COMMON conceptions and whether or not they are valid.

[DekuScrub]

so i was thinking.

which isnt a good thing.

but what i was thinking is that there are very many common misconceptions. when it comes to chameleon husbandry.

things you CANT do.

things you MUST do. and everything in between.

to me most any factor is circumstantial.

there are so many aspects of chameleon keeping that are expressed and repeated as law, but at the same time are pliable. in some situations commonly recommended husbandry practices could end up detrimental.

its all about balance. when it comes to experienced keepers, you know what i mean. when it comes to novices. its a very sketchy frightening realm to enter, being experimental can end with the loss of your animal nad your passion for the hobby. we dont want that.

so id like to start a cumulative experience perspective on some miscellaneous topics.

the point in this is for us all to learn.

so whats the first topic? lets vote and give it 2 pages before we begin on a topic.

 

[maxttu]

Are you taking suggestions? If so, my 1st topic would be on the issue of handling vs not handling chams. I believe it's ok to handle your Cham IF it shows no signs of severe stress. There are some members who would strongly disagree, but this is MY stance.

I have two panthers. One begs to come out and seems to "love" the attention and the other one "tolerates" it.

My Chazam (may he rest in peace) was not so cool with it, so I limited his handling.

 

[Elizadolots]

Glass with ventilation vs. Screen....I cannot begin to tell you how many posts I've seen saying "Your chameleon will die unless it has a screened enclosure"....

Compact fluorescent bulbs....despite the fact that some of the most respected and established keepers use them, we still see people saying "that will blind your chameleon".

 

[szpond]

Glass with ventilation vs. Screen....I cannot begin to tell you how many posts I've seen saying "Your chameleon will die unless it has a screened enclosure"....

Agreed! I have mostly glass (glass/screen combo) for my Jackson's and I have found that it is the ONLY way I can keep his humidity up where it needs to be. I have an all-screen cage as well, but I couldn't keep the air wet enough. I live in Michigan, so he's indoors.

 

[Raphael1047]

Glass with ventilation vs. Screen....I cannot begin to tell you how many posts I've seen saying "Your chameleon will die unless it has a screened enclosure"....

Compact fluorescent bulbs....despite the fact that some of the most respected and established keepers use them, we still see people saying "that will blind your chameleon".

I was just thinking about those before you posted this. Then i refreshed the page, darn

 

[Elizadolots]

Great mind, folks....great minds...

 

[SarahcoadunatioZac]

Yeah the humidity is such a problem, have two humidifiers and still can't keep it consistent without 6-8 mistings a day (which I am trying to avoid for obvious reasons).

 

[Olimpia]

What about the strict no substate rule? People make members cover their plant pots with rocks and then recommend thatt females have a bin full of dirt or sand available at all times. To me it makes nonsense. Chameleons are not going to keel over from injesting a little bit of something particulate like soil or sand.

 

[CLP]

How about the DO NOT EVER feed wild caught insects because your cham will get parasites. I realize they are potentially more likely to carry parasites, but if your cham is outside at all (and I assume for those in warm climates) they are outside a lot, then there are "wild" insects getting into their enclosure all the time. Not to mention the odd spider, fly, etc. that I'm sure gets in to the indoor ones too. Wouldn't it be better to give them the variety in their diets and just get their fecals tested on a regular basis which we should probably be doing anyhow as we also can't guarantee our "captive bred" insects do not have parasites.

 

[raphael14]

Are you taking suggestions? If so, my 1st topic would be on the issue of handling vs not handling chams. I believe it's ok to handle your Cham IF it shows no signs of severe stress. There are some members who would strongly disagree, but this is MY stance.

I have two panthers. One begs to come out and seems to "love" the attention and the other one "tolerates" it.

My Chazam (may he rest in peace) was not so cool with it, so I limited his handling.

I'm with you Max i have 5 panthers different locales and all of them love to be handle. I started handling them 5 min or less with a treat or a small free range plant outdoors. They love it.

 

[nightanole]

Your cham will remove all its nails if its kept in a screen cage.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Some say "no substrate"; while others support a range of substrate options.

Some say you must use preformed vitamin A; others have had complete success without.

Some say no wild caught prey; others say YES!

For some, screen cages are great; in other situations they would be the worst type of enclosure.

Some say cross-local breeds are bad, pure locals are best; others say these cross-local hybrids are awesome.

Some say dont handle and play with your chameleon; others say "I do it every day"

Some say supplements; others say Gutload

blah blah blah

If you read it in a book, if 100 people say its the way to do it, it still might not be the only way, or even the best way.