Types of bright green chameleon?

[MazinMaddis]

I'm new to chameleons- like, I started researching them yesterday- and I'm pretty overwhelmed. I'm looking for a few different chameleons:


I'm mainly interested in a chameleon whose main color is bright green. Preferably on the small side, I'm hoping for a female that is just sort of plain looking. No crest, horns, etc.

A chameleon with a smooth neck, just like a regular lizard except it changes colors.

A tiny chameleon; what are the smallest types of chameleon? Are they harder to care for than the average chameleon? Are they really rare?

TIA

 

[christineacero]

Sounds like what you're looking for would be what I have, Trioceros Sternfeldi. I have 2 females. They're about 4.5-5 inches nose to vent (bum). I would advise against getting one at this point though because they're fairly unique, have specific requirements that differ from other chams, and there is very little information out there on how to properly care for them. If I was a beginner, I would go for a veiled chameleon, as they're a good hardy species that most beginners start with.
That being said, they're a fairly large species, and owning a female makes it become a little more complicated as she'd need a laying bin in her enclosure because she will lay infertile eggs even without a male present. If you go under the care resources link on the right hand side of this page, there're are sheets on a few different species of chameleons. I'd suggest heading over there first

 

[MazinMaddis]

Thank you so much, christineacero! That's exactly what I'm looking for! I agree that I should start out with something easier, though. Do you know if Ambilobe Panthers are generally easy to care for? I'm looking on Screameleons.com and they advertise 'extreme health' and make it sound relatively easy to care for, but saying otherwise isn't a good selling point. Any thoughts?

 

[Trace]

There are several kinds of green chameleons that fit your requirements (green, small, plain) and are fairly easy to care for – if they are captive bred animals. A few examples would be Senegal, Flapneck and Graceful Chameleons. Unfortunately most of those you will see for sale are wild caught (came from the wild) and those are fraught with all kinds of health problems and I certainly don’t recommend them for a beginner. Don’t buy them. I would also recommend a male chameleon as your first chameleon as you will not have to worry about egg laying; something a lot of females do whether a male is present or not.

Veiled Chameleons, Panther Chameleons and Jacksons Chameleons are bred with regularity in captivity so that’s perhaps where you should start looking. Unfortunately those three are fairly big and will require a large cage. Out of the three the Jacksons are the smallest and are green as adults. The males look like a Triceratops dinosaur. The females are much plainer. Check out the caresheets for some example photos and care info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/

Definitely give our Resources section a read before you buy a chameleon. I commend you for asking questions and researching first. They are one of the more difficult reptiles to keep but can be very rewarding. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

A nice small chameleon, that doesn’t require a lot of room and are easy to care for would be a Carpet Chameleon. The females have a green background but do have some bright patterns when they are excited. The males are generally plain green but again colour up when stirred. There are several people who breed this species so finding a captive animal will not be difficult.

@christineacero: there are plenty of us that have worked with and bred the Trioceros sternfeldi. I have written about them and some closely related species. Check out my blogs.

 

[christineacero]

There are several kinds of green chameleons that fit your requirements (green, small, plain) and are fairly easy to care for – if they are captive bred animals. A few examples would be Senegal, Flapneck and Graceful Chameleons. Unfortunately most of those you will see for sale are wild caught (came from the wild) and those are fraught with all kinds of health problems and I certainly don’t recommend them for a beginner. Don’t buy them. I would also recommend a male chameleon as your first chameleon as you will not have to worry about egg laying; something a lot of females do whether a male is present or not.

Veiled Chameleons, Panther Chameleons and Jacksons Chameleons are bred with regularity in captivity so that’s perhaps where you should start looking. Unfortunately those three are fairly big and will require a large cage. Out of the three the Jacksons are the smallest and are green as adults. The males look like a Triceratops dinosaur. The females are much plainer. Check out the caresheets for some example photos and care info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/

Definitely give our Resources section a read before you buy a chameleon. I commend you for asking questions and researching first. They are one of the more difficult reptiles to keep but can be very rewarding. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

A nice small chameleon, that doesn’t require a lot of room and are easy to care for would be a Carpet Chameleon. The females have a green background but do have some bright patterns when they are excited. The males are generally plain green but again colour up when stirred. There are several people who breed this species so finding a captive animal will not be difficult.

@christineacero: there are plenty of us that have worked with and bred the Trioceros sternfeldi. I have written about them and some closely related species. Check out my blogs.

I'm not saying that they're extremely rare by any means, I just meant that if a beginner didn't know where to look, it wouldbe difficult to find information on these species. Besides here at the forums, there's not a lot of accurate information out there