Hi everyone, I just joined this forum because I have really been intrigued by chameleons lately. I have done a lot of reading in the past week on them and absolutely love them! So I am going to be a sophomore in college next year and really want a chameleon to care for in my house over the following years. However, my college is four hours away from my home and I will have to leave college for thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer break. I really would love a chameleon, but is it possible for me to establish a healthy environment if I have to keep transporting it/how could I do this properly! Sorry for the length and would MUCH appreciate some insight! Thank you!
Im New and Intrigued by Chameleons and NEED advice!
- Thread starter bkb17
- Start date
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
Being away that much is really hard to keep up steady care for a chameleon. They need to much "hardware" and stability in their routine that it's not practical to move them with you on regular trips. Chameleons can also be very expensive.
They are so very cool, though. Maybe wait until after college?
They are so very cool, though. Maybe wait until after college?
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
Bearded Dragons make a great dorm pet. They transport easy as well.
So @Lathis I'm not too afraid of the money unless you are implying thousands of dollars! If so, let me know! Also, I found people who would be able to feed the chameleon over breaks, meaning I would only have to take it home over the summer! Is that still too much transporting? And @OldChamKeeper, I'm not very intrigued by bearded dragons, I want to be able to establish a vivarium/plant based setup. Anymore suggestions for me?
Matt Vanilla Gorilla
Chameleon Enthusiast
Lathis has wisdom, you would do well to follow that one's advice little grasshopper!
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
Haha, I'm not wise, I just have strong opinions 
Over the summer would be fine, but weekend trips back and forth might be too much to manage easily for you both. Another consideration might be if you plan for internships away or a study abroad - college is such an exciting time. You'll want to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities as they pop up.
It's not impossible if you have a support team, not at all. Just a lot to consider!
Over the summer would be fine, but weekend trips back and forth might be too much to manage easily for you both. Another consideration might be if you plan for internships away or a study abroad - college is such an exciting time. You'll want to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities as they pop up.
It's not impossible if you have a support team, not at all. Just a lot to consider!
Haha, I'm not wise, I just have strong opinions
Over the summer would be fine, but weekend trips back and forth might be too much to manage easily for you both. Another consideration might be if you plan for internships away or a study abroad - college is such an exciting time. You'll want to be in a position to take advantage of opportunities as they pop up.
It's not impossible if you have a support team, not at all. Just a lot to consider!
That's very true Lathis, but I do have a support team and would only have to really worry about transporting him/her over the summer. Thanks so much for helping by the way!! I'm sorry, I feel as though I know so much about chameleons but not a lot about the logistics! Like where do you reputably buy them? How much up front money will my roommates and I have to spend (I anticipate no more than 600 for everything)? If you personally strongly advise against me getting a chameleon, what's an animal (similar) that you'd recommend?
jpowell86
Chameleon Enthusiast
I'm with Lathis. If you're wanting to set up a screen enclosure and keep a larger species, I would say you need more time or excellent automation. If you have to leave for days at a time then it's not a great idea. But if your roommates could help during these times, then something could be managed. If you're open to ideas and If you are more interested in setting up a planted viv, then you should do so and lean more towards pygmy chameleons. I think they are great starter chameleon and will give you a better understanding of chameleon husbandry when you want to upgrade to other species post graduation. Plus, they don't need a huge viv, so you could technically take it with you if you have a friend willing to help you carry it to the car. Plus, it's much easier to maintain humidity needed for a chameleon in a vivarium v. screen enclosure. And as long as you don't get a montane species of pygmy like R. acuminatus, it should be a fairly manageable project. Just my opinion. Good luck!
urawrath
Member
Here are the site sponsors that you can get amazing chameleons from if you do decide https://www.chameleonforums.com/sponsors/
What kind of chameleon are you looking into first of all? each species comes with its own things that it needs and cost differences
Also, if you're into larger lizards Argentine tegus make amazing pets and are gentle giants (except with their food).
What kind of chameleon are you looking into first of all? each species comes with its own things that it needs and cost differences
Also, if you're into larger lizards Argentine tegus make amazing pets and are gentle giants (except with their food
).Thank you so much for your advice! Do you have a reputable place to buy Pygmy chameleons?
MSMorgan
Avid Member
"If you personally strongly advise against me getting a chameleon, what's an animal (similar) that you'd recommend?" Actually, it's such an exciting time in your life to explore and spread your wings, I would advise against any animals at this time. College is a time to focus on YOU and worrying about pets, or anything else for that matter, is a "no-no."
A chameleon will be an extra burden that you shouldn't worry about. You need time to focus on learning all you can about what you are interested in and having the time of your life. Let a chameleon be your next stage in life. You will benefit from the wait and be that much more rewarded from the experience when you do. You mention roommates. If there anything like mine were and I hope they 're not; you'll be much happier WITHOUT the responsibility of an animal to care for. Nonetheless, as Jiminy Cricket said, "let you conscious be you guide" and do what you feel is right.
A chameleon will be an extra burden that you shouldn't worry about. You need time to focus on learning all you can about what you are interested in and having the time of your life. Let a chameleon be your next stage in life. You will benefit from the wait and be that much more rewarded from the experience when you do. You mention roommates. If there anything like mine were and I hope they 're not; you'll be much happier WITHOUT the responsibility of an animal to care for. Nonetheless, as Jiminy Cricket said, "let you conscious be you guide" and do what you feel is right.
