Rant about GF's Dad and his Chameleon

[Rorschach]

We went to the New England Reptile Expo and he purchased a Chameleon. Not sure which breed, but that's besides the point. Get's home and I offer to clean the old terrarium he is using with Wipeout, as he did have two Anoles whom had died in this tank a couple weeks before this purchase. He asks me why I want to clean it and he's all set. He puts the Chameleon into the plastic terrarium with the same water bowl, substrate and plants that the Anoles used and they both died!

I gave him a Reptisun bulb and he hooked it up, but was mad because I talked about how it would help and he claimed it was only a fluorescent and wouldn't do anything. The other bulb he had burned out, it was just a light bulb for a fish tank.

So a couple days later, I stop by and what do I see.... No more UVB, instead he put a new tiny regular bulb in back into the stock lightbulb holder on the tank! I gave him some calcium powder and I don't even think he's using that.

This poor thing will be sick soon, if it's not already. I offer to help, but it is only frowned upon.

Now I know nothing about taking care of Chameleons other than reading a simple caresheet the day of the purchase, but his husbandry is way off.

That's what happens when uneducated people looking for a 'cool looking' pet get.


End rant.

[fishmommy]

this is what I hate about reptile shows. and pet stores for that matter.

countless times aquaintances of mine have said to me 'tell me when the reptile show is and we'll go with you - it will be fun for the kids and maybe we'll let them each pick something '

I never tell them.

[crapwhereaminow]

oh that's not good!
Chams shouldn't be kept in anything except a screen cage. They need really good ventilation. A water bowl won't work for a cham as well, their enclosure needs to be missed with a spray bottle at least twice a day for 2-3 mins at least! They don't drink out of standing water bowls and the bowls get too dirty too quick. And that cham needs a UVB blub, and a heat lamp. There's a million other things wrong with this too.

See if you can point him in the right direction. I know it's hard, but that little cham is in for a rough time if he doesn't wise up. They're not difficult to keep as long as he meets ALL of their care requirements. If he doesn't there's lots of things that can go wrong.

And the absolute worst part is it's your gf's dad, so you have to be nice about it! Good luck, I hope you can help the little guy.

[Seru1]

Dude I gotta say I don't know anything about Chams at all.

But you need to lay into this guy I don't care if he's the pope. I mean really really confront him otherwise he won't get it because his brain is incased in titanium apparently.


It makes me sick someone would get an animal and be so pig headed they just wouldn't take care of it. I'd say report him some sort of animal protective service but they probably wouldn't care cause it's a reptile.

[Jeremy78]

Maybe try showing him the caresheet? Then go on you tube and show him what a Cham looks like without uv light.

[Rorschach]

Just went to his house with a 12x12x12 Exoterra, a bag of Zilla beak moss, some fake plants and a stone hide. Yes I know he probably doesn't want the hide, but it's a corner piece and makes it easier for the little guy to climb onto his tree.

Hooked up the UVB bulb and misted his cage for several minutes. He was already starting to look terrible. He grabbed onto the screen top and was loving the small amount of heat and rays from the bulb. Looking like this guy might make it after all!

I did this when he wasn't home, hopefully he doesn't flip out, but it does look great!

[Jhussey]

Good luck! That poor Cham needs you! I'll never understand why people turn down any advice or input they get...no one knows it all.

[crapwhereaminow]

Just went to his house with a 12x12x12 Exoterra, a bag of Zilla beak moss, some fake plants and a stone hide. Yes I know he probably doesn't want the hide, but it's a corner piece and makes it easier for the little guy to climb onto his tree.

Hooked up the UVB bulb and misted his cage for several minutes. He was already starting to look terrible. He grabbed onto the screen top and was loving the small amount of heat and rays from the bulb. Looking like this guy might make it after all!

I did this when he wasn't home, hopefully he doesn't flip out, but it does look great!

That's great!!! What type of cham is it? Chams don't need the moss, paper towels or a bare bottom are best. What type of uvb bulb? Anything but a ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent Bulb will cause problems with their eyes. And make sure he's got a basking spot too. Do you know what he's feeding it?

I think you should just take the little guy home with you. Just tell your gf's dad it died or something. You may be a cham newbie but you're doing a wonderful thing trying to help this little guy.

[jjmitchell]

Damn ur a nice guy.... Dont get me wrong its awesome that you helped the chameleon, I woulda just waited till he wasnt there opened the cage and took it home leaving the cage open leaving him to think it escaped. I know some one is gonna freak out over me saying that but the dude honestly dosnt deserve it, the animal deserves better than owner will provide..... honestly dunno if i would take it or not... damn sure would be thinking about it anyway.....

[Rorschach]

That's great!!! What type of cham is it? Chams don't need the moss, paper towels or a bare bottom are best. What type of uvb bulb? Anything but a ReptiSun 5.0 UVB Fluorescent Bulb will cause problems with their eyes. And make sure he's got a basking spot too. Do you know what he's feeding it?

I think you should just take the little guy home with you. Just tell your gf's dad it died or something. You may be a cham newbie but you're doing a wonderful thing trying to help this little guy.

Not sure which type, I am have no prior knowledge of Chameleons in the slightest. I put moss because that's all I had and I thought it would look nice with the rock steps hide corner hide. I couldn't make sure he had a basking spot because it's a tiny tank with no hood. Which I will suggest to him. Right now just a reptisun 2.0, the only other alternative was the 10.0, but don't think that would be suitable unless you suggest otherwise?

It's not my pet and I am broke, so I really couldn't go out and buy anything for him/her. Just donated what I had kicking around. Today I brought over some Phoenix worms, not even sure if they eat them, but atleast I tried.

I do it because I LOVE Reptiles. They are the most interesting and important hobby I ever got into