Best Type of Chameleon and a few more questions.

jamest0o0 said:
Hmm I thought they were slightly smaller than ousti's. @AZChamFan Has one, maybe he can help
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As far as I know verrucosus are in between the size of a panther and an oustalet's, being closer to panther size. My verrucosus is around 18" now but should still have some growing to do. He is normally a combination of ivory, tan and various shades of brown........showing very little color unless he's excited about something, which is quite rare! He can indeed show very beautiful greens and blues but once again only when excited. If having a colorful cham is a priority for you, then a verrucosus probably isn't the best choice. As far as personality, mine is the very definition of calm and mellow. I have never once seen him trying to get out of his enclosure - he's incredibly relaxed and content. He has no fear of me (although I've read that they can be shy), but he is not outgoing either, so I never handle him unless necessary. He's fine with handling when it's necessary. He eats every meal from my fingers. He does like his heat and does quite a bit of basking. He was wild caught and it was quite an ordeal getting him "straightened out" in the beginning. I love him and sure wouldn't trade him for anything but at the same time I would never ever buy another verrucosus unless it was captive bred.

My Jackson's is extremely friendly and loaded with personality. I can't imagine a more perfect chameleon! He's the second I've had and the last one was the same way. He was wild caught but he came from Hawaii as did my last one. I've had no issues whatsoever with the Jackson's from Hawaii.
 
AZChamFan said:
As far as I know verrucosus are in between the size of a panther and an oustalet's, being closer to panther size. My verrucosus is around 18" now but should still have some growing to do. He is normally a combination of ivory, tan and various shades of brown........showing very little color unless he's excited about something, which is quite rare! He can indeed show very beautiful greens and blues but once again only when excited. If having a colorful cham is a priority for you, then a verrucosus probably isn't the best choice. As far as personality, mine is the very definition of calm and mellow. I have never once seen him trying to get out of his enclosure - he's incredibly relaxed and content. He has no fear of me (although I've read that they can be shy), but he is not outgoing either, so I never handle him unless necessary. He's fine with handling when it's necessary. He eats every meal from my fingers. He does like his heat and does quite a bit of basking. He was wild caught and it was quite an ordeal getting him "straightened out" in the beginning. I love him and sure wouldn't trade him for anything but at the same time I would never ever buy another verrucosus unless it was captive bred.

My Jackson's is extremely friendly and loaded with personality. I can't imagine a more perfect chameleon! He's the second I've had and the last one was the same way. He was wild caught but he came from Hawaii as did my last one. I've had no issues whatsoever with the Jackson's from Hawaii.
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Awww, The Verrcosus sounds like a cool species. I like the fact that they are relaxed, and I don't mind that they don't have super bright colors.
 
It is so great you are researching before jumping into anything!

I have had many different types of reptiles over the last 20 years, and now that I am old haha, I only keep chameleons. I knew reptile care going in so it was not to daunting but for a new keeper you do need to research a ton and have everything set up before hand. Also every reptile has a personality so you need to know going in that whatever you get may never adjust to being handled or it may tolerate it or even some may like it. One big thing to consider also is when are you available the most? I mean in the fact is it easier for you to try to tame an animal in the day or at night. I know so many of my children's classmates have gotten reptiles with no research and then realized they were nocturnal and I ended up with them as their kids were sleeping when the reptile was awake. Just something to consider!

This is the list in order of reptiles I suggest when everyone is asking me what to get when they have never kept reptiles before:

Crested gecko or gargoyle gecko they are nocturnal, gargoyles are not as jumpy as cresteds, they don't mind being handled and come in some fantastic colors. They don't need the lighting requirements like beardies or chameleons and they live in a smaller enclosure. They also eat a powdered diet mixed with water, with cresteds liking bugs, gargoyles not so much.

Leopard gecko also nocturnal, they come in some fun patterns and colors also most will tame down with consistency. They need a heating pad and do well in a 20 gallon long enclosure.

Blue Tongue Skink I had a northern, it was purchased from a breeder, he was awesome. I loved my guy and he was super chill, most like being handled( northern being calmer and friendlier), eat dog/cat food and veggies, and bugs for variety. They need uvb and heat like a bearded dragon.

Bearded Dragon you have done research on them so you know their details.

