All jackson chameleon owners:

[bwert435]

Like others have said, be patient and learn as much as you can. This forum is tip top there are a lot of members that know a whole lot about chams and are willing to help so don't be afraid to ask. And yeah chams can be really fragile and/or require a lot of care, but they are also pretty strong and resilient. When i first got my cham my friend was the his privious owner and he didn't take very good care of him and developed mbd but since he came into my care he has bounced back and is as healthy as he every was despite a few irreversable things from mbd.

 

[Elizadolots]

Lots of people have Jacksons. As you are starting with them, you probably will not find them difficult at all. I think a lot of the perceived difficulty is when people who've kept Veileds or Panthers suddenly try a Jacksons. The care requirements are different and different always seems harder.

You've been given links to good care sheets. Hydration is very important with Jackson's. You might find that an automated misting system makes your life easier. If you can't do that, then I recommend a garden sprayer. Hand pump models sell for around $12-15 and battery powered ones sell for $30-40 (you can obviously pay more).

Try hand feeding your chameleons. A lot of people have had success getting their chameleons (even Jacksons!) to welcome their attention when they start by offering food. Be patient, it takes time!

 

[faithxw]

Amanda- I will pm you!

 

[faithxw]

Thanks, guys! I'm trying my hardest!

 

[pssh]

As long as you get their set up right and they weren't ill or mistreated to begin with, it wont be too hard. You will eventually be able to handle them at least occationally. Just be sure to leave them alone for a week or two and make sure they are getting nice long mistings.

 

[faithxw]

Thank you!!

 

[Chameleonsthecoolest]

I am also a beginner at chams and was wondering what is a good color for my Jackson chameleon to be. I have heard green but mine switches from light green to dark green after I feed him. I have also noticed he only does this when I feed him meal worms. I have also heard that they are not the hardest chameleon to care for. So on a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being the easiest what would you say a Jackson Cham is?

 

[Elizadolots]

Coolest, I recommend starting your own thread, just in case the original OP wants to come back and continue her discussion.

 

[Psychobunny]

I agree with what pssh posted. It depends on where you got the jacksons, if wc or cb, if wc, does it have parasites?
Then there is your set up, which you should have fully operational BEFORE you have your cham:

1) extra large screen cage with plenty of vines and branches.
2) MistKing, if you are not home all day.
3) provide a nice long (at least 15mins) warm shower once a day
4) a good warm mist humidifier with the exhaust aimed to the cage
5) good drainage system to prevent standing water (VERY important).
6) the proper lighting and basking temp
7) good common sense
8) love
9) money

I own 3 species of chams now, and have been told, all things being equal, the jacksons will be the first to die.
We will see about that

 

[jpm995]

All chams are hard to care for. Even the hardier ones have special care requirements. Look at all the veiled and panther problems you see on this forum. Their uniqueness is also their weakness. Those google eyes and amazing tongue are more prone to problems, their diet and light requirements are critical. That said once you get the basics down the non "hardy" types like your jacksons aren't much different than the others. Get the cage/lighting/food/suppliments right and you should be ok. Don't cramp them in as they get stressed easily. Bigger is better as far as cages go and use separate cages unless you know their ok together. Good luck although luck isen't much of a factor. If you've kept other lizards you'll catch on quickly. if in doubt on a problem the right answer is always a vet visit.

 

[Shawntea]

The second chameleon I owned is a jackson jacksoni female. I bought her at a reptile show, she was improperly labeled as a male xanth, and has a spinal deformity. However, with lots of research and help from members here She has been in my care for over a year now and going strong. She hand feeds and that helps so she isn't afraid of me. She still gets pissy when I take her outside, but once out there she loves it.

 

[amalthea23]

I don't think there's any need to panic just because it's a jackson's. I got my first cham at a show a few months ago and she's a jackson's. You can look in my history and see my posts go from "OH MY GOD!" To "what's this about?" but I have to say, overall, while they definitely are a high maintenance lizard, they're certainly far from impossible to keep happy and healthy. I think the key with any cham is to pay attention to it. They'll communicate their needs pretty well if you just get to know your animal and learn it's behaviors.

 

[amalthea23]

Hydration is very important with Jackson's. You might find that an automated misting system makes your life easier. If you can't do that, then I recommend a garden sprayer. Hand pump models sell for around $12-15 and battery powered ones sell for $30-40 (you can obviously pay more).

Try hand feeding your chameleons. A lot of people have had success getting their chameleons (even Jacksons!) to welcome their attention when they start by offering food. Be patient, it takes time!

I recently had a hydration issue with my female. I did the head drip, she has a mister, I spray, she just HATES to drink. I'm finding supplementing her diet with hornworms is working out pretty well.