Thank you but ...
- Thread starter Kimmers
- Start date
KirbyTheCham
Member
That's very responsible of you, I commend you on your decision.
Kate
Avid Member
I fully respect your decision but I wonder if you have given Cham keeping enough thought. I gave having my 3rd Cham, months of research, not on any forum, before I purchased him. I recently found this forum and have learned so much more. Keeping chams is a steep learning curve and I don't think I will ever learn everything about these wonderful creatures. Now you have found us, keep reading and learning and perhaps one day when you are ready you may rethink your decision.
So I'm having second thoughts. <sigh> I have been fascinated by the creatures for years always stopping to view them at pet stores. I have no doubt I can provide the exact enclosure and other supplies necessary. I have the time to perform daily/weekly proper care. What is holding me back are conversations with local sellers who report buyers having zero succes keeping them!
A private pet store owner and two seemingly knowledgable managers of local chain stores encouraged me not to do it. One of them is the mother of a former student who I have always found to be very knowledgable of the reptiles and amphibians they sell. These stores sell chameleons yet encouraged me not to buy. How discouraging is that??
I wish I could connect with someone local who has one. An in person convo would help immensely. In the meantime as suggested, I am at the right place to keep learning. This isn't something to be rushed into. Thanks everyone!
Kimmers
A private pet store owner and two seemingly knowledgable managers of local chain stores encouraged me not to do it. One of them is the mother of a former student who I have always found to be very knowledgable of the reptiles and amphibians they sell. These stores sell chameleons yet encouraged me not to buy. How discouraging is that??
I wish I could connect with someone local who has one. An in person convo would help immensely. In the meantime as suggested, I am at the right place to keep learning. This isn't something to be rushed into. Thanks everyone!
Kimmers
camaleonte82
New Member
personally i dont believe its that difficult. but i could be mistaken bc it is my fiance and i sharing the load and we have both kept reptiles, amphibians and all sorts of other creatures since we were young.
too bad your not close to me. i invite all my friends and co-workers and such over and give them a crash course in Chameleon Care 101.
too bad your not close to me. i invite all my friends and co-workers and such over and give them a crash course in Chameleon Care 101.
camimom
New Member
Where are you located?
Ill be honest, cham keeping is not for someone who is never home..
BUT- its not as hard as people make it out to be!!! honest.
I have 4 chams, and 38 eggs incubating.
I am on the hunt for more chams to start a breeding project.
As long as you listen to the experienced keepers here, its not so hard.
the hardest part, in my opinion, is the money you have to spend.
what questions do you have, we can help you.
Im not trying to push a cham on you if you arent ready, but I dont want to see you give up becuase some peopel say they cant hack it.
Ill be honest, cham keeping is not for someone who is never home..
BUT- its not as hard as people make it out to be!!! honest.
I have 4 chams, and 38 eggs incubating.
I am on the hunt for more chams to start a breeding project.
As long as you listen to the experienced keepers here, its not so hard.
the hardest part, in my opinion, is the money you have to spend.
what questions do you have, we can help you.
Im not trying to push a cham on you if you arent ready, but I dont want to see you give up becuase some peopel say they cant hack it.
camaleonte82
New Member
if you want you can PM me any questions or whatnot 
i would be glad to help and anything i cant answer i could find out for you. i'm by no means a Chameleon expert but combining everybody on this forum and you have a
Cham Guru and a half...
i would be glad to help and anything i cant answer i could find out for you. i'm by no means a Chameleon expert but combining everybody on this forum and you have a Cham Guru and a half...
camaleonte82
New Member
Listen to Camimom! she is very Intelligent. its like your own mom. when she speaks, you listen
camimom
New Member
Listen to Camimom! she is very Intelligent. its like your own mom. when she speaks, you listen
Aww thanks!!!
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
This is what I hear everyone at the pet store I work at say, "Oh I'd love a chameleon but the success rate with them is like zero," or "I hear chameleons don't last like more than 2 weeks. Otherwise I'd get one." And I'm just like, it's not true!
Hell, even completely neglected, horrendously deformed chameleons somehow manage to survive for months and months -- which is terrible -- but shows that they are capable of a certain level of resilience.
