not for beginners...

OlyJenn · Apr 29, 2012

Through a lot of my research on how to care for a Chameleon, I keep seeing that Chameleon's are not good for beginners, which happens to be me.

I'm wondering if any of you have an opinion on this matter, pro/con.

With all the information available, I am confident that I can house a Chameleon properly, but I won't lie, I am nervous about getting the chameleon it's proper nutrients. Perhaps the technique of gutloading is what I need practice with, with a "beginner" lizard. Or is the concern more of the temperature, lighting, humidity aspect?

Perhaps it's a precaution breeders state so the blame is less on them if a newb kills their Cham due to lack of knowledge?

Any thoughts on the topic are respected and appreciated!

reptilover · Apr 29, 2012

I agree that there not for beginners. But because beginners don't usually understand the extent of care required and importance of consistency of care. If u understand that the habitat itself will be a child to u and u read and ask as much as u can. I belive u will do just fine. Not rocket sience.. not quite

Welcome to the forum!

uve come to the right place so ur off to a great start!

wendyeeeo · Apr 29, 2012

from beginner to chameleon addict

In a nutshell, I was clueless when I started keeping chameleons. Now I'm hooked and love having them! However, it has cost me a LOT of money the past couple of years - not just husbandry but vet bills, feeders, plants (I use real ones), free range materials, electricity, distilled water, mister, lights....on and on. Definitely the most expensive pet I've ever kept and I've had a horse! The vet bills were a lot for two females who became egg-bound - lots of stress for me and I now keep males only if possible. I've got a male panther and he's the easiest keeper I've had to date. I also have a Meller's chameleon, but I don't recommend them right away.

If I could recommend one thing - make sure you set aside a bit of money for a vet visit, should you need one. Lots of people put their money into the husbandry, then can't swing a vet visit when their chameleon gets sick or injured. That is very unfair to the chameleon, as they will often suffer if issues are ignored.

You've come to the right place! There are great people on here with LOTS of great information for you!! Good luck!

OlyJenn · Apr 29, 2012

thanks! The vote of confidence is comforting, and I immediately googled vets in my area but perhaps reptilover has a recommendation, looks like we are in the same area

Elizadolots · Apr 29, 2012

I always find it funny how no one thinks anyone can do what they've done....

We were all beginners at some point and we all made mistakes and we all learned and we all got better (hopefully).

Olyjen, wendy's advice is good: have money set aside for a vet. So, if your chameleon and set up will cost $250, have at least $300 ready.

I would actually say it's a mistake to start with another reptile if you really want a chameleon. Part of what makes chameleons seem so "difficult" is that they aren't really like other reptiles. It's like driving a stick shift vs. an automatic: whatever you are used to seems "easy" the other seems hard...so, why not start with the animal you want?

Jbujarski · Apr 29, 2012

Elizadolots said:
I always find it funny how no one thinks anyone can do what they've done....

We were all beginners at some point and we all made mistakes and we all learned and we all got better (hopefully).

Olyjen, wendy's advice is good: have money set aside for a vet. So, if your chameleon and set up will cost $250, have at least $300 ready.

I would actually say it's a mistake to start with another reptile if you really want a chameleon. Part of what makes chameleons seem so "difficult" is that they aren't really like other reptiles. It's like driving a stick shift vs. an automatic: whatever you are used to seems "easy" the other seems hard...so, why not start with the animal you want?

Completely agree with this

FranPhilip · Apr 30, 2012

I personally think it is pretty easy to keep chameleons, the hardest part for me personally was buying all the supplies for the cages and setting them up, feeding is second nature to me now and same with watering. Wake up, put some crickets in the cage make sure there is water in the misters and spray the cage a bit. I really LOVE chameleons they are so fascinating, Chameleons are the first reptiles i ever owned, and i am so happy i did.

laurie · Apr 30, 2012

OlyJenn said:
Through a lot of my research on how to care for a Chameleon, I keep seeing that Chameleon's are not good for beginners, which happens to be me.

I'm wondering if any of you have an opinion on this matter, pro/con.

With all the information available, I am confident that I can house a Chameleon properly, but I won't lie, I am nervous about getting the chameleon it's proper nutrients. Perhaps the technique of gutloading is what I need practice with, with a "beginner" lizard. Or is the concern more of the temperature, lighting, humidity aspect?

Perhaps it's a precaution breeders state so the blame is less on them if a newb kills their Cham due to lack of knowledge?

Any thoughts on the topic are respected and appreciated!

First I want to welcome you. I don't want to sound mean, but there isn't a single person on here who was not "a new keeper". Maybe some have forgotten, but we were all there. So it seems you are willing to take the cham seriously, and meet it's needs. Good for you! Like they say, You can do & We can help. I will be here all the way with you. You can send my pm's or just post here, I will offer whatever advice I can.

kwilkens14 · Apr 30, 2012

Laurie is exactly right.

Honestly, I became a cham owner completely by accident. I rescued one crossing the street and had no idea what it was :O Honestly, doing the research you've done so far puts you ahead of a lot of other current owners. People on here refer to them as "four legged children" and that's exactly what they are.

Regardless of what you decide in the long run, good luck to you in your herp endeavors

sandrachameleon · Apr 30, 2012

clarkrw3 · Apr 30, 2012

It's what people say...BUT...that is because they take special care. If you are dedicated to meeting that care you will be fine. In truth many reptiles are pretty low maintenance so in that if you are planning on getting into chameleons and have only kept low maintenance snakes and expect similar time investment it would be better if you were new to reptiles all together.

