Self Introduction

Rogue

Rogue

Avid Member
Hello! I am very excited to be here and expand my knowledge in the Chameleon family. My husband and I live in North Mississippi on the state line to Tennessee however he is from PA and I was an Air Force brat all my life. I am a mother of an adult son and a college-bound daughter. I am also a proud young grandmother of 3 beautiful girls.

While I am new to the Chameleon community, I am definitely not new to the amazing world of reptiles. I have raised 3 special Boas (Suri, Hypo, and Pastel) as well as Bearded Dragons. My husband and I are in the process of building a custom enclosure in hopes of finding a male juvenile Panther Ambilobe to move in once the cage is complete in the next few weeks. With a local Repticon show coming in August, I am hopeful we will find our perfect guy soon. Thank you for accepting me into the community!
 
make sure when you are at repticon and you look at the chameleons you look really hard at them and ask a lot of questions. the reptile expos have some dealers that are trying to make problem chameleons go away for premium prices. check their sides for subcutaneous worms or weird growths anywhere on the body, look at their eyes and limbs and their head pads for swelling or emaciation. try to see their poops if possible to make sure they aren't really bad looking or fishy smelling. you can never guarantee a parasite-less chameleon, but you can definitely reduce your chances on buying one that is destine to die quickly or contaminate other reptiles or even yourself. coccidia is a hell of a bug.
 
JGspecial said:
make sure when you are at repticon and you look at the chameleons you look really hard at them and ask a lot of questions. the reptile expos have some dealers that are trying to make problem chameleons go away for premium prices. check their sides for subcutaneous worms or weird growths anywhere on the body, look at their eyes and limbs and their head pads for swelling or emaciation. try to see their poops if possible to make sure they aren't really bad looking or fishy smelling. you can never guarantee a parasite-less chameleon, but you can definitely reduce your chances on buying one that is destine to die quickly or contaminate other reptiles or even yourself. coccidia is a hell of a bug.
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Awesome advice! I am usually very thorough and cautious so thank you for the heads up. I will be sure to check all of them out carefully. I also know that a very low price on one can be a red flag for problems. We are prepared to spend good money on a Panther but yes, we obviously want a healthy juvenile we can enjoy for many years. I am not one to shy away from a million direct questions either. Thanks for the list of what to keep an eye out for!
 
JGspecial said:
make sure when you are at repticon and you look at the chameleons you look really hard at them and ask a lot of questions. the reptile expos have some dealers that are trying to make problem chameleons go away for premium prices. check their sides for subcutaneous worms or weird growths anywhere on the body, look at their eyes and limbs and their head pads for swelling or emaciation. try to see their poops if possible to make sure they aren't really bad looking or fishy smelling. you can never guarantee a parasite-less chameleon, but you can definitely reduce your chances on buying one that is destine to die quickly or contaminate other reptiles or even yourself. coccidia is a hell of a bug.
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Yes, be sure to really look yourself, I went through this exact same experience. Trust me having your babies die on you is not fun at all:(, please take your time in choosing your little one.

Rogue said:
Awesome advice! I am usually very thorough and cautious so thank you for the heads up. I will be sure to check all of them out carefully. I also know that a very low price on one can be a red flag for problems. We are prepared to spend good money on a Panther but yes, we obviously want a healthy juvenile we can enjoy for many years. I am not one to shy away from a million direct questions either. Thanks for the list of what to keep an eye out for!
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Good luck and happy hunting;)
 
well, not always on the low price thing. sometimes there are nice people not looking to make a ton of money off of you. my fisher cham, bert, i got for a steal ($45) and he is an extremely healthy boy.

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hes very skittish and is afraid of me even after over a year of owning him. he always hides sideways behind a vine or arches up and puts his arm in his side. ive never seen him drink and he wont eat when he knows im looking. oh well as long as hes happy and healthy i guess it doesnt really matter.
 
All very good points (including the pricing). I am used to the "good" and "shady" breeders/ suppliers of Beardies and Boas, but not so much with the Chams so I am basically starting from scratch. Thankfully I have until August 25th to up my knowledge, search for information on what healthy vs unhealthy skin, eyes, tongue, cloaca, limbs, poops, toes, etc. look like to be well prepared. In the meantime, we already have an exotic local vet lined up (recommended by our regular vet) and the enclosure Cham condo is expected to be ready by then. All very helpful and appreciated advice (y)
 
JGspecial said:
hes very skittish and is afraid of me even after over a year of owning him. he always hides sideways behind a vine or arches up and puts his arm in his side. ive never seen him drink and he wont eat when he knows im looking. oh well as long as hes happy and healthy i guess it doesnt really matter.
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And we still love the heck out of them! ;)
 
Lol I thought wrong! I just double checked the date of my convention and its in August 8th, sorry about that but I hope you have a fun time at yours! Also I'm in California, so not local lol.
 
serenaj25 said:
welcome! owning chameleons is a unique and rewarding experience. I am very grateful to have found this website to help me out along the way
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I am super excited and it is hard to be patient to find the right little man for us, but I know it will be worth it. I want to make sure he has the best enclosure for a healthy, exciting and long life and that he has Cham parents whom have the best knowledge to properly take the best care of him so we wait for now (ugh, it is like staring at wrapped presents Christmas morning, waiting for everyone to wake up so we can open them already lol). But, I want to be a responsible Cham mommy first and foremost. Regardless of the type of animal, I take caring for another life very seriously.
Coming across this site is a blessing as I have noticed many authors of online articles have varying opinions on what to do and not to do. I am excited to be here and look forward to our grand adoption day ♡
 
Brokaylacham said:
Lol I thought wrong! I just double checked the date of my convention and its in August 8th, sorry about that but I hope you have a fun time at yours! Also I'm in California, so not local lol.
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If it is also Repticon that you are attending, I would be very grateful if you messaged me your opinion on what you come across and any vendors that you would recommend. Sadly I contacted one of the vendors listed for my local Repticon and discovered they are not attending this year so the vendor list on Repticon's website is inaccurate (which is a little frustrating as I had hoped to check them out before we attend). I hope you enjoy yours!
 
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