Help a Daddy Out!!

[Daddymike]

Hi Guys, am new to the forum and am in need of some advice on...surprise!...Chameleons! My son is 6 in a couple of weeks and REALLY wants a Chameleon as a Pet, so we have done plenty of research online and I realise that this is a pet which requires time, care and attention....we are looking at the panther or veiled chameleon as they both seem to be the easiest to care for and the friendliest....is this true? I am finding a lot of conflicting advice though...some sites saying they are both ok to be handled and are very docile and calm, while others say the complete opposite.

Which (if any) species of Chameleon would you recommend for a 6 year old oy...baring in mind that I will be there to help him care for the Chameleon every step of the way.

Many, many thanks in advance!!

 

[houseofchameleons]

It depends on the chameleon not so much the species. Veileds and Panthers are good starter chameleons but children or chaotic environments can make them nervous. In my opinion I wouldn't get a 6 year old a chameleon. I would start off with a bearded dragon but I would still wait a few years but this is just my opinion

 

[absolutbill]

Kudos to you for wanting to do your research and also wanting to introduce your son to the herp field. With that being said, if this is your first reptile, may I second the suggestion above and go with a bearded dragon which are FAR more interactive for a 6 year old. You can then see how he behaves with the dragon and maybe in a few more years move onto chameleons. Another great starter reptile would be a leopard gecko, however because they are nocturnal it may not be as exciting for your son. Good luck with whatever you choose, and we are always here to help with questions if you decide to go with a cham.

 

[carol5208]

And I third what the others have said!!!!

 

[ridgebax1]

I would have to agree that six is a little too young for a chameleon. That being said, I would also suggest you look in your area for reptile shows and go to a few. That way you could see and possibly interact with some chams, make a few contacts and locate some potential sellers. I would not buy either a cham or beardie from a pet store. Their bottom line is $$$ and often will sell you things you do not need, offer less than optimal animals and the commercially available feeders/feeder supplies are not that great either. Spend some time on the forums too. There is a ton of great advice on chams and reptiles in general. If you ultimately decide to get a chameleon, maybe an older animal would be a better choice as well, rather than a baby. As cute as they are, they can be fragile, especially for a small child to handle. My granddaughter just turned twelve and was very hesitant to handle my chameleon. She actually dropped him once and was very sorry and Omar was just fine! We also have a bearded dragon and she is very friendly and interactive. They are great animals. Welcome and good luck!

 

[werecat]

As far as type of chameleon, I've heard that veiled chameleons can have more of an attitude than other species like panthers but personality really varies from chameleon to chameleon. In general though chameleons don't like to be handled even if they are docile and appear to tolerate it. For instance, my chameleon is very docile and gentle and has never even tried to bite or show any aggression towards me or my husband but he certainly tries to run away or evade being handled. Even short handling is quite stressful for him. I can imagine a 6 yr old child being disappointed with a pet like this because kids like animals they can touch and hold (which I think is a natural part of their learning at that age). Chameleons are really fascinating animals to watch and would be a great experience for a kid but like others said, you may consider waiting until your son is a bit older. If your son is ok with an animal that is for looking at only then you could go with a chameleon but be prepared to take over its care if your son loses interest. Also, even hardier chameleons require specific care (especially regular mistings). They will usually thrive easily if you adhere to this but will do poorly and die if you don't. That said, it may be a little too much responsibility to entrust in a six year old. I would not recommend he be the one largely responsible for its care.

Good luck with your decisions. You've come to the right place for your questions.

 

[Daddymike]

Wow! Many many thanks for the valuable advice there guys! Very much appreciated!

Re: Bearded Dragon, we had a good look at getting one of these but many looked to be quite aggressive? My son has been put off based on this!

After checking our the Panther Cham, my son was ecstatic!

To be fair, he is happy to look and learn when it comes to pets and has a calm personality (for a 5 year old lol). He REALLY wants a Panther Cham! Failing that, I think a snake is next on the list, but I'm not so keen on one!

I will be the main "carer" for the Cham if that helps any? My son will be the assistant, initially.

We haven't had any reptiles as pets but I do understand the time and care required and as we don't have any other pets, our proposed Panther Cham will be the main man!

 

[carol5208]

Mike it sounds like you have your heart set on a Panther...so that being said we are here to help you!!! Some chameleons can be very social with time and tlc but many are not, and really want to be left alone. They are a beautiful creature to observe and as far as the handling, as long as you are there to supervise your son, you should be ok. Just don't be disappointed if you get a chameleon that is not too friendly, because they do exist!.

 

[Daddymike]

Mike it sounds like you have your heart set on a Panther...so that being said we are here to help you!!! Some chameleons can be very social with time and tlc but many are not, and really want to be left alone. They are a beautiful creature to observe and as far as the handling, as long as you are there to supervise your son, you should be ok. Just don't be disappointed if you get a chameleon that is not too friendly, because they do exist!.

Moody Chams! Sounds even more appealing to me now LOL, love an animal with personality! Re: Cham bites....do they hurt?