I don't suggest a chameleon to newbies, I am not saying that meanly it is just they are not as forgiving on care mistakes as the others. Also they stress when being handled more than others, I would say no reptile loves being handled but others stress much less when they are. They ALL need research but other reptiles are "easier".

Uromastyx was mentioned they require high heat and do not like to be handled, I usually don't recommend for a first time owner. They can be feisty little buggers!

I have also had tortoises, turtles, snakes, etc. if you want any information on them!

Good luck on your decision, and research! Also like everyone else has said make sure whatever you choose it is Captive Bred, acclimating wild caught is hard(y)
 
Awesome post @hopps31

IMO the most stressful thing with keeping chams, is knowing a screw up in husbandry can cause permanent issues. For example, not misting for a few days apparently causes irreversible kidney damage. They aren't animals that nature intended for long life, so any slip ups can take a permanent toll on your Cham. The actual husbandry for CB panther or veiled is pretty easy though, it's just about making sure you're doing it right.
 
hopps31 said:
It is so great you are researching before jumping into anything!

I have had many different types of reptiles over the last 20 years, and now that I am old haha, I only keep chameleons. I knew reptile care going in so it was not to daunting but for a new keeper you do need to research a ton and have everything set up before hand. Also every reptile has a personality so you need to know going in that whatever you get may never adjust to being handled or it may tolerate it or even some may like it. One big thing to consider also is when are you available the most? I mean in the fact is it easier for you to try to tame an animal in the day or at night. I know so many of my children's classmates have gotten reptiles with no research and then realized they were nocturnal and I ended up with them as their kids were sleeping when the reptile was awake. Just something to consider!

This is the list in order of reptiles I suggest when everyone is asking me what to get when they have never kept reptiles before:

Crested gecko or gargoyle gecko they are nocturnal, gargoyles are not as jumpy as cresteds, they don't mind being handled and come in some fantastic colors. They don't need the lighting requirements like beardies or chameleons and they live in a smaller enclosure. They also eat a powdered diet mixed with water, with cresteds liking bugs, gargoyles not so much.

Leopard gecko also nocturnal, they come in some fun patterns and colors also most will tame down with consistency. They need a heating pad and do well in a 20 gallon long enclosure.

Blue Tongue Skink I had a northern, it was purchased from a breeder, he was awesome. I loved my guy and he was super chill, most like being handled( northern being calmer and friendlier), eat dog/cat food and veggies, and bugs for variety. They need uvb and heat like a bearded dragon.

Bearded Dragon you have done research on them so you know their details.

I don't suggest a chameleon to newbies, I am not saying that meanly it is just they are not as forgiving on care mistakes as the others. Also they stress when being handled more than others, I would say no reptile loves being handled but others stress much less when they are. They ALL need research but other reptiles are "easier".

Uromastyx was mentioned they require high heat and do not like to be handled, I usually don't recommend for a first time owner. They can be feisty little buggers!

I have also had tortoises, turtles, snakes, etc. if you want any information on them!

Good luck on your decision, and research! Also like everyone else has said make sure whatever you choose it is Captive Bred, acclimating wild caught is hard(y)
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Wow! Thanks for the long post! I'm home-schooled, so nocturnal doesn't matter as much to me, but ideally, I'd like a day-time lizard. My dad and I are going to check out all of the different species tonight and try to make a somewhat final decision. After that, I'll do more specific research on day-to-day care.

My perfect lizard (no particular order)

-ease of care (In terms of day-to-day I really like the schedule for the chameleon because they feed around every other day to every day about once and you only have to clean about 2-3 weeks (from what I’ve heard))

-size (around 5-18 ideally 6-13)

-look (I don’t really care about this as much but if a lizard looks really cool, I try to read about it to make sure it is “cool” and friendly.)

-handling (I want to be able to at least pick it up and not have it be really stressed or bite me)

This is completely idealized and I'm sure no lizard like this exists but you never know .
 
LunaLovegood said:
Wow! Thanks for the long post! I'm home-schooled, so nocturnal doesn't matter as much to me, but ideally, I'd like a day-time lizard. My dad and I are going to check out all of the different species tonight and try to make a somewhat final decision. After that, I'll do more specific research on day-to-day care.

