Newbies that never had chameleons, few questions!

[GKevin]

Hello,

First of all i would like to say that i am fairly happy to be part of this community. I love how people are cool towards each other and share good information.

Here's a few questions i got before i make a purchase (I been searching for a few of my questions but need confirmation from some Cham expert!

First question,

Does it happen often that the Chameleon need to see the vet? (Like unexpected sickness or routine check) As there ain't much specialized vet around here for Chams and they seems expensive (I am on limited $ (got more than enough to keep him well but couldn't afford many unexpected sickness)

Second question,

I been looking at a few post to see which mesh cage could be a good "First timer" cage but see lot of mixed reviews. I was mostly looking @ LLL and ReptiBreeze .

As for the plants in it, i guess fake plants could be better? (To avoid too much moisture and rot/bacteria (Ill be using a mister)

Third question,

Since i live in an apartment , i am fairly space limited since i got two roommates . I could have the space in my bedroom, here's the question, would it be bad for me to be in the same room as my reptile? (Considering it'll be moist and i guess there will be smell from his poop and pee.

I also have a computer, a TV and other electronics , it make me wonder if the humidity could be too much for my stuff in the room.

Fourth question and the last one,

It might be personal for some of y'all but, how much does it cost approx in care and food per month to keep your cham happy? (I am trying to find out if my budget is more than fine)

Thanks every one for taking the time to read and answer me, i wish you all a nice week and nice upcoming holidays!

 

[Lathis]

First, welcome to the forums!

Yes, unfortunately chameleon vets can be rather expensive. We usually recommend that you have at least $200 in reserve for vet visits. Regular fecal checks are needed every few months ($20-30), and office visits can easily cost $75-100. If there is an illness, medicines can be $10-50, and even more serious with xrays be bloodwork and you're into several hundred dollars.

Even getting everything set up for a chameleon can cost you several hundred dollars before you even get the animal. Cage, UVB, basking light, dripper, vines, plants, timers, misc and etc... That's why it's called a "hobby" and not a pet .

LLL Reptile brand cages are solid. I had a 2x2x4 one several years ago. I would also suggest you get the drainage tray that goes under the cage.

For food, if you are providing a week rounded diet and you are not breeding your own insects (which is a PITA for one cham, in my opinion), I would expect to spend between $15-30 a month on food and food for your food.

If you get a type of cham with lower humidity requirements, like a veiled, you shouldn't have to worry about it being too humid in the room for electronics. You do need to worry about drainage tho, so work out in advance how you will capture dripper or mister water and how you will control overspray.

Happily, chameleons don't smell - they dinner have that musty "snake funk", so the only smell I ever had was a light earthy smell from my plants. I preferred real plants and a mix of real and fake vines. Some plants like pothos are very easy to care for and grow long vines, but you have to be careful with veiled, since some will eat their plants, and pothos is toxic/irritating.

I don't say any of this to discourage you - chameleons are very cool creatures, but they are definitely not cheap, and you will need a specialized vet.

Good luck!

 

[wodesorel]

I would argue about the smell - when I walk in the room I can tell immediately if she's gone to the bathroom. But, it is extremely easy to clean up and once it's out of the cage the odor dissipates quickly. Also, snakes shouldn't smell either if the cage is kept is clean! Reptiles in general have a very distinct scent to their waste, at least to me. Even my little geckos took a little getting used to. It's not as noticeable after a few weeks, and honestly if you stay on top of it and clean as it happens there shouldn't be much of any.

 

[GKevin]

I would like to thank you guys for the quick and detailed answers. I wish you guys and your Cham an awesome week!

 

[Lathis]

when I walk in the room I can tell immediately if she's gone to the bathroom

That's a classic sign of a parasite issue. Have you had a fecal test done recently? Healthy cham poop should have very little to no smell.

 

[Lathis]

I would like to thank you guys for the quick and detailed answers. I wish you guys and your Cham an awesome week!

Thanks, GKevin! If you do decide to join the wonderful world of chams, be sure to come back and post lots of photos for us!

 

[Andee]

When I last did a fecal sample it came back clean but I still smell the scent that Wode is talking about.

 

[wodesorel]

That's a classic sign of a parasite issue. Have you had a fecal test done recently? Healthy cham poop should have very little to no smell.

Yes, she had pinworms and was dewormed before thanksgiving. Still stinks.

