Choosing My First Chameleon Question

[mikeduner]

I can't find another forum on this and I wanted an opinion:

I'm going to buy a veiled chameleon in the next few days/week from FLChams (I'm pretty sure.) My only question is in choosing which type. The main concern here is the difficulty of raising a first chameleon from baby onward. The two types I am interested in are a generic veiled juvenile (4mnths) and a baby that promises to be much more colorful (2mnths.) From the testimonials on the website I gleaned that that particular breeder rarely recommends babies to new buyers.
So my question is: Is it really that much more difficult in the 2 month old category than the 4 month category? The prospect of a beautiful brilliant cham very enticing and I'm having trouble deciding. I also heard raising it from a baby yourself lowers the likely hood of a hostile animal.
If anyone has a recommendation or if they would like to lay out a list of complications in owning a baby I would so love it. Thanks!

 

[Takara]

i think your right with a veiled, make sure it's captive breed.

i think you will be better off getting the 4 month

 

[melrito]

Babies can be more difficult, I would recommend the 4 month old as a first chameleon.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Now, from the subtext of your post, I'm going to recommend the younger one..........but only if you have some experience with other reptiles before. If this is your first reptile I would recommend starting with Anoles really...........but to be honest, if you do your research properly and provide everything as Jannb tells you too then you should have no problem keeping either if it's a good healthy captive bred...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html




And welcome to the forum - everything you need to know is here......

 

[mikeduner]

Now, from the subtext of your post, I'm going to recommend the younger one..........but only if you have some experience with other reptiles before. If this is your first reptile I would recommend starting with Anoles really...........but to be honest, if you do your research properly and provide everything as Jannb tells you too then you should have no problem keeping either if it's a good healthy captive bred...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html




And welcome to the forum - everything you need to know is here......

I actually did have an anole about three years ago. Back then I was living at home and my twin brother-he's not too bright- put a dozen wild cought black crickets in the terrarium which killed my anole...RIP zigzag... I'm building the terrarium from scratch at 2' by 3' by 4'. If i get a baby should i build a smaller one too? it wouldnt be a problem and later on it would give me a good secondary cage for when im cleaning and stuff right?

 

[lumbasammler]

Hello,
when it comes to difficulty, the 4 months old would be the better choice.
But i think that, when it comes to your first chameleon, you should choose the one you want most if you feel like you´re abled to handle it.
Why don´t ask the Breeder if he could keep the 2 months old guy for 1-2 months longer and then sell it to you?
If he cares about his chams he should do so, otherwise i would probably search for another breeder.

 

[DavidBuchan]

I actually did have an anole about three years ago. Back then I was living at home and my twin brother-he's not too bright- put a dozen wild cought black crickets in the terrarium which killed my anole...RIP zigzag... I'm building the terrarium from scratch at 2' by 3' by 4'. If i get a baby should i build a smaller one too? it wouldnt be a problem and later on it would give me a good secondary cage for when im cleaning and stuff right?

Well, if you get the baby I would def. recommend a smaller one first (I would also recommend a bigger one for an adult...bigger is always better for grown ups). Keep your brother away from the cham , you're going to have to be much more careful. Do a lot a research before you build an adult size one, to make sure you have what you want. Having a spare smaller viv is never a problem - I breed crickets and locusts at the moment, so a couple of small plastic boxes are always useful, too............

Hello,
when it comes to difficulty, the 4 months old would be the better choice.
But i think that, when it comes to your first chameleon, you should choose the one you want most if you feel like you´re abled to handle it.
Why don´t ask the Breeder if he could keep the 2 months old guy for 1-2 months longer and then sell it to you?
If he cares about his chams he should do so, otherwise i would probably search for another breeder.

Good idea, check with the breeder...

 

[lumbasammler]

I´m actually really happy right now for finding at least one responsible beginner at a time
Thanks dude.
And yes, havin a smaller cage at the beginnig has some advantages.
It´s easier to feed and water you Chameleon in a small cage e.g.
If you can afford it there´s no problem about it.