My perfect lizard (no particular order)

-ease of care (In terms of day-to-day I really like the schedule for the chameleon because they feed around every other day to every day about once and you only have to clean about 2-3 weeks (from what I’ve heard))

-size (around 5-18 ideally 6-13)

-look (I don’t really care about this as much but if a lizard looks really cool, I try to read about it to make sure it is “cool” and friendly.)

-handling (I want to be able to at least pick it up and not have it be really stressed or bite me)

This is completely idealized and I'm sure no lizard like this exists but you never know .
Click to expand...

A leopard gecko would meet these criteria and you can even get giant leopard geckos, they're super easy to care for and they tend to be very friendly.
 
Nursemaia said:
A leopard gecko would meet these criteria and you can even get giant leopard geckos, they're super easy to care for and they tend to be very friendly.
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My other friend has a leopard gecko, but do you know anything about ocelot geckos. I love their name and they look pretty similar to leopard geckos. :)
 
LunaLovegood said:
Wow! Thanks for the long post! I'm home-schooled, so nocturnal doesn't matter as much to me, but ideally, I'd like a day-time lizard. My dad and I are going to check out all of the different species tonight and try to make a somewhat final decision. After that, I'll do more specific research on day-to-day care.

My perfect lizard (no particular order)

-ease of care (In terms of day-to-day I really like the schedule for the chameleon because they feed around every other day to every day about once and you only have to clean about 2-3 weeks (from what I’ve heard))

-size (around 5-18 ideally 6-13)

-look (I don’t really care about this as much but if a lizard looks really cool, I try to read about it to make sure it is “cool” and friendly.)

-handling (I want to be able to at least pick it up and not have it be really stressed or bite me)

This is completely idealized and I'm sure no lizard like this exists but you never know .
Click to expand...


The list you have pretty much rules out a chameleon, I am not trying to sound harsh! No reptile requires cleaning only every 2 to 3 weeks. Every species I have had requires some sort of cleaning every day.

Also handling seems like an important trait you are looking for without stressing and that is most definitely not a chameleon!

Honestly my vote would be a bearded dragon, even if your friend has one it does not matter, get a different morph so it is not exactly like theirs, the most important thing is you can handle all the requirements of the pet.
 
If by ocelpictus...they are great little lizards if you mean Paroedura pictus. They are somewhat skittish though...and nocturnal pretty much.
 
kinyonga said:
If by ocelpictus...they are great little lizards if you mean Paroedura pictus. They are somewhat skittish though...and nocturnal pretty much.
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Yea, the lizard I saw was a Paroedura Pictus. I looked up ocelpictus and I couldn't find anything, no results came up.
 
hopps31 said:
The list you have pretty much rules out a chameleon, I am not trying to sound harsh! No reptile requires cleaning only every 2 to 3 weeks. Every species I have had requires some sort of cleaning every day.
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I just meant like deep cleaning as in taking everything out of their cage and rinsing it off.
 
I don't want to discourage you from getting a chameleon if your heart is totally set on it, as they are super fantastic but I want you to succeed and give the best life possible to whatever you choose! Which is what you want also! Chameleons were one of the last reptiles I acquired and immediately stole my heart, so I hate to discourage anyone from getting one.

My best advice is research, research and then when you think you know research some more, honestly research is knowledge:)


LunaLovegood said:
I just meant like deep cleaning as in taking everything out of their cage and rinsing it off.
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Ok (y)
 
I'm homeschooled too! I just want to say, even though I've kept reptiles for almost 5 years, I still decided I wasn't ready for a chameleon. Also I've had a crested gecko before they're awesome! I miss my little guy so much that I'm getting another one. I'm more of a snake person though. When it come to handling, my crested tolerated it, but my ball python begs to come out and refuses to go up. Have you considered snakes? I completely understand if you don't want one, a lot of people like lizards more.
 
funnyCAT140 said:
I'm homeschooled too! I just want to say, even though I've kept reptiles for almost 5 years, I still decided I wasn't ready for a chameleon. Also I've had a crested gecko before they're awesome! I miss my little guy so much that I'm getting another one. I'm more of a snake person though. When it come to handling, my crested tolerated it, but my ball python begs to come out and refuses to go up. Have you considered snakes? I completely understand if you don't want one, a lot of people like lizards more.
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I like snakes too, but my dad would never let me get one. He hates snakes xD.
 
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