Are there any good 'beginner' chams?

Chams have always fascinated me, and I was always the one weird kid who corrected the teacher when it came to animals and dinosaurs, so naturally, getting one of these is on my list.

I know these guys have rather different needs than something like a BP or leopard gecko, but I have both of those and could use something that demands I get out of bed and enjoy.

So I'm curious if there are any species that don't need a huge amount of space and are calm and hardy enough for a beginner and mild handling (for whatever reasons, like pictures >3).

My girlfriend's first reptile was a panther chameleon.

He's still thriving some 9 months after she got him.. not exactly a super long time to prove that they can be kept by beginners, but chams are notorious for going down fast if there is a problem.

We know much more about how to keep chams happy in captivity these days than we did even just 10 years ago.

You can't go wrong with a panther or a veiled chameleon.

They have different requirements than the more 'bullet-proof' reptiles that tolerate wide temperature ranges and only need to be feed weekly or bi-weekly, but if you read up and talk to people who keep them successfully, you'll likely have no problem keeping a chameleon.

As for ones that don't need a 'huge' amount of space and are calm/handle-able.. there are different degrees of what people consider 'huge' or 'handle-able'.

You'll be looking at a 3 or 4 foot tall cage with 2-4 square feet of ground space for your cage size.

We handle our chameleon on occasion, but we don't take him out every day. He doesn't mind coming out when we're doing a bit of cage clean-up or for a quick photoshoot. I'd say on average we only take him out for maybe 10-20 minutes on average a week.

I would have to agree with Panthers being a good beginner cham. They dont require the humidity and temp control of the montane species but the minimum cage for a male is 24x24x48 tall. My male ambilobe is the friendliest reptile I have ever had but there is no guarantee on temperament. Chameleons are also very prone to stress related illness so consider where he is placed if you plan to get into these. Should be in a low traffic area and not across from a heat/ac vent or in front of a window to avoid drafts. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions. I have a bit of experience with Panthers having bred them for a few years. Good luck!

Lovely info you two. :3

I'll check up on panthers; vields seem a bit too green for me.

If you don't mind a "Boring" Cham. Try the Flapneck they are very tolerant and easy to handle , they just do not have much in the way of color.

http://i1237.photobucket.com/albums/...ng2000/068.jpg

He was sold to me as a Panther but I had never had a Cham before and I did not know what he was until a few months ago a cham breeder told me what he was.
He has been threw two moves and multiple moves around the house with no ill effects.

Cute Cham!


but umm stupid question what reptiles are considered more "Bullet Proof" like you said mainbutter ?

im really curious lol i figured if all reptiles didn't have EXACT temps its over :O

Can't seem to find any sheets on Flapnecks except on the site that said an adult Fischer's would be fine in a 10-15 gal tank. :rolleyes:


Anyone keep pygmy chams? Someone suggested them to me as something to fill my 20 gal long tank (with an arboreal conversion kit) with, and looking at them, it sounds like they'd be good for a beginner. Small, easy to obtain, large heat gradient - everything was just appealing about them. Especially find it interesting that Wiki said they're social and many sheets seem to suggest keeping them in small groups.