Chameleon Advice?

[sporeworld]

I'm starting to lean towards Chameleons as a contender for my next desk hobby (I'm thinking I'll restart mantids with an Orchid Army, when they start popping up again).

I'm looking for a Chameleon that will stay relatively small (the micro cham post eariler today sort of set me off).

Any advice...?

 

[jcal]

They sell Pygmy chameleons but I have never kept those. They are common and easy to find.

 

[twolfe]

I've never kept chameleons either, but I thought those little chameleons were adorable and googled small chameleons earlier today. I found a site that sells the pygmy bearded chameleons for $ 30. It's probably a good thing they were out of stock. The maximum adult size of this species is 2 - 3 inches. The one thing I noticed is that the smaller species I found available for sale didn't seem to be as colorful or interesting as the larger species. But the small size is appealing to me. Well, I just got my new baby turtle (a Chinese Golden Box Turtle) today and still have my rabbits and a housefull of mantids. And since I'm frogless for the first time in two years (lost my red-eyed tree frogs in December), I'm enjoying a cricket free house at the moment.

If you end up getting a smaller species, I'd really love to get updates from you.

 

[sporeworld]

I think I might. Especially if I could get a Fruit-Fly only diet going. Like you, I'm happy to be cricket-free (and fly free) at the moment.

 

[lunarstorm]

I owe a large portion of my current mantid collection to a Seattle-area hobbyist that decided to dive into chameleons. With the recent pics from patrickfraser's veiled thread and the "world's smallest" cuteness, I too, am tempted.

Someone please tell me how much they *don't* overlap supplies/care/etc. with mantids! I refuse to visit a chameleon forum, I'd probably see the "idolo" of the chameleon world, read a few posts extolling the virtues, be subjected to chameleon pictures with subliminal messages beaming from their eyes! ....I'd be forced to spend money before I closed my browser window.

 

[sporeworld]

I echo your fears.... ;-)

 

[twolfe]

Well, I'll let one of you buy some first. Perhaps you can breed them and sell me some in the future...

 

[patrickfraser]

They can get pricey with different species and age. I bought my veiled babies for $35 each at a reptile show. They were the cheapest I found, so that's what I decided to get. They have been pretty easy so far. They need more space as adults. Recommended screen cage size of 2x2x4. I LOVE my babies and they seem to love me back. No hissing, biting or running away. Only running to. :lol:

 

[rs4guy]

Carpet Chameleons are pretty awesome, never kept one, but they are pretty hardy, rather cheap for a cham, and have great colors. They are also on the small side... Grab a male, more color, no worrying about egg binding.

 

[rs4guy]

Also, make sure to have a proper UVB setup, a misting system, a screened enclosure, and supplement properly with vitamins and such.

 

[sporeworld]

Damn. That sounds complicated. I want something simple for now. Sigh. More reading....

 

[CoolMantid]

I want a Satanic Gecko! So freaking cool, but really expensive, $120

 

[twolfe]

Well, I'm almost all set then. Since I have turtles, I already have to buy UVB lamps, and lllreptile sends me reptile vitamins with every order. I have the black screen enclosures because I use those for raising moths. I do not have an automated misting system. I raised red-eyed tree frogs for the past two years, and my misting system was me opening the door and spraying them. But I always worried about them when I was traveling. An automated system would be nice... I read that the pygmy bearded chameleons drank from water droplets on the plants.

I checked out the Carpet Chameleons when I was looking at them. They are colorful, but they are bigger than what I was looking for and more $ than I can spend at the moment....

 

[frogparty]

Satanic leaf tail geckos are $300 to $400, not $120

 

[Termite48]

I just bought an adult male Kinyongia multituberculata Chamy. He is not as colorful as some, has two parallel horn-like projections and is very glad at lower temps. I found mine for $75 and this species does not get as large as the Veiled like Scott's. There are a number of them out there, but it is not something you can keep in a 80 oz. container with a little misting here and there. They do require UVB lighting and regular Vitamins and calcium supplements, crickets, roaches, meal worms and all. They are worth it I would say. fp=f0b85e3c6de8b9f9&biw=1101&bih=480

 

[Termite48]

http://www.google.com/search?q=kinyongia+multituberculata&hl=en&prmd=imvnsfd&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=K5g8T7mPD8WniQK4zv2VAQ&ved=0CCQQsAQ&biw=1101&bih=480&sei=D5k8

This link will show the species which I recently acquired. They are smaller than some, not as heat requiring, and perhaps a little more animated in the feeding habits. All Chamys require dedication or they as Idolos and Orchids will easily get sick and die.

 

[MX83Drifter]

chameleons are awesome! I have owned a pair of Pygmy Chameleons, I had them about a year before giving them to a friend. I fed them crickets and worms and such, always live food. I never thought of feeding them fruit flys at the time. I kept them somewhat solitary... they are very small so I didnt want to stress them out by handling them and constantly viewing them. I just let them do their thing. On the contrary the same friend now has Ambilobe Panther Chameleons that are so tame, they are almost like a dog or cat. One of his females actually likes being held, she walks to your hands, and then sits in your palms for the warmth, weird little lizards, haha. And yes if you love your animals you will be spending a lot of money on your lizards to keep them healthy, not so much your going broke lol but a good amount, more then mantids thats for sure. The Pygmys should be ok if you have an awesome tank setup...

My opinion chameleons are totally worth it. I will be getting some more soon.

 

[agent A]

and still have my rabbits

u have rabbits??? r they cute? can u post pics of them?

 

[twolfe]

u have rabbits??? r they cute? can u post pics of them?

Yes, I have 3 house rabbits. Two were planned, and the other was a stray that was hanging around where I work. I do have a couple of photos on my website of them dressed up for Halloween 4 years ago. Honey will be 10 years old this summer, and that's old for a Holland Lop.