Chameleons?

Question
Hi! I have been thinking about getting a chameleon for a while now, specifically a panther chameleon. They are a bit pricey though. I am currently the proud owner of a bearded dragon, russian tort, and a kingsnake. How does care/upkeep compare to these other reptiles??

Answer
Hi Christine,

Both the care and initial cost for setting up a Panther chameleon would be similar to that of your bearded dragon. The main difference with the set-up is that chameleons require good ventilation and really need a screen cage rather then a glass tank. The basic enclosure size would be similar, but oriented vertically of course. Something around 4 feet tall by 20 - 24 inches wide and deep would house an adult male (males are quite a bit larger then females). They have similar UVB and basking needs although with a slightly lower temperature range then beardeds require.

The main care difference would be the higher humidity and moving water requirements of chameleons.You probably already know that chameleons do not recognize standing water reliably and need droplets or dripping water to trigger drinking.  Misting two or three times a day should be sufficient for providing increased humidity. If you are in a particularly hot/dry state then one of those small cool mist humidifiers can be used right in the enclosure. They will drink the water from misting or you can set up a drip. Setting up a drip can be as simple as a container with a small hole on top of the cage with a catch basin down below. It should drip down over the foliage.
Chameleons do have a stronger need for naturalistic set-ups then most other species. I made use of a mixture of real and plastic plants when I had mine.

The diet and supplementation would be similar to your bearded but without the vegetation. Some literature suggests that Panthers will take some greens but the ones I worked with never did. Chameleons do seem to be sensitive to too much pre-formed (animal source) vitamin A. That worry can be avoided by using RepCal or other multivitamin that uses Beta-carotene as its vitamin A source. Carotenes are the precursor to vitamin A and cannot cause vitamin A overdose.

Chams really are best thought of as display animals only with handling kept to an "as needed" level. People make the mistake of thinking that because they move so slowly (or not at all) when handled, that they are not stressed. This is an animal who's first line of defense is to remain cryptic, still and hidden when threatened. My rule of thumb with handling them is to let them make the decision. Some chams become relaxed enough to treat an extended arm like another branch to climb onto. This works better if your hand and arm are higher then they currently are. I used to interact with my veileds by hand-feeding them mealworms and silkworms.

They really are fairly hardy once their particular needs are met and stress is kept to a minimum. The trick, as with any reptile, is to start with healthy, well kept animal from a reputable and knowledgeable source.