Getting my first chameleon

[Jarvis]

Hey im new to this website and owning a chameleon. I have done a lot of research on chameleons and i am going to buy a veiled chameleon. When i order the chameleon he will be 2 months old, what dimensions should the tank be? The tank i want to put him in as an adult will be 18x18x36, i was wondering as a young chameleon should i put him in a 16x16x20 terrarium?

 

[maxttu]

You'll have a lot of members suggest to you a minimum of 2x2x4 for an adult enclosure. A 16x16x20 would be just fine for a younger Cham.

 

[ReptiGeek]

Before anyone else replies I just want to say you're probably going to get ridiculed for having him in an adult enclosure of 18x18x36. HOWEVER I'm not against it. I have my 6 month old veiled in a 24x18x36 and personally I think it could be a "forever enclosure" no problem. I even know of breeders and cham keepers that only use 18x18x36 for all of their chams and they are all healthy and beautiful, so ya. At 2 months a 16x16x20 should be fine however he will outgrow it quickly. I started with an 18x18x24 and it lasted me until he was 4 months old, however I could have pushed it for another month or two with causing any cramping that would be detrimental to his health, but I chose not to. So that's you're call on how long you want to use the 16x16x20 for.

 

[ReptiGeek]

You'll have a lot of members suggest to you a minimum of 2x2x4 for an adult enclosure.

LOL beat me to it!

 

[Decadancin]

As for the size of the adult enclosure, although there is a standard answer for an adult veiled to be housed in a 2 x 2 x 4 enclosure (for a male), there is no one correct answer in anything. I would say it will depend on the size of your chameleon and if you plan to free range. If you have the room for the larger enclosure, I'm sure your new friend will enjoy the added environment. (You may even find it easier to clean and rearrange things as needed. There is little additional cost to getting the larger cage, but it could save you the investment of another enclosure down the road. Just something to think about . Just in case you have not checked this out, here is a great resource for chameleon keepers. It has all the basics covered and can be a great way to come up with questions to ask before purchasing items for your new enclosure. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

Welcome to the forums and we can't wait for you to get your new veiled!!! (Can't wait for pictures!!! )

 

[Jarvis]

Thanks

Thanks guys i appreciate the advice. I will keep it in mind and plan to make the best habitat possible for my new buddy thanks again.