Elizadolots · Apr 30, 2012

Don't even be worried about the type of chameleon...yes, veileds and panthers might be a bit hardier, but if you're starting from scratch they are no more or less challenging than the smaller mountain types.

I would strongly advise buying a captive bred chameleon and most of the captive bred chameleons available are veiled or panthers...but there are others, so look around...and don't be afraid of a wild caught chameleon, just plan on vet visits early on to get the "wild" things taken care of. As wild caught are usually much less expensive, that's a reasonable trade off....take any wild caught you buy to the vet with a fecal sample right off the bat and be prepared for a couple of follow ups.

JohnnyD · Apr 30, 2012

What I usually tell people who ask if chameleons are difficult to care for is that they are not but that their care or needs are very specific. Temps, Lighting, Habitat, Food, etc...and that most of these "specific" needs are taken care of with a proper cage set-up. The biggest and easiest mistakes for new owners are probably due to a lack of consistancy or routine with their food (gutloading) and water (misting and dripping). If you start to slack on misting and dripping, your cham can go down hill very quickly from dehydration. If you feed insects which are not gutloaded, your cham will be eating an empty shell with very little of the nutrients they need. I like to hand mist all of my chams also. This is when I take a long look at each of them. As I'm misting, I can notice subtle changes in color and overall appearance or differences in their poop color and consistancy. I feel like a mister can sometimes cause a new owner to miss things they need to see.

reptilover · Apr 30, 2012

OlyJenn said:
thanks! The vote of confidence is comforting, and I immediately googled vets in my area but perhaps reptilover has a recommendation, looks like we are in the same area

Why yes we are! Haha thats a first. I've heard kitty clinic on Lacey boulevard has quite a cham vet. I havent made an appt. For a wellness exam (45 I think) to see how she acts and wat shes got to say. But Ive heard good things.. ill keep u posted

OlyJenn · Apr 30, 2012

thank you everyone!

I did think that it wouldn't be fair to the poor "beginner" lizard as I would just be counting down the days till the Cham could move in (not the same house of course).

We do think we narrowed it down to a Panther. We are going to take it slow though. Get the habitat....keep the plants alive...then we will see what is available.

I am looking forward to keeping up with you guys!

chamlover · Apr 30, 2012

Well years ago..I got my very first reptile as a gift from my husband..It was a chameleon that we saw at the first reptile show i ever went to..I absolutely loved him but knew nothing about their care..As soon as i got home i spent every available minute, for the next few months, on the internet googling chameleon care and reading every article, notes, blogs, and books i could get my hands on..I also was lucky enough to find the good folks on the Chameleon Forums and they helped me many time with different issues..Including a female panther that was egg-bound for a month..Thanks to all the people on here, and a very good vet, she and i both made it through that nightmare..Long story short: if you are willing to put the time in to learn, the diligence to stick with it, you and your selected chameleon will be fine. They are not difficult to keep if you start with a healthy chameleon and DO what you need to do..They are however non-forgiving...Good luck.

birdlover71 · Apr 30, 2012

Do you research

I am a recently chameleon mom. I am 41 and wanted one for about 15+ years but everyone discouraged me too. I am happy I make the pet shop whim rescue. I also bought my one from a breeder which is always the way to go. Do your research on breeders, breeds and get ready for it prior to getting it. Which was my mistake. Good luck!!!

Bushido247 · Apr 30, 2012

I've seen a few people talk about how much money they require to keep. How much money are we talking about per month?

absolutbill · Apr 30, 2012

I also thought chameleons were "tough" and "out of my reach" until I started researching them. I found this site and lurked for about 3 months, just reading everything I could and deciding how my setup would be created. My advice to you would be to select a couple of knowledgable members and mimic what they are doing - PM me for a list of names if you want. Then, once you purchase your setup, plants, lights, etc, have it up and running for a couple of days, checking your temps, adjusting your vines and basking branches. At that point you're ready for your new little one.

Also, and I may get slack for this, start with a male. Sure, females are great, however for a first-timer you won't have to worry about her becoming egg-bound or having extra complications. Then, when you are ready for your next one, and your confidence is higher you can go for a female if you choose.

As you learn, you'll want to raise your own feeders too, which is a very interesting side-hobby that most of us have picked up. It's a great feeling knowing that you ALWAYS have something to feed your chameleon, and choices, too. I see that you are nervous about gut-loading - make life simpler on yourself and go with bug burger or dino-fuel (there's plenty of threads about them on here).

Remember, we have ALL been new once, no one is born a chameleon genius. We all learned from here, books, and personal experience, even if that meant doing things wrong and learning that way - I know I sure have!

Michelle

carol5208 · Apr 30, 2012

lol I don't mean to laugh but when you said they are not for beginners....you have to be a beginner in the beginning! We all do. I don't feel you can say because you have kept reptiles before then you are not a beginner because chameleons are completely different than other reptiles. I have owned an iguana, a tortoise(which I would still have if my neighbors dog did not kill it) numerous species of turtles over the years and leopard geckos. They require completely different care than my chameleons. I never thought when I decided to get a chameleon that because I had reptile experience that I was more prepared to own a chameleon. That being said, go get your chameleon!! We are here to help and guide you and you will probably make a few mistakes along the way(I closed my baby chams tail in the door!) but most likely your chameleon will surive and thrive.

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