New start

[scs]

Last week, my female velied chameleon passed away after battling unknown illness(es) for two weeks. She was dehydrated for a short amount of time and possibly constipated too. She might have had parasites, but the medicine the vet gave her for that did not help her. We are so devastated that Iggy is gone, and there is a chameleon shaped hole in our lives now. There is no way that any chameleon could replace Iggy, that's not even in question. But we would like to start new again. Since veiled chameleons are a bit smaller than the other breeds, and females need more experienced care (I did a lot of research beforehand, and Iggy was our first chameleon) we were thinking of getting a different breed, and a male.

I have a lot of questions, so if anyone could take the time to answer them that would be greatly appreciated.

We are leaning towards one of the following because of their larger size: Carpet, Oustalet’s/Malagasy giant, Parson’s, or Panther.

Are any of the above listed breeds more hardy that the others? Or less shy? Does one breed tend to live longer than the other?

Can anyone recommend care sheets for me to look at before we make any decisions? What should I know about these breeds? Are there any common illnesses that I should know about?

How can I sanitize Iggy's cage? It is very large, has synthetic branches, and real plants.

We are going to a reptile show some time next week. If we do have all of the research and preparations done by then, would it be okay to purchase a chameleon from a show? Or is that not recommended? We got Iggy from a pet store (she was the only chameleon they had who wasn't on the verge of death, they were treated that badly there).

How do you get a chameleon used to handling? We never handled Iggy, so towards the end it was difficult to give her the medicine...

Thank you so much! All advice is appreciated!

 

[MsCham]

I'm sorry for your loss!

I can't answer most of these things, though I do have a dire need to have a Carpet Cham! They are absolutely gorgeous, though all species are, I prefer this one to most. Depending on where you live its hard to get your hands on one. IF you are going to get one though, I have been advised here that you might want to go through this guy. I've been personally stalking his fb stuff, and the creatures he breeds are AMAZING! (He's also on the forums as Dooley1)

On to cleaning though! 100% White Vinegar and a steel scrubber for the hard spots is what I use. I normally do a wipe clean (getting most of the debris and large stuff out) with paper towels, then a scrub down with the vinegar until everything is all "shiny" and new looking again, and then **with different sponges/cloths** will do another wipe down with vinegar, just cuz I'm paranoid. Then I'll spray it down with water, dry it all out, and life is good! I'll use this process from everything to the base tray, to his water drip system, to the branches (though the branches I'll often soak for about 10mins). I got the base of this info from here.

Hope this helps!

 

[jannb]

I am sorry to hear about Iggy. These little animals certainly have a way of getting right into our hearts. I recommend a good through cage cleaning with part hot water and part peroxide....the kind of peroxide that you buy at a Beaty supply store such as Sally's. That should kill everything even cociddia. I also recommend buying from a small time breeder. We have a few right here on the forums. Check out the classified section. You can get allot of chameleon info in the link below. There's even care sheets for most species. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

 

[scs]

Thank you so much MsCham and jannb! I looked at all of the links, and I think I have a better understanding now.

We will scrub/soak everything in vinegar, peroxide, and/or a 1/10 bleach solution. Would that be enough?

We are leaning towards a Panther chameleon.

Does anyone have any more comments or advice about the different breeds and care (and handling)?

 

[nick barta]

Panthers will be the easiest to find for sale, the Oustalets is known to be gentle, and Carpets are tiny, not big as you listed you want.

To minimize chances of a negative outcome, buy captive bred, from a breeder involved in the forum, and a male so you won't be dealing with egg issues.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[Brassaxe]

I think a Carpet Cham is a fantastic choice if that is what you decide. I got mine over a year ago now and haven't had a single issue. She is a joy to own since she is always out and climbing around. I prefer minimal handling so I only handle her once a week. She sometimes gets upset but only for a second or two, then she goes climbing around whoever she's being held by. Never had any issues (Dehydration, sickness, etc etc) and she lays eggs once every month or so.