Hello All!

[bradford]

I am new to all things chameleon but I am extremely interested in learning more about chameleons and hopefully owning one of my own one day!
I began research today and well, it is overwhelming! There is so much to learn about these little guys. I guess it would help to know where I should start and any resources to go to.
Also, what are the complications with owning a chameleon? I live in Arizona which is very dry but the town I live in is not as dry as say Phoenix or Tucsan, would this be a potential problem with owning a chameleon?
Thanks for reading and look forward to your reply!

 

[tim's owner]

Humidity is yes a problem at least one that I have. They do take more space than I expected though.

 

[MSMorgan]

Bradford,

Welcome to the site. You'll find and endless supply of information and advice for the taking. There are wonderful folks here with great advice on chameleon care and husbandry. Do your home work and think long and hard about buying a chameleon. Depending on your local and what you want (mine was Kingman, AZ for a few years) your chams. needs may be different than the average keeper that lives in a different environment. Read, research, ask and read some more about the particular cham you have in mind. With the right enclosure, environment and care, any cham can be kept. within reason. Let us know what you have in mind and someone here will assist you.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

What a smart person to do your research first! On the top of the page, next to the first prize winning picture from last month, there is a box with a cartoon like chameleon catching a bug. It is labeled "chameleon care". Start there! Lots to learn!

 

[NickyChameleon]

What a smart person to do your research first! On the top of the page, next to the first prize winning picture from last month, there is a box with a cartoon like chameleon catching a bug. It is labeled "chameleon care". Start there! Lots to learn!

Veileds are considered the novice species here. I would reccomend getting a male, as I have a female and am already overwhelmed. You might get a 24"x24"x48" ReptiBreeze mesh cage and an automatic mister so you don't have to worry about that as much. A dripper might be used in addition. As stated, the chameleon care section has a lot of information. Read up!

 

[bradford]

Tim's Owner, I figured they would, I am thinking of building tall so that he could crawl and have plenty of space to roam and have fun but then you run into the problem with free-roam feeding in that he might not be able to find his food. So I need more thinking on his home. I am also thinking that a glass terrarium would be better at keeping humidity in, not sure if you have a wire cage or not.

MSMorgan, thanks for the welcome and the info! Yeah I hope my living situation will allow me to take care of a Cham.

Matt Vanilla Gorilla, first of all nice name. And there really is a lot of information to read over and think about. I want a terrarium that will give everything the Cham needs but is also aesthetically pleasing. So I really need to think on his living situation.

NickyChameleon, yeah I read that Veileds are good beginner Chams but so are Panthers. And I prefer Panthers to Veils. But thank you for the suggestion! Also I do not think a mesh cage would work because of how dry it is in Arizona. I also thought about getting a female Cham but thought otherwise after learning they are a bit harder to take care of then males. Why is that by the way?

Thanks for the replies you all!

 

[Wowbango]

Tim's Owner, I figured they would, I am thinking of building tall so that he could crawl and have plenty of space to roam and have fun but then you run into the problem with free-roam feeding in that he might not be able to find his food. So I need more thinking on his home. I am also thinking that a glass terrarium would be better at keeping humidity in, not sure if you have a wire cage or not.

MSMorgan, thanks for the welcome and the info! Yeah I hope my living situation will allow me to take care of a Cham.

Matt Vanilla Gorilla, first of all nice name. And there really is a lot of information to read over and think about. I want a terrarium that will give everything the Cham needs but is also aesthetically pleasing. So I really need to think on his living situation.

NickyChameleon, yeah I read that Veileds are good beginner Chams but so are Panthers. And I prefer Panthers to Veils. But thank you for the suggestion! Also I do not think a mesh cage would work because of how dry it is in Arizona. I also thought about getting a female Cham but thought otherwise after learning they are a bit harder to take care of then males. Why is that by the way?

Thanks for the replies you all!

Welcome Bradford! As expressed by others, there's a wealth of knowledge to be had here by many experienced keepers as well as the caresheets that are available. There's one setup for the more common Chameleon types (Veileds, Panthers etc) so that's a great place to start for a rundown on most things you need to know about keeping a chameleon.

While screen cages are usually preferred, it all depends on your location. In such a dry place like Arizona, you would benefit more from a glass terrarium that would help maintain desired temperatures and humidity Exo-Terra makes some great vented glass terrariums so I would start looking there. Keep in mind that especially in the larger ones, Weight becomes an issue. I would also strongly recommend Dragonstrand cages with the solid Plexiglas type walls that will work just as well as the glass terrariums without all the added weight. They're not the cheapest but their quality is unrivaled. Dragonstrand is a sponsor of the Chameleon forums and you can find their link under our sponsor section.

Males are considered better for a new keeper because there is not the added stress and handling of Egg-laying. All females will lay eggs, regardless of them mating or not. If you are not experienced in keeping a chameleon at all, throwing in egg laying and extra supplementation can be overwhelming. Stick with a male, get a female later down the road if you continue keeping after some experience.

 

[tim's owner]

Tim's Owner, I figured they would, I am thinking of building tall so that he could crawl and have plenty of space to roam and have fun but then you run into the problem with free-roam feeding in that he might not be able to find his food. So I need more thinking on his home. I am also thinking that a glass terrarium would be better at keeping humidity in, not sure if you have a wire cage or not.
Thanks for the replies you all!

I just took a pop bottle and cut the bottom of it out, the crickets I have a too small to jump out and most worms cant climb smooth plastic.
Good luck.

 

[NickyChameleon]

I just took a pop bottle and cut the bottom of it out, the crickets I have a too small to jump out and most worms cant climb smooth plastic.
Good luck.

Seems legit. And yeah, panthers are more vibrant than veileds. I do t particularly like the giant veil, but what can ya do?