I'll echo others and tell you that they really aren't as scary and daunting as they sound. Most people mess up in one of a couple areas:
1. Improper lighting. As long as you can provide a normal house-hold bulb for heat and a UVB bulb for proper calcium absorption, you are set.
2. Improper cage. Just make sure it's size appropriate, the materials of the cage allow for air circulation, and that it is decorated in such a way so the chameleon can walk around, reach a basking spot, hide in plants, and drink from the leaves.
3. Water. If you spray down the cage 2-3 times a day and/or provide a dripper to drip for a few hours each day, there's no reason to have a dehydrated chameleon.
4. Calcium. Just the UVB bulb will not do it, these animals need calcium supplements. Lightly dusting the food with phosphorous-free calcium will keep any bone mineral deficiencies at bay.
People mess up mainly on the set-up part. But once you have the cage set-up properly, all I do in that room is fill/empty misting system buckets and feed everyone. And every 7 months or so I change out the UVB bulb. And that's it, I don't have to keep messing with anything. Just having a proper, clean set-up is I think 50% of the work. The rest is water, feeding, and supplements.
Consider it carefully and realistically but don't be necessarily daunted by chameleons. They're a "next level" reptile but they aren't made of glass either.
Hell, even completely neglected, horrendously deformed chameleons somehow manage to survive for months and months -- which is terrible -- but shows that they are capable of a certain level of resilience.
I'll echo others and tell you that they really aren't as scary and daunting as they sound. Most people mess up in one of a couple areas:
1. Improper lighting. As long as you can provide a normal house-hold bulb for heat and a UVB bulb for proper calcium absorption, you are set.
2. Improper cage. Just make sure it's size appropriate, the materials of the cage allow for air circulation, and that it is decorated in such a way so the chameleon can walk around, reach a basking spot, hide in plants, and drink from the leaves.
3. Water. If you spray down the cage 2-3 times a day and/or provide a dripper to drip for a few hours each day, there's no reason to have a dehydrated chameleon.
4. Calcium. Just the UVB bulb will not do it, these animals need calcium supplements. Lightly dusting the food with phosphorous-free calcium will keep any bone mineral deficiencies at bay.
People mess up mainly on the set-up part. But once you have the cage set-up properly, all I do in that room is fill/empty misting system buckets and feed everyone. And every 7 months or so I change out the UVB bulb. And that's it, I don't have to keep messing with anything. Just having a proper, clean set-up is I think 50% of the work. The rest is water, feeding, and supplements.
Consider it carefully and realistically but don't be necessarily daunted by chameleons. They're a "next level" reptile but they aren't made of glass either.
Psychobunny
Avid Member
Well, if you dont mind the routeen every day, buying and raising bugs that get loose, going through gallons of distilled water a week, setting asside a few hundred $$ for vet emergencies, having all your living space totally wiped out, checking the color and consistancy of lizzard poop every day and cleaning it off vines and branches, changing your schedules and life style to suit your chams. plus realize you have to keep this up for the next several years, then chams are 4 U
I live near LaCrosse, Wi. Madison and Eau Claire are easy driving distance. I'm fairly familiar with the Twin Cities too.
Expenses: I undertsand. I am comfortable I can do it over a couple of months time. Perhaps that's why the failure rate is 'high' according to pet stores. People want to take shortcuts. What I really need to do is start a list of supplies/options/prices.
My personality has always been research first. I used to work at a garden center. Can't believe the number of people whose plants and trees die. (Oh I have to water that everyday or every few or whatever?)Sheesh!
Kimmers - Feeling more hopeful!
Expenses: I undertsand. I am comfortable I can do it over a couple of months time. Perhaps that's why the failure rate is 'high' according to pet stores. People want to take shortcuts. What I really need to do is start a list of supplies/options/prices.
My personality has always been research first. I used to work at a garden center. Can't believe the number of people whose plants and trees die. (Oh I have to water that everyday or every few or whatever?)Sheesh!
Kimmers - Feeling more hopeful!
camimom
New Member
i think making a list is important.
Just start with the small stuff, and break it down.
its not as daunting as it seems.
Once you fall into a routine with your cham.. things arent tha tbad.
and if you go the automatic route... with an automatic mister, and a timer for your lights... all you gotta do is feed and clean!
