Chameleon bashing?

[chamguy]

I understand chameleons can be difficult to care for, but that is no reason to bash keeping them, is it?


As I spend more time on the internet, the more I see people asking " would a chameleon make a good pet". Usually dozens of response follow, saying how horrible they are, being the worst reptile to keep, blah, blah blah.




Has anyone else seen this? Just curious of other's thoughts on the subject.

 

[Kmw]

Nope.


I've never seen anyone bash chameleons, really. I have seen people stating that they are more difficult to keep. Which is a good thing in my books. If learning that they are harder to keep is enough to scare some potential owners off, good! If they arent willing to do what it takes to have a chameleon before they get it they might not be after and that poor baby gets a crappy life. You've got to be serious about chameleons, and any animal you want to own.

 

[chamguy]

True, we don't need everyone who sees them on TV to attempt to care for them. The "bashing" I've seen is on more general webistes with people who have no clue about anything.

 

[DanSB]

I agree with Kmw except I have seen it on non-cham centric herp forums.

I think a lot of it is warranted though these little guys are tricky and take some general experience and intelligence to care for and breed where as something like a leopard gecko or bearded dragon can pretty much be kept by a six year old.

I would never tell anyone a chameleon makes a great pet. they are gorgeous, interesting, and in my opinion one of the most amazing creatures on the planet. Not a good pet... unless you are diligent, responsible, observant, and intelligent.

Ever notice the collective IQ on this forum is much higher than average herp forums? There is a reason for that...

 

[Solid Snake]

Ever notice the collective IQ on this forum is much higher than average herp forums? There is a reason for that...

There you go.


The warnings are well warranted. Look at how many people come into it unprepared.

I myself would likely not got into chameleons, if I had researched them before hand.

My first chameleon has suffered a great deal, needlessly, because of not doing prior research.

Its just to protect the animals from such situations.

 

[Wykd]

its a reverse psychology thing. Tell people oh man they are such a pain and horrible pets... that way someone with a cpl bills to blow doesn't pick one up when strolling petsmart just to watch it change colors like they think.

 

[laurie]

If you just look here at this forum, you can see the number of people who are not ready and both they and the cham pay the price. The more that is known about chameleons, cham care, and cost the better for everyone. Sort of a don't buy if you can't afford to house, feed, take it to the vet.

 

[Hoj]

I personally would get bored with most other reptiles. I need the extra involvement that Chams require to keep me stimulated and moving forward.
I believe that for the most part they are not a bad animal to keep but an advanced one that is not for all people. That said I too believe we have a very intelligent and great group here

 

[GarynTampa]

As a new Cham owner, I would agree with everyone here and just add that they are indeed "high maintenance" pets.

All someone needs to do now is come out with a metering device that drops dusted crickets on a timer...hummmmmmm...light bulb coming on...

I did my homework thoroughly (still learning), had an entertainment center to "build" my custom cage around, shopped around for light fixtures that would allow another 6" of cage height (cause I thought THAT was important) and had to adjust AC vents to gain another 4-5 degrees in cage temp...and NOW, have to maintain crickets, superworms, horn worms and butter worms. All of this preparation was important to avoid ANY potential problems with this new Cham!

Everything I did was WORTH IT and I'd do it all over again!

Fortunately for me, I work from home and get to enjoy him daily. Unfortunately, my wife get's home around 5:00 PM and he is already headed down to his sleepy spot, so she is missing out on being able to see his personality, feeding, lapping water and YESSSSSSS...the color changes! She is not happy about this, but she can have all of this on the weekends!

I'm REALLY going to miss RANGO when I have to travel and go out of town!

He is not the only pet we have. We have 3 dogs that get regular VET visits, and a tank FULL of fish that I have to add water, treat water, feed and maintain.

ALL PETS (to a responsible owner) are high maintenance based on that!

Gary
Tampa, FL

 

[ISA my Veiled]

Honestly those people obviously have no experience with reptiles and are ignorant. I really think the high maintenance makes it way more fun than a lot of other reptiles where you just have to feed them once a day and switch their lights.And when you are passionate about it I really do not consider it a lot of work. It's fun to put work into an enclosure and at the end of the day be able to sit and relax and watch how interesting and cool they are. I mean seriously, it is nice to own a pet that will think before it does anything. I think raising a Chameleon is a valuable experience and is a ton of fun. I find myself every night looking for more stuff to improve and study so that I can enjoy them even more than I already do.
My advice, just ignore them, they obviously haven't had a great experience or even no experience with them, they wouldn't understand.

 

[dtwenty3]

WHATTT IN THE WORLD! people that think that are people that have never had a Chameleon in there life and who are they to be giving advice?

just look at this little guy...

 

[Swayne8998]

I personally would get bored with most other reptiles. I need the extra involvement that Chams require to keep me stimulated and moving forward.
I believe that for the most part they are not a bad animal to keep but an advanced one that is not for all people. That said I too believe we have a very intelligent and great group here

Agreed.

This is the most time consuming, hard to care for, needy, fragile, and expensive pet I've ever owned.

And I love him

Chams make great pets... For people who know how to take care of them. Do your research people... I researched for two and a half months straight before I got my guy. I'm also so glad I got him for myself too... It keeps me doing something all the time. And it is worth it.

