Last species question
- Thread starter Chammy007
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AnamCara
Chameleon Enthusiast
An excellent point. You will be spending a good amount of money either way.
Ramrod
Chameleon Enthusiast
If you have any questions about supplies or equipment don't hesitate to ask the forum members for thier opinion BEFORE you purchase. Could save you some time & money.
Pick whichever one you find yourself staring at pictures of the most.
If you take price out of the picture, most people will say temperament is the biggest difference. But I know of veileds that are puppy dog tame and panthers that are the spawn of the devil and vice versus. Temperament is a total gamble in my opinion so pick the one that got you excited about chameleons in the first place.
If you take price out of the picture, most people will say temperament is the biggest difference. But I know of veileds that are puppy dog tame and panthers that are the spawn of the devil and vice versus. Temperament is a total gamble in my opinion so pick the one that got you excited about chameleons in the first place.
I think Male over Female for a first cham. And do not pick for temperament. You are not guaranteed what the temperament will be once they mature. Do not pick for price either. If you do not have the money to spend on a panther then you should not get a cham because just their basic needs are expensive. If a cage is set up with just the minimum you will be spending at least $500. My total enclosure and everything I bought for it was more then 2k. Make sure you have a reptile Vet that sees chams nearby. Should your cham have a medical issue this can be very costly. This is by no means a cheap hobby.
Chammy007
Established Member
Hello again. The consensus says to go with a Veiled Cham as my first Cham. My budget for a new Cham is in the $500 price range.
Are there any other options for a beginner Cham that you guys would recommend? This will most likely be my last inquiry concerning which Cham to go with.thanks much.chammy007
Are there any other options for a beginner Cham that you guys would recommend? This will most likely be my last inquiry concerning which Cham to go with.thanks much.chammy007
jamest0o0
Chameleon Enthusiast
Lol at the veiled people defending their species. Find me 10 random veileds and 10 random panthers. See which try to rip your hand off more... I've had Panthers that did start off aggressive, but were easily tamed. In comparison, many veileds will never calm down. I like veileds too, but for a beginner he has *much better* chances with a panther being friendly than a veiled. Sure it's not 100% certain, but how many things in life are? If temperament is important to you, do not get a veiled. Sure there's absolutely chill ones, but more often than not, nope. If you can afford the 250-400 price tag on a panther upfront, I think they are the best beginner chameleon. That all said, if you love the look of veileds, or something else, that's fine too. Just read up on it and know what you're getting into.
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
Every Cham is an individual, but I think the chances of getting a nice veiled are lower than getting a nice panther. And by ‘nice’ I mean that it doesn’t want to draw blood. I have three veileds. One female will retreat immediately when her cage is opened. My male has never once gapped, hissed or run, and will gladly walk out onto a hand. My other female would love nothing better than to remove every finger on any hand that even comes close.
Tony_S
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree with you guys, but since his budget it only $500. A panther would take a large chunk of that budget. It's best to go with the veiled so that you still have money for the enclosure, UVB light, basking light, mist system, plants, feeders, and supplements.
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
So, I don’t know how much things cost south of the border, but here’s what I estimate:
cage: between $100 for standard 2.2.4 screen, to $400 for a glass viv. However, I hear great things about dragon strand cages, which come in screen and hybrid (partially solid). You’d have to check on pricing https://dragonstrand.com/
We’ll call caging $250 as an average
Hydration/water: misting system 60-120$. Ans if you’re going to try the natural hydration method, and you go with screen, then a cool mist fogger $20-40 Amazon. Some way to collect and remove runoff. There are too many options here, but a hole, a 5 gallon bucket and a shopvac will probably run $50
Hydration total: $130-$230
lights: depending on your conditions, cage placement and type of cage, you’ll need one or more of the following:
- 1 t5 high output uvb bulb and fixture that is long enough to cover the entire length of the cage.
You can buy reptile specific fixtures, but I have great success with sun blaster fixtures, paired with either reptisun or Arcadia t5 bulbs. Again, a lot will depend on how you set this up, but many use 5.0/6% bulbs, and many use 10.0/12% bulbs.
2-depending on placement, you might also consider a 6500k plant bulb in the t5 high output format. In this case you’ll need a second fixture, or a dual bulb fixture
total lighting cost $80 - $200
branch work, I’d have at least 6-7 horizontal branches I. The top third of the cage at different heights. These can be free, or purchased. The latter will be pricey
plants: don’t be shy here. Expect to spend at least $100 on plants
veterinarian reserve: money saved for an initial vet visit, or emergency $250
solar meter 6.5: you can go without, but man are they useful in the initial setup and branch placement. $200
I’ll let you do the math, but the setup could cost $1000-$1200
cage: between $100 for standard 2.2.4 screen, to $400 for a glass viv. However, I hear great things about dragon strand cages, which come in screen and hybrid (partially solid). You’d have to check on pricing https://dragonstrand.com/
We’ll call caging $250 as an average
Hydration/water: misting system 60-120$. Ans if you’re going to try the natural hydration method, and you go with screen, then a cool mist fogger $20-40 Amazon. Some way to collect and remove runoff. There are too many options here, but a hole, a 5 gallon bucket and a shopvac will probably run $50
Hydration total: $130-$230
lights: depending on your conditions, cage placement and type of cage, you’ll need one or more of the following:
- 1 t5 high output uvb bulb and fixture that is long enough to cover the entire length of the cage.
You can buy reptile specific fixtures, but I have great success with sun blaster fixtures, paired with either reptisun or Arcadia t5 bulbs. Again, a lot will depend on how you set this up, but many use 5.0/6% bulbs, and many use 10.0/12% bulbs.
2-depending on placement, you might also consider a 6500k plant bulb in the t5 high output format. In this case you’ll need a second fixture, or a dual bulb fixture
total lighting cost $80 - $200
branch work, I’d have at least 6-7 horizontal branches I. The top third of the cage at different heights. These can be free, or purchased. The latter will be pricey
plants: don’t be shy here. Expect to spend at least $100 on plants
veterinarian reserve: money saved for an initial vet visit, or emergency $250
solar meter 6.5: you can go without, but man are they useful in the initial setup and branch placement. $200
I’ll let you do the math, but the setup could cost $1000-$1200
Ramrod
Chameleon Enthusiast
You must mean the Canadian border. I'm close to the Mexican border so could be confusing down this way. LOL just poking fun.