 

[hinoco1225]

I'm going to buy a veiled chameleon in the next few days/week from FLChams (I'm pretty sure.) My only question is in choosing which type. The main concern here is the difficulty of raising a first chameleon from baby onward. The two types I am interested in are a generic veiled juvenile (4mnths) and a baby that promises to be much more colorful (2mnths.) From the testimonials on the website I gleaned that that particular breeder rarely recommends babies to new buyers.
So my question is: Is it really that much more difficult in the 2 month old category than the 4 month category? The prospect of a beautiful brilliant cham very enticing and I'm having trouble deciding. I also heard raising it from a baby yourself lowers the likely hood of a hostile animal.
If anyone has a recommendation or if they would like to lay out a list of complications in owning a baby I would so love it. Thanks!

I think it all depends on the amount of research you do and your common sense. I got my first cham (who is also my first reptile) about 2 and a half weeks ago - a 2 month old veiled when I got her - and she is doing great! I know that it's typically recommended for beginners not to get a cham for their first reptile, and to get a male veiled who's a little bit older when they do get one, and I agree with that for most people. But I knew that I personally could handle it. The only reason I've never actually had reptiles is because my mom hates them (which I don't understand at all) and would never allow them in her house. But I've always had other pets, including many amphibians (for some reason she didn't mind them...), and I've ALWAYS wanted a chameleon. So now that I've recently moved into a decent-sized apartment on my own, I knew it was time to finally get my cham. Before I got her I did TONS of research about veiled chameleons. I had her habitat set up for several days before I actually got her, because I spent those days experimenting with the vine and heat bulb placement and misting the enclosure. I checked the high and low temps and humidity constantly to make sure the viv would be just right for her BEFORE I brought her home. I've done everything right as far as I can tell, and the only "issue" I've had (if you can even call it that) is being a little unsure about the proper basking temperature, but that's only because there are SO many sources out there that say different things. So I've just experimented with it and got it to where I think it's right for my cham, and she hasn't seemed to have any issues with anything so far.

Anyway, the point of all of that is that I think you should get the cham you want. If you do your research (which it appears you have), you should do just fine raising a baby from 2 months.

 

[lumbasammler]

I think it all depends on the amount of research you do and your common sense. I got my first cham (who is also my first reptile) about 2 and a half weeks ago - a 2 month old veiled when I got her - and she is doing great! I know that it's typically recommended for beginners not to get a cham for their first reptile, and to get a male veiled who's a little bit older when they do get one, and I agree with that for most people. But I knew that I personally could handle it. The only reason I've never actually had reptiles is because my mom hates them (which I don't understand at all) and would never allow them in her house. But I've always had other pets, including many amphibians (for some reason she didn't mind them...), and I've ALWAYS wanted a chameleon. So now that I've recently moved into a decent-sized apartment on my own, I knew it was time to finally get my cham. Before I got her I did TONS of research about veiled chameleons. I had her habitat set up for several days before I actually got her, because I spent those days experimenting with the vine and heat bulb placement and misting the enclosure. I checked the high and low temps and humidity constantly to make sure the viv would be just right for her BEFORE I brought her home. I've done everything right as far as I can tell, and the only "issue" I've had (if you can even call it that) is being a little unsure about the proper basking temperature, but that's only because there are SO many sources out there that say different things. So I've just experimented with it and got it to where I think it's right for my cham, and she hasn't seemed to have any issues with anything so far.

Anyway, the point of all of that is that I think you should get the cham you want. If you do your research (which it appears you have), you should do just fine raising a baby from 2 months.

My words If you really want it and properly prepare, have everything ready and do your best you should not have any problems. Best would be to do some more research and then come up with a concrete plan about how you would do it. Then open a new thread so we can check for any mistakes.

 

[chameleongirl2]

i think before buying the actual chameleon, set the cage up for him/her. if you dont have lots of experience with chams i say buy a chameleon between 2-4 mounths of age. if you have experience in other reptiles id say but one about 5-7 weeks old (in MY opinion).
for a beginner cham owner the veiled cham is the better option

 

[lumbasammler]

The PO never said anything about buying anything different from veiled...
5 weeks is definitely to young for a chameleon to be given the stress of moving to a new owner (in MY opinion)
Did you read the previous posts?

 

[mikeduner]

Now, from the subtext of your post, I'm going to recommend the younger one..........but only if you have some experience with other reptiles before. If this is your first reptile I would recommend starting with Anoles really...........but to be honest, if you do your research properly and provide everything as Jannb tells you too then you should have no problem keeping either if it's a good healthy captive bred...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html




And welcome to the forum - everything you need to know is here......