I see what you're saying, but you have to understand that I am really into this stuff! Animals make me happy, like I kept two beautiful ish tanks throughout high school. And my roommates are cool and also want a chameleon!
MelissaB
Avid Member
Pygmies are cool little chameleons. I would try to get captive bred, as they have a better start. I would recommend CanvasChameleons, if they have any babies available. I bought some females from them, and have been very happy with them.
Thank you! So what about pygmies makes them a better "starter" chameleon?
MelissaB
Avid Member
You're welcome.
I don't know if I'd say they're "better" starter chameleons, but for the situation you described above I think they'd be a great choice. They do best in a planted set up, with bioactive substrate. Because of the type of enclosure, you wouldn't need to mist as often as you might with a larger animal in an unplanted cage. They also take up a lot less room than a typical panther or veiled enclosure would. There are a few other types of chameleons that might work well in a smaller planted vivarium. Pygmies are the one that I'm familiar with. Awesome, thank you! So I have a 55 gal glass aquarium, could I use that for pygmies?You're welcome.
Could you either send me a reliable link as to how to set it up properly, or just give a couple pointers? Its alright if you don't have time, no obligation!
MissLissa
Avid Member
For my panther chameleon, I spend over $1000 in supplies for the first six months, easily, and that does not include the vet care (fecals) and the actual chameleon himself. All together, the first six months was easily $1500. My elaborate living vivarium (something like what a pygmy would need)- with waterfall, etc- cost me over $5000 to set up and run. You should have at least $200+ saved up at all times for vet expenses alone, let alone if something like mechanical failure happens. It's easy to say "Yes! I will have the funds" but, trust me, life outside of highschool is significantly more expensive than you think. My best recommendation is: WAIT. Wait one year. Get settled in university, see what life has to offer. Do your research, slowly start buying supplies, talking to people, and making connections in the reptile world. Get your studies and finances straight. Then, next year, once you have your first year of university under your belt, THEN get a chameleon if you still think one would fit into your lifestyle. Full time university is overwhelming; exams alone are enough to send you over the edge. Adding an addition responsibility before you experience those things is asking for trouble.
I think one of my biggest mistakes in university was saddling myself with a lot of high-needs animals. It really curtailed my activities and opportunities. Also, when I did leave their care to people I trusted, almost without fail it ended badly. And these were close friends of mine who I trusted implicitly. If anyone had said they would forget to give my caine toad water (!!!) I would have laughed in their face. But they did, and it was the caine toad who suffered for it. Even though they forgot, it was still my fault for leaving the care of an animal in my responsibility to people I should not have trusted, but did. I can't trust anyone to care for my animals like I care for them anymore. It also put a huge strain on our friendships, and it's never fully recovered. I've also lived with plenty of roommates through my university years: I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. Sure, it's cool to have a chameleon right now, but in two years? The novelty wears off quickly when you have to be home at 4pm every day to mist the cage because your MistKing konked out last week and you don't have $200 to replace it because tuition is due soon. Or, what happens when those roommates have to move out? It's pretty unusual to have the same roommates throughout university; more often they change yearly if not more frequently. Are your new roommates going to be as reliable? These are real-life experiences. I'm not sure why you would want to add an additional stress to a situation that is stressful enough on it's own.
Maybe a betta fish in a nice 5g tank would be a good idea. Or a crested gecko; they are easy to care for and don't need the setup costs or amount of maintenance care that a chameleon would. They also do not require live food, which is bonus if you have to look for a new place at some point, and look great in a nice planted vivarium. They also travel well, so you could bring them back and forth with you, and are much more handleable than a chameleon (who don't really do well when handled a lot).
I think one of my biggest mistakes in university was saddling myself with a lot of high-needs animals. It really curtailed my activities and opportunities. Also, when I did leave their care to people I trusted, almost without fail it ended badly. And these were close friends of mine who I trusted implicitly. If anyone had said they would forget to give my caine toad water (!!!) I would have laughed in their face. But they did, and it was the caine toad who suffered for it. Even though they forgot, it was still my fault for leaving the care of an animal in my responsibility to people I should not have trusted, but did. I can't trust anyone to care for my animals like I care for them anymore. It also put a huge strain on our friendships, and it's never fully recovered. I've also lived with plenty of roommates through my university years: I would not trust them as far as I could throw them. Sure, it's cool to have a chameleon right now, but in two years? The novelty wears off quickly when you have to be home at 4pm every day to mist the cage because your MistKing konked out last week and you don't have $200 to replace it because tuition is due soon. Or, what happens when those roommates have to move out? It's pretty unusual to have the same roommates throughout university; more often they change yearly if not more frequently. Are your new roommates going to be as reliable? These are real-life experiences. I'm not sure why you would want to add an additional stress to a situation that is stressful enough on it's own.
Maybe a betta fish in a nice 5g tank would be a good idea. Or a crested gecko; they are easy to care for and don't need the setup costs or amount of maintenance care that a chameleon would. They also do not require live food, which is bonus if you have to look for a new place at some point, and look great in a nice planted vivarium. They also travel well, so you could bring them back and forth with you, and are much more handleable than a chameleon (who don't really do well when handled a lot).
DaChameleonKing
Avid Member
Thats what my parents said because im 13 and I have school...
