Soon-to-be chameleon owner w/ few questions!

[m1ndless]

My roomate has raised chameleons for years, and I am becoming really interested in them, and want to purchase one. I have read many many guides and even bought a book on how to raise and feed them and everything..

I just acquired a tank from my friend for free, and I want to get a veiled chameleon for it. I was told an all glass enclosure is typically not that great for chameleons, is that true? He has his adult cham in a 60 gallon all glass tank with a small fan pointe towards it for airflow.. will that work fr me too? Is it possible to take out one of the glass panels, like the front, and replace it with a mesh like the roof?

Also, the tank I got is about 37 gallons I believe, the dimensions are 24" Tall x 30" Long x 12" Wide. Would that be okay for a baby chameleon? How long could I keep it in that small of a tank, 6 months maybe?

Also, what would you reccomend for the best lights and heat lamps for that size cage? I have 2x24" lights that can go across the top, should I get 1 or 2 of the ZooMed UVA/UVB lights? Do both need to be the UVAUBB should I just use a normal light in the other socket?

Also, can I juse use a normal flood light for a basking spot, or do I need a special heat lamp? How far above the cage should I mount it?

Has anyone ever mail-ordered from reptiledepot.com? They are $70 shipped to my door overnight, or my local petsmart has them for $90+tax, what route should I go?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[TSI_shinobi]

First off, i cant believe your Roomates Cham is still alive , hes extremely lucky....They should never be kept in a glass cage, they need an open air terrarium. Chameleons can get claustrophobic very easily, and it will stress them very badly. Also glass cages can allow them to see their reflection, causing them to become defensive over their habitat, which will also stress them out.
So take all the knowledge that he has given you, and throw it out the window
lets start from the begining, and we will have a nice healthy Chammy, with out luck


-Cages-
I wouldnt suggest removing one of the glass panels in the cage you have already because it will comprimise the structual rigidity of the enclosure, making it weak, just go out and buy a 30-50 dollar open air enclosure for your baby. Babys shouldnt be kept in big cages, it can make them irratible, just upgrade as it gets bigger. Do not use things that lines the bottem of a cage, Bark, aspen, dirt or sand EVER!! as it can be ingested causing blockages and impactions. when they shoot at their food, they eat it along with their buggy dinner
-Lighting-
By now im sure you know that chameleons are cold blooded, they need a heat lamp to aid in digesting their food. I use an Infrared Bulb that you can get at any reptile supply store, the red light can not be seen by the herps. try low wattage for your baby, they can get burned easily, i use 50w and 75w bulbs. as for Ultraviolet Lighting, most lamps will produce UVA light, what chameleons need is UVB, it is important for growth (especially Bone), Color developement, and overall health. You can get UVB emitting bulbs at your local reptile supply store. Turn the UV light off at night, but keep the Infrared bulb light on, this stimulates the cyrcadian Rhythm (Night and Day cycle) as stated before they cant see the red light, so theyll sleep soundly at night.

-Food-
Chameleons eat a plethera of bugs, they will eat pretty much anything you give them, so becareful of this, just like you and i, they can get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, so try to mix up their diet with mealworms(not very nutritious and hard to digest, but they love em), Crickets(normal staple for them when gut loaded), silkworms (great staple diet, hard to keep alive, great nutrition). Phoenix worms (just as good as Silkworms only easier to keep, harder to get) Butter worms and Waxworms are similar to Mealworms, they are tasty to Chams, high in fat no real nutrition, good for a hardy snack.

-WATER-
The most imporant thing to know about chameleons, they are water needy alllllllllllllllllllll(get the point) the time. they need to have some kind of mister/ dripper system, whether it be your hand spraying them at least 2 times a day for 5 to 10 minutes a piece or an automatic type like Habbamist, which i use both for full coverage, also you can put them in a luke warm shower, on a plant, they will drink to their hearts content if they are thirsty. make sure to check for signs of dehydration, sunken eyes, flaky skin, and non elastic skin are the most obvious.


-Boy Vs Girl!-

Just in case your knowledge is a bit small on these little guys, you should probably make sure of the sex of said reptile. Female Veileds are very labor intensive, they can lay infertile eggs if not bred. The egg laying site for the girl needs to be perfect for her, if she doesnt like it she will not lay them, she will become egg bound (all the eggs get stuck up inside her) and she will suffer from something like Toxic Shock Syndrome. And she will die.... so keep that in mind too


So inclosing, i dont want you to think im bashing you, but i want you to be able to enjoy your Chameleon expirience, they are wonderful and worth the trouble,and before you know it once you have one youll have more, and trust me i know, i have 3 at the moment with babies on the way!!

IF NEED MORE INFO CHECK OUT:
Chameleon Forums
THE MEMBERS THERE ARE EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND WILL BE WILLING TO HELP, BUT THEY CAN BE HARSH SO TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME =)
Zack

[Spazizz]

Get a dwarf chameleon they are awesome. Im thinking of getting one of the bigger species as well though, I like the segnel chameleon. But at the place around my areas they run for $100 any one know if thats high or not?