Monday, May 24, 2010

Could you name some species of chameleon that are found in the pet trade?

im not talking about exotics, just regular chameleons you can find a petsmart or anyother petstore
the only species that i know they sell are veiled and jackson's, and ive always wanted a chameleon but i would need to know more about them before then, so im trying to educate myself now
Answers:
Jacksons, Veiled, Dwarf, Panther, Fischers, Rudis, can all be found at petco, or ordered there depending on stores availability.
I added links below in the sources that shows pictures and short descriptions.
However, here is some friendly advice from a former petco employee, if you started learning about chameleons then you know they stress VERY easily. I would advise ordering one instead of buying one that is already in the store!!
The reasoning behind this is this, the shipping of a chameleon is very stressful, however if they are in the store then they've also had to endure the stress of small children banging their fists on the glass screaming MOMMY LOOK AT THE PURTY LIZARD!! And dogs barking and close confined, illy equipped cages.
All species of chameleons are exotic. There are no chameleon species found in the United States. That being said, the previous post listed several species that are available commercially.
I would recommend against keeping one as a pet. They are very delicate animals that require high maintenance to keep healthy and alive, including proper heat and humidity, proper habitat, a variety of live prey items, and quiet. They stress very easily and are often infested with various parasites that can quickly debilitate them if they aren't kept in optimum conditions (unfortunately, almost all of the chameleons in the pet trade are still wild caught).
If you insist on keeping one as a pet, research thoroughly. Read everything you can find on their care and husbandry and realize that it will take a lot of initial work to keep your pet alive. Be prepared and be responsible or you'll end up spending several hundred dollars on a lizard that will die in two months.
That being said, Jackson's and Panther chameleons are among the hardier of the family.
http://www.junglewalk.com/info/chameleon...
http://www.flchams.com/
http://www.chameleonsdish.com/index.html...
Many chameleons are now bred in captivity. Mine came from a local breeder. You want to really educated yourself, as they are a bit fragile compared to some other reptiles. Large airy cages, lots of places to hide and climb, good humidity, heat lamp, UVB source, a variety of insects, etc. Not good if you want a pet to hold, but very interesting to care for. I bought mine as a tiny baby only a couple of inches long and now he is huge!

No comments:

Post a Comment