opinions on chameleons?

my fiance has wanted one forever. i was just wondering what you guys think is a good kind of chameleon to start out with. we have 2 bp's but that's about the extent of our reptile experience. i know he'd like something he can handle regularly but i know i heard (for at least on species) that they don't like much handling. are there any that do?

any thoughts are appreciated!

If he wants something that he can handle, I would not suggest a Panther chameleon. They stress out very easily, and can get very sick because of this. Just based on my one chameleon, I would say that they are VERY high maintainence creatures, just because of their very specific heating/lighting/humidity/venelation requirements, and like BD's they need a lot of suppliments to their diets. Chameleons in general are also very prone to getting eye infections.
If you do find a species of chameleon that you want, make sure to find a breeder who has very few imports. When I took my chameleon to the vet for a check-up, he was telling me that the #1 cause of death in any Chameleon was internal parasites, so make sure that your cham gets a vet visit/fecal done asap!

thank you!

i have a veiled and she's been a dream to own. get a good automatic mister... a ceramic heater for the top corner... a good light with high levels of uvb (i believe double check this one as i'm in a rush and am not sure = it may be both uva and uvb)

and i feed mine silkworms daily (6-10) and crickets every couple of weeks.

she's healthy, happy and will climb on my hand to be fed!

good to know! thanks aleesha!

welcome! :D

I really want a chameleon but the ambient temps in this old house get too low in winter - they need a solid 80 or so, draughts will kill them apparently so it is something that will have to wait for the future (and central heating!).
Good luck!

Aleesha-

Could you post a pic or two of your chameleon? I've always liked them, but like python princess I only have my bit of BP experience, and no other herp experience! If I got anything else I'd be like her fiance and want to play with it all the time. :)

sure i'll take some of her when i get the chance :)

I was at the pet store and was playing "peak a boo" with one last weekend.

I hid my face and he would pop his head up and when I showed him my face he would hide behind the tree. I was going up and down like ten times.
Then the store guy came over and asked if I needed help... lol

I could have done that all day. I want one now! lol
Maybe in the future...

You can't beat the color of a good looking male panther!
But for a 1st time chameleon I would stick with a veiled. I bred panthers for years and kept veiled's as well. Veiled's would easily be my 1st choice for a first time owner.

There are lots of good sites that offer great info on care if you do some looking.
Here are a few: http://www.bluebeastreptile.com/
http://www.adcham.com/
http://www.chameleonnews.com/
http://chameleonsonly.com/
http://www.flchams.com/veiled_chameleons.asp

Obligatory photo of one of my male panthers I had.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10..._MG_3648-1.jpg

Start with a veiled. I've had two and they were great. They are hardy for a chameleon, so once you get them set up correctly, they aren't too hard. Also buy a male, as females have a lot of reproductive problems and are likely to become egg bound if you don't breed them. If you do breed them I think they have an average 4-5 year lifespan. My female became eggbound even though I bred her. She was otherwise very health and had 29 eggs in her at 5 months old.
No chameleon should be or enoys much handling, but veiled can put up with it. The trick is to hand feed them alot. After 2-3 months hold the food in one hand and put your other hand in front of it for the cham to climb on. Keep the insect just out of it's tongue's reach and it will eventually (cautiously) climb onto your hand to get to the food. After a few months of this they get more comfortable and it gets easier, but they are pretty timid. Just be careful and patient. Males can grow to almost 2 feet and they have some chompers that they won't hesitate to use if you scare it.
Recycling Goddess had some good tips. Use a 5.0+ for UVB plus calsium & vD supplement along with vitamin supplements once a week, mist 3x daily, 65-75 degrees ambient with a basking spot of 90-95. I used a Mercury vapor flood for the heat and extra UV output. They also need a big enclosure with cross ventilation, like a 2'x2'x3' screen cage or bigger.

He's a good looking fella pythoncz.
Last year we went to Madagascar on honeymoon and fell in love with chams in their natural habitat. There's a thread with some pics if you search.