Hello,
when it comes to difficulty, the 4 months old would be the better choice.
But i think that, when it comes to your first chameleon, you should choose the one you want most if you feel like you´re abled to handle it.
Why don´t ask the Breeder if he could keep the 2 months old guy for 1-2 months longer and then sell it to you?
If he cares about his chams he should do so, otherwise i would probably search for another breeder.

Great ideas guys thanks a bunch. Im going to call the breeder today and find out. The thing is i don't want him to sell the one I want. I think if i tell him i need to build the cage first he will hold it for me, especially if i buy it now. I'm going to build a small and a large one and eventually I'll turn the small into a travel if need be, or an outdoor hang out. who knows. Great advice from everyone. Ok the second thing and I know this is gonna sound stupid and i promise I've done a ton of research but the research seems to be devided. How do i feed my chameleon. Some just release all of thier crickets/worms, others use like a tupperware, others use a long set of tweesers and 20 minutes of thier day. Which way is the best or does it change wiht age of your chameleon, like an older one can handle full hunting? Anyways thats it---hakuna matata!

 

[DavidBuchan]

Which way is the best or does it change wiht age of your chameleon, like an older one can handle full hunting? Anyways thats it---hakuna matata!

Yeah, there are different methods, and even if you use a cup feeding to keep a closer eye on how much is eaten, some crickets will always get out. Any healthy Cham can handle full hunting from the day they hatch
It's just the method that works best for you and your setup..........fruit flies are great for babies, and you can't really contain them, so just calcium dust them and throw a handful in. Mealworms go in a bowl, you can't really free range the grubs, lol

 

[lumbasammler]

Hello Buddy,
iwouldn´t pay the full price before you actually got it.
It´s best to pay about half the price before and half of the price after you got it.
The best way for feeding depends on your chameleon.
e.g.: my lapneck will feed from my hand or edgeless tweezers without any problems, so i do it this way because i have the best control and it´s okay for him.
My young parson´s however, would not take food from my hand or the tweezers so i just give a few feeders inside of his cage. Therefor i do not use crickets as they will just hide and never be found again. Flies and locusts are best as they will climb to the top of the cage.
Later i will slowly get him used to handfeeding.
I guess it´s best to not stress your cham until it got used to it´s new cage and keeper, so just let it hunt by itself and then slowly get him used to your hand/tweezers.

 

[mikeduner]

The testimonials are gleaming im not worried about them. Is hand feeding really more advanced??? i would have sworn hunting was the advanced thing. I'm still not getting what iss the most different thing about a baby and a juvenile, i mean between 2 and 4 months whats the real complication?

 

[DavidBuchan]

Is hand feeding really more advanced??? i would have sworn hunting was the advanced thing. I'm still not getting what iss the most different thing about a baby and a juvenile, i mean between 2 and 4 months whats the real complication?

In a way hand feeding is more advanced - did nobody tell you that Chameleons are nervous little things? Babies especially so they need lots of time to themselves with nobody even looking at them -and they need branches and foliage to explore and more importantly to hide in...

 

[mikeduner]

In a way hand feeding is more advanced - did nobody tell you that Chameleons are nervous little things? Babies especially so they need lots of time to themselves with nobody even looking at them -and they need branches and foliage to explore and more importantly to hide in...

Hahaha yes i've heard they're scared but i thought hungry you know hunting is more impressive than getting hand fed, but ii can see the point of it

 

[Chamifornia]

Hand feeding really depends on the chameleon. To call it advanced feeding is not the right way to describe it. My present panther hand fed the 2nd day I had him and he was 2 months old but my last male veiled didnt ever and he was very docile. I say get whatever age 2 or 4 month aslong as you have done ur research on everything you should be fine.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hand feeding really depends on the chameleon. To call it advanced feeding is not the right way to describe it. My present panther hand fed the 2nd day I had him and he was 2 months old but my last male veiled didnt ever and he was very docile. I say get whatever age 2 or 4 month aslong as you have done ur research on everything you should be fine.

Yeah, true, very often as youngsters the food will overcome the nervousness, but as adults the real 'personality' comes through. I've seen some vids and heard stories of panthers that were actually 'friendly' - but male veiled even when docile are extremely rarely friendly.....