Best age for beginner?

[herriotfan]

I'm looking to get a panther chameleon. This would be my first chameleon, although not my first lizard or reptile. What age is good for a beginner to start with? I know a good reptile chap that has some 3 month olds, would they be ok? He has males which is what I'm looking for.
All input appreciated..... thanks.

 

[Jamelon]

3-4 months is the age that breeders usually sell them at so those would be perfectly fine

 

[eisentrauti]

I'm looking to get a panther chameleon. This would be my first chameleon, although not my first lizard or reptile. What age is good for a beginner to start with? I know a good reptile chap that has some 3 month olds, would they be ok? He has males which is what I'm looking for.
All input appreciated..... thanks.

The health of the chameleon is the import point not the age. If the juveniles are fit and agil you can start with them. If they are moving slow and the eyes are sometimes closed, stay away from them

 

[Texas Panther Man]

The first three months are def the hardest as far as rearing goes. So I'd say anything over 4 months would be perfect. It would be a perfect situation if you could reserve your male get his enclosure all perfectly setup then bring him home. That would give him a cpl of weeks to further mature and you wouldnt be stressing and worrying because you were trying to get things together for him. I believe if you search the general discussion forum there is a thread that has a checklist of items you will need to get started. Or go to flchams site they are a breeder and forum sponsor. They have a checklist on their site to get you started off right.

 

[alexbrock]

The first three months are def the hardest as far as rearing goes. So I'd say anything over 4 months would be perfect. It would be a perfect situation if you could reserve your male get his enclosure all perfectly setup then bring him home. That would give him a cpl of weeks to further mature and you wouldnt be stressing and worrying because you were trying to get things together for him. I believe if you search the general discussion forum there is a thread that has a checklist of items you will need to get started. Or go to flchams site they are a breeder and forum sponsor. They have a checklist on their site to get you started off right.

I would agree. 4 months is a great age to start. The nutritional side becomes way easier in my opinion, at that age. You no longer need to deal with tiny tiny feeders while supplementing properly.

 

[morpheon]

I'd go more with 6 months old. The fact that young chameleons, even at 4 months old, don't regulate well their temperature, are easily stressed out, etc. makes me believe that 6 months would be better.

But this is just my opinion. I am well aware that beginners can have a 3 months old or even younger and still do fine, but this is not what i believe is the "best" age.

Also, once at 6 months old, you can basically have their final enclosure only, while at 4 months old you might need to build or buy a temporary enclosure.

 

[alexbrock]

I'd go more with 6 months old. The fact that young chameleons, even at 4 months old, don't regulate well their temperature, are easily stressed out, etc. makes me believe that 6 months would be better.

But this is just my opinion. I am well aware that beginners can have a 3 months old or even younger and still do fine, but this is not what i believe is the "best" age.

Also, once at 6 months old, you can basically have their final enclosure only, while at 4 months old you might need to build or buy a temporary enclosure.

Very true. I forgot all about babies needing smaller enclosures.

 

[DeviousMike]

I don't feel that it is overly difficult to raise younger chameleons in general. The main part is putting in the effort to learning what you need to do an have the time, energy, and the $$$ to maintain your Cham. I wake up earlier now that I have my 2 chams just because I've added a good 20 minutes to my morning routine dedicated to their feeding, misting, and cleaning of the cages. I even have to forgo my own breakfast sometimes! But once you get the routine down, it's all fairly simple.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Though many people buy hatchlings at 3 or 4 months old, It would be easier to start with a chameleon that is about 6 months old.

That way its already eating larger prey, can be put directly into a larger cage, will be more tolerant of temperature lows at night and will dehydrate a little less quickly, you'll have a better idea of the colour it will be as an adult, etc.

Maybe the seller will take a deposit and then grow it up another month or two for you.

 

[morpheon]

While i agree that growing a chameleon between 3 and 6 months isn't much harder than a 6months old or more, i believe that in the rare 10% of the time (approximatively), a chameleon may start to show subtle signs of sickness that a beginner will not necessary notice. The same could be said about slightly problematic husbandry conditions, etc. Therefore, a 6 months old chameleon will be able to tolerate a little more some small mistakes if they were correctly raised.

Then again, this question will probably never be answered universally. Many very talented breeders will say different ages, and they won't necessary be wrong or right. I respect what Texas Panther Man and Eiseintrauti do, but we have different opinions, that's all!

However, being well prepared, having done your homeworks and having an enclosure that has been already setup and verified helps a lot! But I still recommend 6 months old!

 

[herriotfan]

Thanks everyone.
I will have the enclosure up and running to check all temps, humidity etc are correct before getting my chameleon.
I keep dietery suppliments all the time for my other reptiles and lizards so that's all sorted.
I will make sure I have the correct size of feeders before I get my chameleon because I will ask the breeder all about his diet before he comes home.
I do appreciate all your advise.