Getting my first Chameleon!

[Midwest Exotics]

Ive been debating getting a chameleon for several years now. Things always managed to get to the point where i couldnt get one for some reason or another. My husband & i have been trying for another child without much success, so, this is going to be our new baby.- And BOY, are the grandparents THRILLED.

Its better than nothing, as i keep saying, "ITS A CHAMELEON!"

Im getting a baby male panther. He's either going to be blue or red bar. I cant wait to see what he looks like once he has his full color. Ive never seen an ugly chameleon, so im sure i will be impressed with the pick my breeder sends me.

I have to wait until the weather warms up a bit before he can be shipped from CA, but im just BEAMING with excitement. Its been SO long that ive wanted one & really never thought we would be able to get one. But in only a matter of weeks he gets to come home. Its going to be quite the journey.

Not too sure of a name just yet. My husband & i got married in Jamaica, so we were thinking perhaps something along those lines even though, they arent from there. =] Maybe Montego, Marley, or Reggae. Other than that, im stumped for a nice colorful/bright name.

Here are a few of the litter & their father..

Grand sires

 

[JennyBug]

Yay for chameleons!! I LOVE ambilobes - they are so pretty. What breeder are you buying from? If you need a good forum (much like this one) to look for info and such, try www.chameleonforums.com (unless you're already a member). Sadly, we lost our little ambilobe, Apollo, a couple of months ago. He wasn't in great shape when we got him, but what I can recommend is getting the BEST setup you can afford. It's worth it in the long run!! Also, Indiana air is really dry, so make sure you get a good mister or fogger.

Good luck, and I can't wait to see pics of your boy, especially when he's older and flaring his colors!!!

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Yay for chameleons!! I LOVE ambilobes - they are so pretty. What breeder are you buying from? If you need a good forum (much like this one) to look for info and such, try www.chameleonforums.com (unless you're already a member). Sadly, we lost our little ambilobe, Apollo, a couple of months ago. He wasn't in great shape when we got him, but what I can recommend is getting the BEST setup you can afford. It's worth it in the long run!! Also, Indiana air is really dry, so make sure you get a good mister or fogger.

Good luck, and I can't wait to see pics of your boy, especially when he's older and flaring his colors!!!

Yup, im actually a member there already! =]=] Have been since i thought i was going to get one the last time, then things fell through & i took a hiatus from there. But now im BACK! =]

I actually think i read you story about him, as other said, it sounded like something a little more serious that he had when you got him.. Poor guy, but sounds like you gave him a great home while he was with you!

Right now i have a pretty small set up, but know that will change pretty fast with him. Im going to have my husband built one soon after we get him so we are prepared, yet waiting a long enough time to know what kinda style we need to go with for it.

Im pretty sure im going to do mainly hand misting as im a stay at home mom & run my photography studio out of our home.. i can be around to mist him, however we do go on vacation or away for a day or two to the cottage, so a mister is going to be a must. Ive read some things about foggers & them causing lung problems or foot rot... not sure what im going to do. Live plants, live plants, live plants! His cage is wedged in between two palms & some umbrella plants to kinds hid him. :dance3:

Im getting him from a lady i actually met off of here long ago. She made a big change to reptiles due to her sons allergies, so since she & i are pals now & have talked for so long shes giving me a DEAL! $175.00 shipped. She said she can ship more via a box for $50.00 if anyone wants to go in on one with me. =] $125 females & $150 males Anywho, i can give you her name, shes on the forum too. =]

 

[Vixey]

That is a pretty good deal. I had a veiled chameleon who lived to be 4, almost 5. I miss him a lot. I paid $80 for him. Panthers like this go for several hundred around here in petstores.

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Yeah, at shows you can pick up a veiled for around 35, everything is a little cheaper at the shows, depending on what ones you go to.

Typical age for a cham is around 5 years, so yours did good! For females i believe average is more like 2 years because of egg binding though.=[

Our lows are supposed to be getting up to 35 this coming week, so hopefully i should be getting him shipped in very soon.