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. This is a great place to learn about chameleons. There's allot of knoweledgeable members here. I recommend you do a ton more research before you get a chameleon. I have kept them for almost 10 years and still find them fragile and a bit difficult to keep. My blog for new keepers of veileds and panthers would be a good place to start.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

You will also a ton more of very helpful information here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

 

[Daddymike]

Welcome to the forums. This is a great place to learn about chameleons. There's allot of knoweledgeable members here. I recommend you do a ton more research before you get a chameleon. I have kept them for almost 10 years and still find them fragile and a bit difficult to keep. My blog for new keepers of veileds and panthers would be a good place to start.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

You will also a ton more of very helpful information here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...ng-veiled-panther-chameleons.html#comment1721

Jannb, I salute you!!! It's easy to see I am in the right place.
More research leads me to the conclusion that this is a big big decision and a lot of responsibility to take on! Still excited though!

One other question (open to all btw).....which is the easier option, Bearded Dragons or Chameleons?

 

[melble68]

I know that all kids, like each and every chameleon, have different personalities and capabilities. Our 11 yr old was recently diagnosed w/ Type 1 Diabetes, and even though he does an exceptional job of checking his blood sugar, administering his insulin, counting carbs, and checking for keytones if his sugar is super high. We are always right there to help. Imagine taking on this incredible amount of responsibility as an 11 yr old. He's an incredible young man. But regardless, he still needs our assistance each and every minute of the day. We're teaching him how to properly care for himself, so that he will live a happy and healthy life. Now you have to teach your boy about the responsibility of properly taking care of a chameleon. It could be a life changing situation for him, if YOU do your part.

Mike, this is what you are going to have to do if your boy (and you) want to proceed w/ getting a panther. You are going to just going to have to help him understand the do's and don'ts of proper care of a panther. And you know this is really a "to you for me gift" right? Keep doing your research, and you are definitely in the right place to learn. There are many many great folks around here that have the answers. Keep asking questions, and keep learning.

 

[fluxlizard]

a couple thoughts-

90% of bearded dragons are super mellow and easily handled. I gave my son his first pair when he was 6 and he was actually able to care for it himself, with only minor parental supervision- mainly in the form of reminders to clean the paper and water bowl from time to time. My son is now 11. His dragons have spent countless hours lounging on him while reading or playing video games. He has a doll bed that he tucks them into to sleep every night and every morning he puts them back in their converted south-facing bay window with a plexi wall they can't climb over where they spend the day while he is at school. He can give them treats of human foods, he bathes them, finds them edible weeds and bugs in the warm months, and he gets a break from animal ownership for a few months each winter when they hibernate (they like to do that on the cool hardwood floor under the TV stand) and they breed and produce wonderful babies each year. They even go on some outings with us when the weather is appropriate.
They are real "pets".

Chameleons- really for a 6 year old, this will be your pet and the 6 year old can admire and join in a little. It involves lots of insects - more than most 6 year olds can deal with (bearded adults- insects are only a very small part of a well rounded diet- my son only feeds his occasional insects he catches during the summer as treats, the bulk of the diet are rep-cal bearded dragon pellets and fresh leafy greens).

As far as handling- chameleons really aren't that much "fun" to handle. Most 6 year olds will not like an adult chameleon crawling on them for very long. It looks like a lot of fun, but they've got pointy claws that they dig in when they grasp what they are climbing on. Panthers are a bit better than veileds, but still most 6 year olds probably will be very uncomfortable in the pointy grip of a chameleon. Veileds especially have a very strong grip and leave track marks even on a grown man.

Chameleons are more like tropical fish- beautiful to look at, fun to keep in a nice terrarium with foliage, fun to feed, but not so much fun to handle. The chameleons don't like handling so much either.

If he wants a "pet" that can be held and interacted with and a pet that he can have more of the responsibility for caring for- reconsider a bearded dragon and go meet a few more. If you found an aggressive one, then you found the 1 in 50 or so that is the exception to the rule. Most are extremely mellow...

Edit- I've bred both by the way for many years. My son's experience is not exceptional, except maybe his interest in lizards is a little more than most boys. But temperment wise- bearded dragons way to go- very easy. I can send you a care guide if you PM me your e-mail address. Chameleons are way more complicated and fragile and hands offish.

 

[Daddymike]

Melble68: Completely understand your point and agree with you totally. This is why I include my son in all of the research I do re: Chams and other pets.



fluxlizard: Really appreciate the time you took with that advice, I think that based on that, I will take another look at bearded dragons with my son. He got put off by a couple of really aggressive BD's on Youtube. One Q for you...how easy/difficult is it to trim their nails?

Definitely time to get down to see some breeders or a reptile specialist to meet some BD's. Thank you again for the advice!

And a big thank you to everyone else for all of your advice so far....I am still undecided, but the Bearded Dragon sound like the better "introduction" to reptiles. I am still not ruling out the Panther Cham, maybe it's one for Daddy himself LOL

 

[Daddymike]

fluxlizard...great site, am checking it out now!

 

[fluxlizard]

 

[fluxlizard]

Trimming nails is easy for dragons.

Just use a human nail clipper or dog clipper if you prefer.

The nails are thick and then rapidly taper near the end. Just carefully remove the taper and leave the thick. Too short and it will sting and bleed a little. In that case, blot it with a paper towel for a few minutes. Won't happen once you get the hang of it and are careful.

Chameleons- probably more difficult. I've never tried, but nails are so close together.

 

[Daddymike]

Thanks again Fluxllizard!

I tip my hat in your general direction!

Did you get my PM?

 

[carol5208]

and Mike I have never been bitten by a chameleon but they can draw blood in the pics I have seen on here so my guess would be it is not the most pleasureable experience getting bit!

 

[camimom]

Ive been bit a couple times.

Its sorta painful, but its really not that bad. You just don't want to pull your finger away from them when its still in their mouth.