 

[MissLissa]

Vladislav has had four clear fecals (two by vet, two by me) and his poop does smell a bit. It's not bad, per say- not like a dog or a cat- but I can smell it. Especially if he's been eating crickets. It smells much better if he's been eating supers, silks and/or hornworms.

I spent a lot more than $15 a month on food- but feeders in Canada seem more expensive than in the USA. Here is my actual food bill from my panther chameleon's first month with me (arriving at 3 months old), eating 2 meals a day. Note: costs are accurate, but rounded down to the next dollar for my own convenience!

At 3 months, for the month of July, I spent:
Crickets: $50
Phoenix Worms (Small): $17
Silkworms (Extra Small): $42
Bluebottle Flies: $7
Waxworms/Butterworms (Small): $10
Total: $126

This is when I said "Uhm, nope", and asked my boss if I could purchase from the breeding stock at my work- of which I am in charge. Thankfully, he is okay with it, so now I have a constant supply of incredibly cheap, high quality feeders.

Other Initial First-Month Costs:
Baby cage, live plants, branches, decor, misting bottle, dripper system, automatic mister system, heat lamp reflector, incandescent lightbulb, Arcadia fixture and tube, Calcium without D3, Calcium WITH D3, Multivitamin, Vet Visit, Fecal Exam x2:
Total: $763

Other Costs, Incurred at 5 Months of Age (Switching to Bog Boy Cage)
Note: My cham's "Big Boy" Cage, Live Plants were all FREE as I had usable material laying around
Branches, decor, larger heatlamp reflector, higher-wattage Incandescent lightbulb, larger Arcadia fixture and tube, plus an incidental Vet Visit:
Total: $356

I estimate that in the 5 months I've had him, I've spent about $1400 on a single chameleon.

 

[brownie64]

Vladislav has had four clear fecals (two by vet, two by me) and his poop does smell a bit. It's not bad, per say- not like a dog or a cat- but I can smell it. Especially if he's been eating crickets. It smells much better if he's been eating supers, silks and/or hornworms.

I spent a lot more than $15 a month on food- but feeders in Canada seem more expensive than in the USA. Here is my actual food bill from my panther chameleon's first month with me (arriving at 3 months old), eating 2 meals a day. Note: costs are accurate, but rounded down to the next dollar for my own convenience!

At 3 months, for the month of July, I spent:
Crickets: $50
Phoenix Worms (Small): $17
Silkworms (Extra Small): $42
Bluebottle Flies: $7
Waxworms/Butterworms (Small): $10
Total: $126

This is when I said "Uhm, nope", and asked my boss if I could purchase from the breeding stock at my work- of which I am in charge. Thankfully, he is okay with it, so now I have a constant supply of incredibly cheap, high quality feeders.

Other Initial First-Month Costs:
Baby cage, live plants, branches, decor, misting bottle, dripper system, automatic mister system, heat lamp reflector, incandescent lightbulb, Arcadia fixture and tube, Calcium without D3, Calcium WITH D3, Multivitamin, Vet Visit, Fecal Exam x2:
Total: $763

Other Costs, Incurred at 5 Months of Age (Switching to Bog Boy Cage)
Note: My cham's "Big Boy" Cage, Live Plants were all FREE as I had usable material laying around
Branches, decor, larger heatlamp reflector, higher-wattage Incandescent lightbulb, larger Arcadia fixture and tube, plus an incidental Vet Visit:
Total: $356

I estimate that in the 5 months I've had him, I've spent about $1400 on a single chameleon.

Yah I feel your pain. I was checking how much I have in my enclosure alone, and don't tell my wife but it was around $1,400. That don't include the upkeep of the enclosure, or the chams. They are expensive, but very rewarding and worth it in my opinion.

 

[MissLissa]

Yah I feel your pain. I was checking how much I have in my enclosure alone, and don't tell my wife but it was around $1,400. That don't include the upkeep of the enclosure, or the chams. They are expensive, but very rewarding and worth it in my opinion.

Heh I can understand that- I have a bioactive vivarium for a breeding pair of crocodile skinks that's 24x24x24, and it cost be about $5,500 to set up an run! Might as well have a saltwater aquarium I'm still adding to and tweaking Vladislav's bachelor pad, and I will likely upgrade him to a larger enclosure in a few months. Thankfully, he is a fabulous animal, and you are right: he is entirely worth it!