Getting a Chameleon!!! please help with setup

[smalls92]

Im getting a chameleon for christmas, not sure which kind yet but probley a jacksons or veiled. I need help with the setup though like what I should use for heat and what to put inside the cage for them. I plan on getting one of those all screen cages for chameleons but was wondering what size I should get. I would like to get a big enough cage that i dont need to upgrade later (38 gallon sound good?) anyways I would appreaciate some good advice.

[pythontricker]

get a cage that is taller than it is wide. an arborial cage is good. the like to climb so put lots of things in there for him to climb on. 38 gallons sounds good. thats plenty! um lets see. oh don't put a water bowl in there. just mist them down the collect the water off of they're nose. and make sure that you mist the cage often, mist the walls, plants, and everything within the cage... they drink the water off of that too. feed crickets and yeah! good luck hope hes cool!
P.S. you can put a water bowl in. but they wont drink from it. mine never did. mine always drank off of the leaves and stuff. good luck!

[smalls92]

Because I live at two different houses (divorced parents) my mom will be taking care of it when im not ther(I come every other week) She said she would feed it when im not there but I dont want to have to make her mist too, would i be able to just get a dripper for him to drink out of or is it completly necessary for the misting. I will have her do it if i need to but dont want to bother her too much. P.S. Do you feed them every day?

[Argentra]

Hmm, how much herp experience do you have? I ask because chams are a really high maintenance and sensitive reptile. They need really good ventilation and high humidity: something that can be a *itch to get right. Also, if your mom is going to care for it make sure she'll be ready to do a lot more than just toss crickets in its cage. These lizards need quite a bit of work to get things right. They need good UVA and UVB, as well as a basking spot and 12/12 light cycle. They should be misted often, since most species are tropical and also since they drink from rain and dew dripping off leaves. Making sure their cage habitat is appropriate is really important.

There are some great sites out there on Cham care, including this one: http://www.chameleonsonly.com/Chameleon%20Care.htm
So do some searching for care sheets, read a few books, then decide if you're ready for such an advanced herp.

Sorry if this sounds pushy...it's just that I've seen too many Chams that suffered or died because their owners treated them like anoles or iguanas, not knowing their special care needs.
Lots of luck getting ready for a great lizard pet!

[smalls92]

I have owend a leopard gecko in the past and am a proud owner of a ball python. Can you please tell me about the UVA and UVB lighting. I figured I would need a cage, a heat lamp at the top of the cage, a dripper and plenty of sticks leaves and branches for it to explore. what else?

[pythontricker]

yeah the dripper will work! but you do need to mist pritty often. essential most definatly.

[recycling goddess]

i have a veiled and she's doing great. i have her in an exo-terra. i know many people disagree with them being in glass cages but the sides are really covered with plastic leaves... i've used a glue gun and attached them all over so she doesn't see her reflection.

i made her a lattice to climb on... her ceramic heat lamp is at the top where she basks. of course i have an excellent quality UVA UVB lamp (the long ones in the ballist)

i have an automatic mister. it's really an essential item for chams. i've got it set to every 12 hours and i increase it in the summer dry months.

i feel her silkworms... and some crickets a few times a month at most... her diet is 99% silkworms.

here's a video of her eating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X20l_EHJDA

i've heard they are very hard to keep but i have absolutely no problems with mine... she's very easy to care for... but that's because i started with all the right equipment!

enjoy! (and yes feeding and misting is essential on a daily basis... misting twice a day)

[Skiploder]

I have owend a leopard gecko in the past and am a proud owner of a ball python. Can you please tell me about the UVA and UVB lighting. I figured I would need a cage, a heat lamp at the top of the cage, a dripper and plenty of sticks leaves and branches for it to explore. what else?

Please do not take this the wrong way, but I would avoid getting a chameleon if I were in your shoes.

The husbandry requirements are on a different level altogether compared to a leopard gecko or a ball python. They need correct lighting, correct temps, correct ventilation, correct supplementation and a proper diet. They are easily stressed and more sensitive to environmental/husbandry issues than either of the animals you have experience with.

You are asking a lot of good questions, but frankly, these are not questions to ask on a forum where you are going to get a gamut of answers.

Take the time to do the proper research on all of the husbandry requirements. This is not an animal where you want to rely on the general consensus of opinion.

Lastly, your mother needs to be on board with providing the proper care for this animal when you are not there. This means that she needs to be as informed as you are on how to see to it's needs.

[smalls92]

Yes I definatly agree with you on the fact that my mother must me completly informed on these animals but I belive that if I start with the proper setup I will be fully capeable in taking care of this animal. I want something a more advanced in the herp world and think a chameleon would be the right choice.

[Kathleen]

I think one of the biggest concerns with chameleons is females becoming egg-bound. My cousin had a veiled chameleon that recently died due to being egg-bound.

The following is from http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/:

First and foremost, I cannot stress this enough, if you have a female veiled, she is GOING to lay eggs or die, regardless of whether she's around a male or not. You MUST, absolutely, have a 6 inch deep pan of sand (preferably playsand, not something used for building materials) available for her to lay eggs in or she WILL become eggbound and die.

That's worded a little dramatically... but you get the idea.

Like the others have said, do tons and tons and tons of research, be a stickler for the set-up, and make sure you provide the right environment if you get a female.

Good luck!