You hear all these stories on YouTube and such of chams dying after three months of being owned... Because they did not do their research. All in all, they are fantastic pets. But are to be respected.

 

[ISA my Veiled]

Agreed.

This is the most time consuming, hard to care for, needy, fragile, and expensive pet I've ever owned.

And I love him

Chams make great pets... For people who know how to take care of them. Do your research people... I researched for two and a half months straight before I got my guy. I'm also so glad I got him for myself too... It keeps me doing something all the time. And it is worth it.

You hear all these stories on YouTube and such of chams dying after three months of being owned... Because they did not do their research. All in all, they are fantastic pets. But are to be respected.

Great point made about research! although I did the same 2 month scramble for information it was well worth it and it makes it so much more satisfying for me knowing that i took the time and effort for something that is mine and that i get to spend everyday with.

 

[Swayne8998]

Great point made about research! although I did the same 2 month scramble for information it was well worth it and it makes it so much more satisfying for me knowing that i took the time and effort for something that is mine and that i get to spend everyday with.

I agree 100%!!

It makes me feel good to have success with such a beautiful creature and to give him the best life that I can I am in there every day to clean his cage and he totally recognizes me... He comes to the front to watch me wipe out his crap xD.

 

[ISA my Veiled]

I agree 100%!!

It makes me feel good to have success with such a beautiful creature and to give him the best life that I can I am in there every day to clean his cage and he totally recognizes me... He comes to the front to watch me wipe out his crap xD.

Lol!! I have not gotten to that point yet but she will definitely let me take her out without hesitation which is nice to have a pet that recognizes and befriends me, they are such interesting reptiles it is crazy! They all have unique personalities which makes it so much fun.

 

[Carlton]

I understand chameleons can be difficult to care for, but that is no reason to bash keeping them, is it?


As I spend more time on the internet, the more I see people asking " would a chameleon make a good pet". Usually dozens of response follow, saying how horrible they are, being the worst reptile to keep, blah, blah blah.




Has anyone else seen this? Just curious of other's thoughts on the subject.

Once in a while I start exploring the web for husbandry info for other exotic creatures out of mere curiosity, but I see the same pattern on forums dedicated to their care. The comments about "a terrible pet", "not for newbies", "shouldn't be captive", etc. seem to apply across the board. Even on some dedicated forums for animals most of us consider fairly easy. In some ways I think it's a sort of knee-jerk reaction to someone asking the question in the first place...the forum members respond because they feel the asker has no clue what it will involve, and because they DO care they try to discourage them from making a mistake for the animal's sake. Those who listen but are still determined will keep learning and hopefully end up being careful thoughtful keepers.

We can't stop the truly clueless and selfish, but we can put some careful doubt into those who bother to ask before acting.

 

[Carlton]

I think a lot of the problem lies in the definition of "pet". To those of us who understand chams after doing our research and gaining experience, we don't expect them to act like a cat or dog. To someone who knows nothing about them, their definition or expectation of what a pet should be can be lethal and cause a lot of suffering, disallusionment, abandonment, neglect, etc.

I have several "pets" but what I expect from them is totally different because I know what they can give me: my dog is my affectionate devoted friend. My aviary birds, chams, or my python are beautiful, interesting to watch and listen to, and finding ways to create a comfortable home for them is a challenge and a pleasure.

 

[hpc1979]

Chams are not easy pet

What makes this all the much better is that we now have the internet. Back when I got my first Veiled Chameleon all I had was my local pet store owner and the only chameleon book I could find at my local Barnes and Nobel. The funny thing is, the pet shop owner sold me "all the equipment I needed". You know.... 20 gal. fish tank with a screen top, day and night heat lamps, water bowl, ect. Lucky for me, the book I bought at least told me chameleon i needed was tall enclosure since chameleons are abreol creatures. So, what did i end up doing, I did was I thought was right and I ended up buying a longer fish tank and stood it up long ways. I think the only reason my first chameleon lived so long was because I always took him out of his cage and put him on the little tree in my backyard. Then at night, I would go get him and put him back in his cage and he would simply got to sleep. The internet makes raising a new chameleon so much easier. Now I know all the mistakes I made when I was a kid. Today I think its mind boggling how terrible I was as a chameleon owner.

 

[IronHulk]

It comes down to a few things, 1. The internet is full of BullS___. Written by 14 year olds that don't know s__T about S__T. you really have to take hours and hours to sift through it all, combined with a lot of reading of known to be accurate material. Or my favorite way to learn is to talk to people that have been keeping chams for years successfully listen when they talk you will learn a lot. The other problem is people these days have a 5 min attention span and are looking for instant gratification. As most of us know to be successful with chams. you need a working knowledge of Insects, Plants, nutrition , Uv rays, Gutloading......... I got into chams. because I enjoy the challenge but they are fragile little creatures. IMO once you have your setup proper and learn the routine its not that hard, Just add water and insects !

 

[IronHulk]

So, what did i end up doing, I did was I thought was right and I ended up buying a longer fish tank and stood it up long ways. .

Holly S__T I got my first cham. in 1995 (veiled) and did the same exact thing with standing the tanks up long ways, I also had a giant ficus tree in my apt back than that they would stay in. I also made a lot of mistakes. The female was in my care for 2 years and I sold her to a friend she was in good shape she lived to about 4. The male I had back than had MBD when i got him at the time I didn't know much, He died after a couple of months.