVB light present.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-looks-like-38000/
A younger chameleon will eat around 15-20 crickets or feeders per day. They should also have a varied diet. Crickets, dubia roaches, silkworms, locusts, and phoenix worms would be great to alternate with. Crickets are generally the most common fed, due to the price, availability, and gutloadability (Is that even a word?). When chameleons get older, their appetite slows down a lot. Around 6-8 feeders every other day is a common quantity feed. Feeders need to be gutloaded and supplemented before given to your cham. Here is a blog about gutloading from a user named Sandrachameleon.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
In addition to gutloading, you need to supplement the crickets. You need dust them with calcium WITHOUT D3 every day right before you feed it to your cham, calcium WITH D3 twice a month, and a multivitamin twice a month. There is a product called Repashy Calcium Plus, which has all in one and is meant to be used every day.
There are also unique watering requirements. Chameleons do not like to drink from standing water. You have to give them their water by misting their enclosure. A lot of us on here use automated misting systems. However, these can be expensive. It is recommended to mist around 3 times per day for around 3 minutes each misting session. You should also have a dripper running so your chameleon can drink while you are not home.
If you get a female, you need to worry about egg laying. Female chameleons can form eggs without even mating. This is why you need a laying bin. If you fail to provide a laying bin to a female with eggs, she will eventually become eggbound and die. JannB has created a great, informative blog about this. I'll attach it below.
http://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
Before purchasing your chameleon, make sure you have found a vet experienced with chameleons. It is likely in the time you have your chameleon, you will need to take it to a vet. They can go downhill fast, so make sure you are prepared.
Chameleons are generally not social animals. If you purchase one, be prepared to have an animal that will never like to be held by you. There are plenty of exceptions, but they generally require a lot of work. You can try to make your chameleon more tolerable of of you by:
Using gentle movements
Handfeeding
Cupfeeding
Free ranging
and most importantly, interaction.
Keep in mind that it will take time, and it isn't guaranteed that doing everything above will make your chameleon more tolerable of you.
If taken care of properly, chameleons can be a VERY rewarding animal to have. They are beautiful creatures that can be admired day after day while putting a smile on your face.
__________________