Just start with the small stuff, and break it down.
its not as daunting as it seems.
Once you fall into a routine with your cham.. things arent tha tbad.
and if you go the automatic route... with an automatic mister, and a timer for your lights... all you gotta do is feed and clean!
Sterlingcham
New Member
Kimmers I can give u a detailed list not to mention a online sponser that I buy all my supplies from as the actuall pet stores around me don't carry alot of the reptile goodies me/you need. I found that Pangea has about the best prices on mostly everything you will need to set up and there shipping prices are extremely low I can give h a full detailed list of price and item name along with a estimate of shipping costs just so u know how much it cost to have a set up correct with a chameleon thriving. Pm me if u need it or actuall estimates help at all as I just got 2 more Chams and just baught both whole new setups a few days ago.
It really is a beautiful thing owning a Cham I think they are majestic and vary and some are very very friendly( I think ambilobe breeds are among one of the nicest) and that if u have been eating one for years and u now u have he time place and money for one then u shouldn't have a doubt in your mind that u can take care of them.
I would also recomend that u not buy from a local pet store as they usually don't give the Chams proper anything and treat them like any other beardie or gecko which u cannot. I would suggest one of our sponser of this forum flchams screameleons or lllreptile are all good and or the ones I forgot to mention also
It really is a beautiful thing owning a Cham I think they are majestic and vary and some are very very friendly( I think ambilobe breeds are among one of the nicest) and that if u have been eating one for years and u now u have he time place and money for one then u shouldn't have a doubt in your mind that u can take care of them.
I would also recomend that u not buy from a local pet store as they usually don't give the Chams proper anything and treat them like any other beardie or gecko which u cannot. I would suggest one of our sponser of this forum flchams screameleons or lllreptile are all good and or the ones I forgot to mention also
shaunaroxanne
Avid Member
How about a crested gecko? They are much easier to care for, and they are really cute. They also like to be handles more than chameleons.
I actually got a real up close look at one in a petstore yesterday. They are definitely cute so I spent several hours last night reading up on them. The turn off was they are nocturnal. Then read up on Day Geckos but learned their skin is quite fragile. I would be devastated if it got out and I hurt it.
Someone suggested a beared but I'm not into deserts. Tree frogs would be great but I can't have it singing during meetings or while on a business call. LOL
I like snakes but that would not go over well!!!
If getting a chameleon doesn't work I always can go back to a betta. LOL (I had a 5 gal tank appropriately set-up.)
cstorms
New Member
Honestly, once you get the entire setup together, and get an automated misting system, there isn't a whole lot you have to do except feed it and clean out the cage/empty drainage water. Getting the whole setup together does take time, and if you do that before you get your cham, it will be much easier. I saw mine in the store and had to have him before I knew what I was getting into. If you care for it and are genuinely interested, it should not be very difficult.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Consider it carefully and realistically but don't be necessarily daunted by chameleons. They're a "next level" reptile but they aren't made of glass either.
Another thing to add to Olympia's research list is finding a VET, and some money saved to go to one! Add to the list if things newbies usually don't think through is where to go if your cham does end up with a health problem. Even well cared for chams occasionally need a vet for an infection, a burn, parasites, injuries. If the cham is lucky their keeper ends up joining this forum, but we can't solve the problems directly, only give advice.
Remember, those pet shop people who are saying chams have a high mortality rate and are miserable, are the same people (most of the time) who are selling or seeing poorly maintained, stressed, or imported chams that are in trouble before they ever get them. And, they are selling them to real impulse buyers who don't think about it long enough even to ASK these questions. On top of that, the chams get crammed into poorly designed cages in the store with the hope that they sell before dying.
ALL of us were newbies once. IMHO, those who did their research and took this on cautiously had the best results. These folks weren't satisfied with a little quick read just to reinforce their desire to buy a cham and that they could defy history and make it easy or cheap. I also think that people who enjoy a technical challenge, pay attention to detail, and those who are content to deal with a cham on its terms, not expect it to become a dog are the ones who tend to be most happy with a cham to care for. If figuring out the proper habitat and solving design problems are not your interest, then a cham may not be the right choice for you. You sound like someone who doesn't deceive themself and that is wonderful for us to hear!
