starting

F

ftw

New Member
hey guys, I have recently became interested in keeping cham. what i want to know if what would be good to start with and everything and some tips on how to keep them and just good information :D
 
ftw said:
Panther cham is what i am interested in for right now
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welcome!
panthers and veileds are fairly hardy species as well as easier to take care of compared to other species of chameleons.

panthers have more varieties of color, but cost more.
veileds are cheaper, but can be grumpy.

do you have any specific questions?
the list of stuff you need to know can be exhaustive, so just start asking questions and we can go from there.
I would recommend reading jannb's blog for new chameleon owners, it can help alot.
 
do you house each cham. separately or can u house them together also are they able to be held. is there any other species that is easier to find and can cost less then panthers or veiledds?
 
Welcome!

A good start is read a lot here on the forum. There are a lot of good posts on general care and several member have blogs about proper husbandry which are excellent resources for beginners. Time spent here reading and researching before you make your choices will be very helpful!

It's a good idea to understand the lighting/heating/humidity needs before you get a chameleon. Different species have different needs and knowing that and being able to provide those correctly goes a long way.

I'm sure everyone will tell you that panthers and veileds are the beginner species. If that is what interests you they are certainly good choices. I also think Jackson's and kinyongia multituberculata are good choices as long as you understand what they need and are able to provide it. I do not find them difficult to care for at all. They are very cool looking though not as colorful as panthers and they tend to have better dispositions than the panthers and especially the veileds are known for - though there are exceptions.
 
ftw said:
do you house each cham. separately or can u house them together also are they able to be held. is there any other species that is easier to find and can cost less then panthers or veiledds?
Click to expand...

all chameleons must be housed seperatly except for pygmy chams (which i do not recommend for beginners) when housed together they can get stressed or if opposite genders, breed.
they can be held, but it depends on the chameleon personality. some peoples chams on here are very friendly, others go for blood.
veileds are by far the easiest/ cheapest species of chameleon to find.
 
ftw said:
do you house each cham. separately or can u house them together also are they able to be held. is there any other species that is easier to find and can cost less then panthers or veiledds?
Click to expand...

Seperately unless pygmies, you can hold them once they adjust to you, it depends on their personallity, Veilds just tend to be grumpier, species like jacksons, senegals, carpets, etc are smaller and usually cost less, if you're going for amazing color my guess would be panthers or Veilds. I'd recommend getting a male since you won't have to worry about egg laying.
 
camimom said:
all chameleons must be housed seperatly except for pygmy chams (which i do not recommend for beginners) when housed together they can get stressed or if opposite genders, breed.
they can be held, but it depends on the chameleon personality. some peoples chams on here are very friendly, others go for blood.
veileds are by far the easiest/ cheapest species of chameleon to find.
Click to expand...


Grr I'm trying to typed on a cracked phone screen, I'll leave this thread to you miss on an actual keyboarder.. :rolleyes:
 
Ok yeah i really like the coloring on panthers and i would want to start with one of those for sure and then expand my collection of different kinds from there. this is way off topic but i am starting to breed hornworms and silkworms and if i get baby horworms and they grow big will chams eat them? Also do u HAVE to feed crickets i dont mind feeding them but just a question
 
welcome to the forum, your off to a great start by coming here for information rather than a local pet store.:)
 
ftw said:
Ok yeah i really like the coloring on panthers and i would want to start with one of those for sure and then expand my collection of different kinds from there. this is way off topic but i am starting to breed hornworms and silkworms and if i get baby horworms and they grow big will chams eat them? Also do u HAVE to feed crickets i dont mind feeding them but just a question
Click to expand...

Chams like variety, two good staples are crickets and dubia roaches, general rule is don't feed bigger than size between eyes. Also you can never tell what they'll like, just like different personallities they have different likings.
 
ftw said:
Ok yeah i really like the coloring on panthers and i would want to start with one of those for sure and then expand my collection of different kinds from there. this is way off topic but i am starting to breed hornworms and silkworms and if i get baby horworms and they grow big will chams eat them? Also do u HAVE to feed crickets i dont mind feeding them but just a question
Click to expand...

If i were you, i would not bother starting to try to breed until you get a chameleon and really get your self acclaimed. Crickets are a main staple for most chameleon breeders.
 
now if i was to buy one for my first time would u rather go to an expo so u can see what u want or order online? Also should the uvb bulds be vertical or can they lay on the top of the cage cause if seen people do that
 
well, a couple rules apply pretty generally with chameleons

build up, remember LAYERS, like the layers of a rainforest. Canopy is the basking area.

you could always go to an expo, if one is by you, but most people (i know at least) buy online. There are site sponsors in the upper right hand window of Chameleon Forums, and those breeders (again, i believe) are very trustworthy and most insure live pet shipments.

I am not so sure about your lighting question, but i keep my lights horizontal on the very top of the enclosure, basking bulb pointing to a specific stick and basking area. the bar light i have is a ReptiSun 10.0 (most use ReptiSun 5.0).

if you think of it like a rainforest again, where most chameleons, especially panthers, reside, you will see that most of the sun is towards the top of the trees, and in the wild, if they want shade, they will go down into the shade.
 
ChameleonNerd said:
well, a couple rules apply pretty generally with chameleons

build up, remember LAYERS, like the layers of a rainforest. Canopy is the basking area.

you could always go to an expo, if one is by you, but most people (i know at least) buy online. There are site sponsors in the upper right hand window of Chameleon Forums, and those breeders (again, i believe) are very trustworthy and most insure live pet shipments.

I am not so sure about your lighting question, but i keep my lights horizontal on the very top of the enclosure, basking bulb pointing to a specific stick and basking area. the bar light i have is a ReptiSun 10.0 (most use ReptiSun 5.0).
yes u answered my lighting question and yes there is the tampa which just passed and then the orlando and Daytona one coming up which i am hopping
to go and find a cham for myself
Click to expand...
 
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