 

[Ash]

Pet stores are always way more expensive than getting straight from the breeder, I learned when working at Superpetz. We would get things from the breeders and/or dealers for about $35, and sell them for $80-100 depending on what it was (for example cockatiels would sell for $120 even though we paid $35 for them).


Can't wait to see pics, Kate! Hope your guy turns out like the first grandsire! That blue is gorgeous. I take it the females aren't as colorful like most other species?

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Nope, they are very pastelish & just more neutral tones...

Here is a female photo i found....

 

[JennyBug]

That picture is actually atypical of most panther females; she actually has brighter coloration than most females I've seen (is that a Sambava or Anakramy? I think those are the ones that have the pink coloration like that). She is a beautiful little girl!! It stinks that their lifespans are so short, but panther males can live up to around 7 or 8 years in captivity. Females do live shorter lives, but typically that is if you breed them. Our female veiled is around 2 years old, and she is thriving and healthy.

How old is the male you are getting? If he is still a young guy, don't be surprised if you don't see a lot of color. Ambilobe (red and blue bar both) start really showing color around 5 or 6 months of age. They really don't start flaring up bright until they are around a year or older (after sexual maturity has been reached). We actually thought Apollo was a girl because of his lack of color, though it turned out to be because he wasn't taken care of at his previous home. He had just started to flare colors when he died

You will probably spend so much time watching him in the first few days you have him!! They are so neat to watch eat, drink, and just sit around moving their googly little eyes! I wish we had the room for one right now, but we have decided to focus on our veileds for the time being. We might try panthers again in the future, but for now Seamus and Shannon are the only reptiles in our lives!!!

Little panthers are plain, but they are cute little dickens when they are babies!! I'm so jealous of you!

 

[Midwest Exotics]

That was actually a red bar girl.(At least from what the site that i found it from stated, seemed pretty reputable.)

Yeah, captive, if kept correctly they last longer, but its hard to mimic everything 100% correctly. In captivity it more than likely is true the females dont last nearly as long though, because they tend to have more eggs in their clutches than wild ones would, generally. (from what ive read) =] I would find it hard to own a female, breeding or not as i've read females get egg bound, fertile eggs or not. Im SOOOO not ready for that, if i will ever be.

Yes, i dont expect he will have much color at first. Been researching for a long long long long long long & yes, long time. HAHA Im SO0o0o000o overly excited since its been SO long.

We are finally getting a break in the weather here, so he's getting shipped out on Tuesday evening! HE WILL BE HERE ON WEDNESDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!

This is the actual guy i will be getting, eggs were laid on 6-5-09 & hatched the end of Nov. 09 The breeder is pretty sure he's a blue bar, but could POSSIBLY end up red bar. He's already starting to show some nice color, regardless of what he ends up like, he will be amazing, im sure.

Here he is. (spot is the marking from the breeder to know he's mine)

 

[Midwest Exotics]

He has made it home!!!!!! My friend ended up having a bearded dragon shipped in with my cham too, it was an extra exciting package!

He is settling in great. I got him to eat 5 or 6 crickets from my hand. So, far, so good.

 

[JennyBug]

Excellent! Keep the pictures coming!!

I just love how cute they are when they are little!

 

[cmor1031]

Good luck with the cham, and its great that he's already eating out of your hand )
I'm a reptile lover and it is always SO exciting to get a new animal, even when most of mine are rescues:thumbsup:

 

[Dragonflye]

Awesome Kate, congrats, these guys are so cool looking....ditto on the pics...keep taking them!

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Ive been staking out with my telephoto lens to get photos of him without him being stressed. hahah He's so great already & has such personality.

I offered a worm for the first time the other night(as he was only on pin heads & fruit flies at the breeders) Anyways, he fired up all crazy, he wasnt sure what to think. Im planning to drop a few in his feeder cup tonight & see if he finally tries to go for them. If hes too scared of his "veggies" then i will take them back out & try again in a few days.

Other than that he has done well.

I just shot a wedding this past weekend, so i will try to get photos of him on asap, but cant promise anything right away!! I have them, but pulling them from the camera might take a few more days.

I cant believe how much bigger he already seems!