What was your biggest mistake as a beginner?

[raptorslovepuns]

Or if you did it perfectly, what did you wish someone told you?

I'm thinking of buying a juvie veiled for myself as a birthday present. I've read all of the caresheets that are commonly linked on the forums and most of the threads (up to around p25 or so), but I'd like to hear about people's errors and such. Thanks for your time.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

My biggest challenge was, and still is, regulating supplements. As my collection has grown, I now find that each Cham truly requires an individual adjustment to its supplements from time to time.

I also always tend to oversupplement and then find I have to throttle back my regimen. Its so easy to provide to much.

 

[Chamgirl]

My biggest mistake was using waterfalls. They harbour bacteria, are difficult to keep clean and used to leak everywhere.

 

[RhettusMaximus]

biggest mistake

My biggest mistake was probably putting a 3 m.o. veiled in a 6'7" X 3' X 3' cage thinking it would save me money in the long run just buying an adult sized cage. He's perfectly fine and around a year old now, but he could have taken a nasty fall and it was difficult for him to catch food until i started cup feeding.

 

[joefarah]

When I first started out I would vitamin dust the hell out of everthing I fed them every time. That is probably as bad as not supplementing at all. Now I have a much more sensible and controlled approach to supplementation.

 

[dectr6]

Ditto joefarah. Oversupplementing...more of a good thing is better theory.

 

[nightcrawler]

putting them in a fish tank.

 

[Digitizer]

A problem I am dealing with right now.... apparently feeding a to large cricket to the 3.5 month old cham. If you order 500 crix... get em small cause they grow and soon you will have crickets bigger than the cham can handle.

We are saving the larger ones to start breeding and ordering some more.

And ditto on what the others have said about supplementation.

Good luck

 

[mattjillson]

Thinking that if you can keep 1 no problem that 20+ should be no problem either. WRONG!

 

[Brandy]

Over supplementing,
night time heat lamps,
over feeding (females)
Growing collection to fast

 

[Sepioteuthis]

Relying on only one (outdated) book on keeping chameleons and advise from a friend who had kept a chameleon before and not looking for info on the web (or anywhere else).

 

[shea]

Relying on only one (outdated) book on keeping chameleons and advise from a friend who had kept a chameleon before and not looking for info on the web (or anywhere else).

Agreed. Outdated and inaccurate documentation. What's coming to mind now are incubation temps - there were plenty of books and newsletters stating something like 'incubate your veiled eggs at 89 degrees....etc'. Ugh.

Shea Peterson

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Not being careful about the dried leaf stems and discarded plant debris laying amid the rocks in the planter in my male veiled's area. He ate a bundle of dried plant matter that formed about a 1 1/2" stick-like obstruction in his bowel. He became impacted, but was saved through the help of some of the fine people on this forum.

Also, training him to come out of his cage to be with us. This can be a blessing and a curse. Don't start it unless you want your chameleon to act like a puppy. This may sound cool, but remember that he has to have heat, humidity, and UVB where ever he goes. It got so that he WOULD NOT stay in his mesh enclosure without trying to rub the front of his face off. After a couple of bloody weeks we relented and he now lives in a custom bay window (built for him, no lie) in our home office. His dominion consists of wide wooden mini blinds, dried grape vines, repti vines, schefflera, succulents (his vegetable of choice), and several vines stretching out into the office so he can climb out to our desks. Mostly he stays in the window (thank God). But, at times he gets down onto the floor and crosses the room to hump my feet. We think we imprinted on him. He thinks he's a scaly teddy bear.

 

[Justin Carl]

Getting into the hobby.....

 

[leolover]

Biggest mistake was buying from a pet store and not a reputable breeder!!! Carefull where you buy from!!! Good luck to you!!!

 

[Chase]

Getting into the hobby.....

Amen!!!

 

[mczoo]

my biggest mistake was being unprepared. I did not have my cages setup completely before my chams arrived and i started wit more than one If you are serious about doing well have you cage ready measure your temps and your humidity correct as well as availible feeders before you purchase. i also started with jacksons and not veiled, i like them but should have started off with an easier cham

Good luck

Sean

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Growing collection to fast

Thinking that if you can keep 1 no problem that 20+ should be no problem either. WRONG!

A rousing ditto. One is fun. Twenty two is a great challenge.


Also, not believing what I've read vis-a-vis not having enough respect for the difference between WC and CB. We've lost one CB female veiled that we purchased early on from a pet store. One day she seemed just fine. The next day she was dead. That can happen. On the other hand, we've lost 8 WC chameleons. Seven of those we lost this winter over a grueling, expensive, gut wrenching, exotic veterinarian assisted, 2 month period. Trying everything within our power, with the help of experts, and, regardless of all the efforts, having to stand by and watch 7 chameleons mysteriously suffer and die.... I cannot explain what it did to my heart and my mind. Not just the chameleons, either- but to see my husband hold a dead juvenile chameleon in his hand and break down and cry...sobbing...It seemed like we did nothing right, and that there was nothing we could do to help them. So, that was definitely a big mistake. We did learn a great deal from all the procedures that took place, and all the meetings with veterinarians. The only comfort I can take from it is that we are now probably better chameleon keepers because of that experience. But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

 

[mczoo]

I also wish to add i bought from a pet store dealer at a reptile show not the breader. the info i got was totally inaccurate compared to owers on this site. buy directly from the breader

 

[bucky]

A rousing ditto. One is fun. Twenty two is a great challenge.


The only comfort I can take from it is that we are now probably better chameleon keepers because of that experience.

First of all gesang...i saw that enclosure your talking bout...WOW! That is probably the best setup ive EVER seen! I love what you did with the basking bulb,and all the vines and everything,great job! And...my first cham was a male sambava from screameleons,i bought him at a reptile convention. And...screameleons said he was 3months. Well he looked small compared to all the other ones ive seen... I was so excited because after all the nights of researching about these little fellas,learning about each species,and reading on forums. I finnaly got him! He was perfect. After that i got him all set up is in his habitat.(Then i went to fed-ex field to go with my father to test drive SRT-8s,and watch two SRT-10s drift,one the viper,the other the truck) And then wondering why he hasnt been eating, apparently he has been and i over supplemented him And just seeing him shaking,and dark... I felt like the worst person in the world. Sorry for the long story,but,thats a mistake i made(cept for the going to fed-ex field) And due to this experience, Louie is pretty well.