im new with a few big questions.

[scshark]

my job consists of being on the road 10hrs a day minimum.. i am a driver for pepsi.. i actually am in the process of transferring to a new location bigger market more pay ect ect...

most of the higher end starter kits come with the bulbs,powders,cages,misting systems that will get you going for the first 8/9months.. a vendor on hear offers them for 600 with the animal.. some are less depending on which species you choose.

with the above said.. id proably be using distilled water or a bottled water in the misting system.

i dont know anyone in the area yet ( i have a cousin their and an aunte) but as far as friends none.. neighbors may be possible however it is a condo/townhouse type of place they dont allow pets(dogs/cats non caged or exotics) ive already asked... and had explaned the cages and the animal i kinda compared them to a fish only in a tall cage without water lol also said how they dont get big ect ect.. the general manager was intrested and didnt see a problem with it.

so im just wrapping my head around getting one and making sure i can afford and care for it properly.. i know snakes require very minimal care but i have wanted a panther for 10+years but again back than the people who were in the know kept tight lips and showed their pets with pride. im glad the net has been able to shed light on keeping animals and properly doing it.. things have come along way.

 

[jpm995]

I would go for the biggest cage that you can afford or squeeze into you condo. Chams are solitary animals and need the space to hide and feel secure, even from you. Their vertical creatures so tall is a must. Plus you get to see them in a more natural type enviornment. Lighting, supplements and feeders are critical to as they may be fine for quite a while even if your doing it wrong, but when they show signs of improper care [mbd] it may be too late to reverse the damage. The good thing is if you get it right the first time and use a reputable breeder [please consider useing one of this sites sponcers] there's a good chance youll never need a trip to the vet. The reward is you have one of the most unique animals on earth.

 

[scshark]

thx 4 all the help folks.

yesterday was a bigish day for me... i signed my lease on a townhouse downtown: chas... its a bit bigger than i expected sq footage.. deffantly have room for a cam in their with a decently big cage.. and the gm said animals in cages are fine but im responsable for damage such as water(fish tank) or if it eats a whole in wall or what not. so a cam is an actually bigger possibility at this point.. maybe an albino ball python down the line...

what is mbd? i know i should look... sorry.

i have/will deffantly buy from a site sponcer.. thats actually where i have gotten all my info and been shopping for them.. i have one in mind i personally want to use.. i left that out because people have their breeders for many reasons and its a very subjective topic.. in the end as long as its a healthy and properly cared for animal you are the end user and its up to the caretaker to make the best home and provide the best care.

 

[melric]

MBD is metabolic bone disease. It happens when you don't provide UVB light for your chameleon so it can absorb and process calcium by creating it's own D3.

 

[kinyonga]

Here's some information you might find helpful......
Exposure to proper UVB, appropriate temperatures, supplements, a supply of well-fed/gutloaded insects, water and an appropriate cage set-up are all important for the well-being of your chameleon.

Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects before you feed them to the chameleon with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200604210...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/

 

[Leslie11]

baby chameleons

I would like to know what you do with hatched baby chameleons, esp. if you have 20-30. What kind of containers do they need? TY

 

[Willie B]

Food

You can always breed your own insects