Veiled Chameleon

hello...

well a few days ago i posted about an iggy and my boyfriend changed his mind on that real quick so now i am going to shoot for a chameleon he says yes and he said we can get one in a few months....ive read the care sheet on this site and many others...i would like to know of some people out there who really has them and has experience...what am i getting myself into? are they aggressive? can they be docile?

i have many questions on these wonderful creatures....



and one other question that is kind of outa the way is.. when and if i get me a chameleon i plan to put him/her in the room with my other animals (1kingsnake,1redtail boa,1ballpython,1amazon tree boa,3scorpions,1trantula,and a collard lizard)soooo all those have lights on almost all the time... so what i was wondering is can i put a towel or something over my chameleon at night...and it not hurt it ... or just on certain parts so the light does not get in... i am not sure this is were i am going to put him/her ... but i cannot think of anywere else...



also i have found this Exo Terra : Products : Explorarium and was wondering if i could use this as a cage? or would it not work... and how would i put light to this?


argg so many questions so little time!!!

Chameleons are WAY easily stressed! Generally speaking they don't like anyone, you might get one or two that are docile.. But taking them out to 'play' will definitely cause more harm than good. They are more 'to look at' (except not all the time, they need their space) pets!

Edit: Woops! Wrong chameleon! Anyway, these guys need to have moving water to get them to drink! They generally won't drink from standing water! So make sure you have some method to get dripping water..

Just make sure you are VERY prepared if you get one! They are beautiful, but very fragile! Even the hardiest of Chameleons are fragile! It's good that you are asking questions first!

So, I'm confused by your post.. do you not give your reptiles a night cycle?

Chams are not a "handling" animal. They are more of a "look at but don't touch" and are easily stressed.
The cages you linked to might be fine for a baby but even the biggest is smaller than what is recommended for an adult veiled. (24x24x48)

There should not be any visible light on your other animals. Just like you they need a dark/light cycle.

So you are looking into getting a Veiled Chameleon. They make great display pets but that's really about it. These guys may look cute and cuddly but in reality they really don't care to be handled or played with. You may be fortunate to get one that has a decent personality but this is an animal that would rather be left alone! Not to mention they are very easily stressed out!

They become stressed when.. holding them, cleaning their cage, make cage changes, too many people in the room, too hot, too cold, cage is too small, too large, and I can probly keep going. On top of everything, they are no cheap animals to maintain! They are a very costly! When and if you finally decide to go and buy one you need to absolutly make sure it's cage environment, cage size, temps, humidity, and etc are perfect before sticking him in there. Why? Because as I noted above if you continue to make changes to there new home while they are trying to adjust this will seriously stress them out and they can possibly become sick!

I have two Cham's Yoshi and Leon. Here are a few pics of my Veiled Chameleon "Yoshi". Yoshi, is about 5-6 months old.

I would try to get a little more experince with reptiles before keeping chams. They require a lot of care but are rewarding in their own way. Panthers tend to be more friendly then most species, but still should not be handled unless needed. For an adult you'll need to invest into at least a 3 x 2.5 x 3 foot cage for an average adult male. Here are a few pictures of my panthers. Should you choose to get a cham count off taking vacations away from home. I haven't had one in over 4 years.

well i really want one and i have been doing lots of research and i really want one... hopefully i will get one before to much longer...

First, before you even make the purchase you have to think about certain things!

1. Do you have the money and the time available to get the PERFECT home for the guy, these die from stress easily, like said before if the cage is too small, or too big with not enough hides, too hot, too cold, etc. You need to be able to adjust with the chameleon and clean the cage, have the money to change the lighting and make sure the humidity and temperatures are right!
2. You need to make sure you are ok with having an animal you might almost never hold except when absolutely necessary, and even then be able to deal with it being stressed about that!
3. If you are sure you can handle all this, time to get the setup ready! Make sure the new home is complete first, next get the lights ready! Test out and make sure you can get the temps right for him or her and make sure it stays at the right temperatures for the daytime/nighttime switch!
4. Get ready for a commitment! This animal isn't as hardy as most snakes or lizards are, so one wrong thing can cause stuff to go downhill fast! I know I personally don't feel prepared for the care required, so just make sure you know you can do it! They are BEAUTIFUL animals, but they are delicate!

If you can get everything prepared, then you make the purchase! Also, make sure you buy from someone reliable! You don't want to start out with a sick animal, it'll make your job a lot harder!

Chameleons are nicer when they are young, But when they reach maturity, they will try to bite off anything they can get ahold of!
They are really for advanced keepers of reptiles depending on the individual sub species.

I know you really want a reptile. Could I interest you in this?


This is a unique strain of Bearded Dragon called, "Citrus American Smoothie".
I found this pic on the internet. Although most dragons dont have this coloration, They are still beautiful animals and are easier to handle than most others and eat veggies and a few insects.

Get a leopard gecko. So much easier to care for and dont need all kinds of lights and stuff, also you can hold them!