what should i do?!?

[victor]

ok so i went with my aunt and uncle to petco today and my aunt saw some small 3 to 4 inch baby veiled chameleons. she had the associate take them out for us and fell in love with the smallest one.so now she wants to buy one for me for my birthday which isnt until march. and believe me this is an animal i have wanted since i was really little :drool: . so i need to know what i should do like cage wise for one this small. should i just go with the enclouser and adult would go with or buy a ten gal wait til it grows up then buy it the adult size tank :? . i know the temps and humidity and im buying alot of plants a waterfall and a big peice of driftwood as its perch. if i get the adult size tank im gonna get the largest size exo-terra the one that is like a starter kit for exotic animals.it comes with eco earth a large jungle vine aand a waterdish i wont use the waterdish unless i feed it wax worms as a treat. so could someone please help me out? and thank you to all that do ahead of time.its either get a baby veiled chameleon or get a blue spotted salamaner which is a very difficult decision.

 

[kitty_b]

For an adult, the cage should be at least 2 feet wide, 2 feet long and 3 feet high or at least 12 cubic feet. It's most important that it be at least 30" tall. Also, they require screen cages, for ventilation purposes and a general dislike for reflections. So a 10 gallon aquarium, while appropriate in size for a baby, is not a good idea due to lack of ventilation. I don't think Exo-terra tanks give enough ventilation either.

A cham needs multiple levels available for a good heat gradient, ranging from a basking light at the top corner (90-100 degrees) to 70-80 in the rest of the tank. Be careful about the waterfall, as it's always possible the baby could drown. And make sure all the plants are non-toxic.

I recommend a quick google search, which should turn up a plethora of care sheets.

 

[victor]

well i have been researching these guys for years its just i lost all hope of getting one about five years ago.but now that i have the chance to do so i am trying to jog my memmory.and in alot of books i have read they say you can use either or glass or screen so ill just go with the exo-terra glass one its really big and its only $108.00 for it and it being a basic starter kit is nice. plus the screen equivelent to it from exo-terra is close to $250.00. so the fact that i could just go with the glass one for less is nice but i do agree with you and this is why i am in such a predicament because i want my chameleon to live a long and happy life so i am wanting to do everything right from the get go. ugh i am just so overwhelemed with this as you can tell and sorry for writing such a novel.

 

[kitty_b]

From what i can tell, the largest Exo Terra is only 24" high. As you already know, chams are climbers. 24" really isn't enough for them.

The alternative mesh cages (like Reptariums: http://www.bigappleherp.com/Reptarium-Cages?gclid=COvziNGm3JUCFRghnAod4U0rXg) run about the same price or less, and provide a LOT more room. Sure, you'd have to probably order it. But you'll also need UVB bulbs and lots of other things to get you started, and honestly pet stores don't carry the best UV bulbs (I just bought Mega Ray bulbs for my blue tongue skink and couldn't be happier: www.reptileuv.com).

I know that the baby may be too small for a full sized cage right now, but investing in an Exo Terra that they'll grow out of isn't in your best interest. If you insist putting it in a glass terrarium, at least as a baby, then a 10 gallon on its end with a sturdy mesh screen will accomplish roughly the same effect. Of course, then you'll have to figure out the proper positioning for UV/heat bulbs, since they won't work through glass.

 

[victor]

ugh i think my best bet is not to worry about this right now since i have six months to get all of this lol. but yes those screen enclousers are pretty cheap and very big but i am a little limited on space.

 

[GailC]

Chams need the space, if you are going to get one and keep it healthy, figure out a way to have a tall cage.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I will refer you here:

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

It is my site .... created primarily to save me having to type the same answers to people every day.

I believe it should answer all your questions and it is very up to date (the husbandry has changed since some of those books were written.)

I would also refer you to: www.chameleonforums.com/

-Brad

 

[ShellsandScales]

I would definitely recommend not getting the smallest one! Bad idea especially from a corporate store. The smallest one is usually getting the least amount of food and may not do very well in the long run. You want to pick the healthiest one that looks like its eating. Or if you can get them to feed the chams in front of you I would go for the most active one that wants to eat. Just a suggestion.

 

[kupo969]

Chams are territorial and I read somewhere (can't seem to remember) that glass enclosures let them see their reflection and stresses them out.

 

[victor]

thank you all so much for the info.i am very upset right now though so im not gonna be to enthusiastic while typing this message.because i just recently bought a baby like quarter sized whites tree frog from petco without giving it a second thought and it hasnt eaten or pooped since the night i got it.well about three days ago i go back to petco to get crickets and saw a dead one in the same cage that i purchased mine from. and i called petco today and told them everything and they said that its probobly a parisite or bacterial infection and there is basically no hope for the little guy. and btw this is a different petco then the one that the chameleon is at.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Ugh. DON'T BUY ANIMALS FROM PETCO guys, this is what tends to happen to you. Especially don't buy an animal as fragile as a chameleon from a PetCo or any other chain pet store, because that just triples your odds of disaster.

Look for a private breeder with a good rep or something - anything but a chain pet store.

 

[Warren Bautista]

research is key. just my 2 cents

 

[Warren Bautista]

also if you are not willing to sacrifice the time, money and space for an animal i reccomend you not buy one. if your parents wont let you, then tough luck. another 2 cents

 

[victor]

no its not about the cage size now its just that we are about to move and in the new house my room is smaller so if i get a six foot reptarium for it then it would have to go in the living room but then that would stress it too much so i told my aunt not to get the chameleon and just order me the blue spotted salamander off of KINGSNAKE.COM. WHICH WILL BE HERE WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!! :clap: :} :} ha ha ha ha. i would much rather have this salamander than get the chameleon which gets too easily stressed. if i get any chameleon ill get a dwarf chameleon from FLCHAMS.COM cuz they dont require lage enclousers and dont need and special lighting. ohh and i forgot to mention im gonna be getting my first emperor scorpion first invert rather in a couple weeks after the move you all should be proud of me now ill have something other than my herps to talk about.

 

[Warren Bautista]

congrats. we better see your posts coming up on those other forums or WE will hunt you down

 

[kingfarvito]

I've kept my mouth shut until now about you but damnit stop buying from petco especially for amphibs its a bad idea just stop it already

 

[victor]

ummmm i kinda established that i wont be buying from there anymore or any pet store for a new "pet" i am only gonna go there to buy my crickets and waxworms. when i decide to get a new amphibian im just gonna order off of kingsnake.com thats where im getting my blue spotted salamander.so dont yell at me for something that i know i shouldnt of done and said it was my fault that i didnt give it a second thought.