Possibly getting a baby carpet chameleon. Advice?

[XZombieGrlX]

Im possibly getting a baby 10 day old carpet chameleon tomorrow. I have a medium critter keeper and wondered if that was ok to start the little one off in? I have fake plants, just need to pick up some branches today. And probably some fruit flies. Any suggestions raising this little cham would be greatly appreciated!

 

[pamnsam94]

Hello, and welcome to the forums. I'm assuming you're new to the forums because I see this is your first post. If by "starting the little one off in" you mean a transport cage to bring him home in, they maybe. I suspect though you meant his first "home". In that case, I would say no, definitely not. You have to think about drainage, heating/lighting, etc. Those are just two issues you'll have to deal with so a critter carrier will be inadequate. Although people have been successful in using small containers like that when raising babies, those keepers usually have a bit of experience. If you don't have the experience, then I'd advise against it. Plus, if the carpets are just 10 days old, I would definitely stay away from even buying one, especially if this is your first chameleon. Most responsible sellers would wait until the babies are at least 3 months old (2 months at a minimum depending on the species). Selling them any younger than that is usually just a way for the seller to make a quick buck. If you've never visited the forums before, you've come to a great place for info. I'd recommend typing a few key words in the search function (carpet, husbandry, housing, etc.) to get a start in researching a carpet chameleon's needs. Hope your research goes well. Most questions you'll have will probably have already been addressed on this forum, but if you can't find an answer to a particular question, the Chameleon Forums is certainly one of the best places to look for answers, and I'm sure you'll find that the people here will be glad to help. Don't be in a hurry either. You'll find good keepers/breeders of carpet chameleons here that have plenty of experience. Occasionally/frequently they'll offer their offspring for sale in the classifieds. I'd recommend buying from them if the animal in question is at least a few months old.

Perry

 

[kuskye25]

i was going to say wow, 10 days old, i read on here before i bought mine they should be a few months old when you get it, i got mine at 5 months old...

here is my post before i got my first chameleon, trust me when i say dont jump into getting a new cham, there is a lot to learn first....

just look at how many changes i had to make to my enclosure before i got mine, and youll want to make a much smaller one then i did, and or buy one...

https://www.chameleonforums.com/buying-veiled-cham-soon-14178/, this is from before i bought my first cham, take a look, i set it up how my local pet store showed me, then look at it after pro's showed me... big difference...

 

[seaneeeg]

Wow! they are all correct other than transporting this bugger from A to B, absolutely inadequate! Now with that being said, where are you getting this newborn? because i also am looking for a young Carpet Cham! I have never seen any cham being sold just 10days old! but please post where he is coming from! Thanx and good luck!

 

[XZombieGrlX]

Im getting him on a trade. A local gecko breeder is getting a batch of 4 month old babies and this little youngster is included and i told him id take it. Ill have to ask who he is getting them from

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello, welcome to the forum There isn't a specific caresheet for carpet chameleons at the moment............but this is great info for anyone interested in keeping chams in captivity - https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

 

[XZombieGrlX]

Heres a picture of the little one. I have flightless fruit flies already.. ill take the chance and try to keep the little bugger alive. Ive had vields and a panther in the past but never any quiet this young. And the only reason i asked about the critter keeper is because i seen where a breeder used that method

 

[DavidBuchan]

Oh, he's adorable.....congrats!
I would really recommend live plants, as when you have adequate ventilation it can get dry easily. Live plants help to keep in humidity surprisingly well - http://www.flchams.com/safe_plant_list.asp

 

[Miss Lily]

Oh my! That is one tiny booger! I certainly would be happy getting one that young even after 5 years of keeping Veileds, a Jackson and now my Carpet. I got my Carpet at 3.5 months and he was insanely tiny even at that age. Carpets will need a lot of plant coverage as they are VERY shy! I have had my male for 4 months and he has only just taken food from my hand for the first time last weekend. They are very jumpy, very hissy and VERY fast!

This was the care info I was given with mine:

Basking temp for youngsters up to 6 months: 80 - 85F
Basking temp for adults: 85 - 90F
40W/60W household bulb on a dimming stat - go with the bulb taht gives the more appropriate temps.
Humidity: 60 - 70%, spraying 2-3 times a day.
Cage size for baby - 12 x 12 x 18" and 18 x 18 x 30 for an adult, although you could go with a 36" high also.

Supplements - I was advised to follow this schedule:
Calcium - every other feed
Reptivite (NO D3) 1 x per week
Reptivite WITH D3 1 x per fortnight.

I got my Jackson at 7 weeks and I don't think I would feel happy to raise another from such a tiny size and young age again. Most species don't become welll established until at least 3 months.

 

[kuskye25]

Heres a picture of the little one. I have flightless fruit flies already.. ill take the chance and try to keep the little bugger alive. Ive had vields and a panther in the past but never any quiet this young. And the only reason i asked about the critter keeper is because i seen where a breeder used that method

ok cool so you are well aware of what your getting into, sorry seeing you have not had many posts i thought you were a newb