i want to buy a chameleon but i was told that if i have never had a reptile i should not get one. i have never had a reptile and would like to get one i want one that is easy to take care of and that won't scare the crap out of my parents.please any suggestions :)
2006-11-18 07:45:15 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Lepord Gecko
They Do Not bite
They Can't Climb Walls Like Other Gecko's
They Are Naturaly Clean.
Things To Look For: Tell the Pet Store Employe To Drop a Cricket In A Lepord Gecko's Cage.If It Is Live And Alert It's A Keeper.
If not Chose a Differnt one.
Things To Look For When Chosing
1.Live And Alert
2.Young
I Have A Book On Lepord Gecko's On pets But It's At the Library.but this Is what I remember.
Oh And Also Lepord geckos Are Nocturnal. Feed Them 2 Times per day if I remmeber Correctly.
Food ------------
Lepord Gecko's Eat Live Food.Including Crickets,Mealworms,ect.
You Must Get a Container With Holes In it.Drop the Insects In And Put Some Fresh vegtables,Carrot Shavings,zuchini,ect.You Must Feed Them Before You Feed Your Lepord Gecko.When You are Ready Drop Some In.If Your Uncomterbal With Picking Them Up Use a Small Bowl.The Gecko Will Eat Out of The bowl.
Vitamins-------- Nutriets In the Insects Won't Help Your Gecko Grow Strong.I Suggest Putting Reptile Vitamin Powder On Your Crickets before You feed them To your Lepord Gecko.
Water------ Lepord Gecko's Like To Drink Out Of A Dish.Encouraging To Do this Is Spraying Them With A Light Spray Bottle.Make Sure It Has Never Been Used.And Is Baby Safe.Put Some Warm Water In it and Spray your Gecko 1-3 Times Daily.
Waste---------Lepord Gecko's Are Naturaly Clean And Will Chose One Spot of there tank As A Bathroom.As Soon As You Know That Spot Put a Towel Under it.
Habitat------Lepord Gecko's Come From the Desert.So Put Some Bedding To Prevent Your Gecko Laying on the cold Glass.
Do NOT PUT SAND.You May Put Some Artifical Rocks But Make Sure You Wash Them Good.Look In A book For Witch Kinda plants Your Gecko Will Like.
Roomates-----Lepord Gecko's Are Usally Solitary.But If You Plan to Keep More than One Gecko Pick Female.2 males tend to fight.
Tank---- About a 30 gallon tank Will do
Handiling----Your Lepord Gecko May Run Away If You try to pick it up.Let it Get used to you and it may Let you pick it up.NEVER PICK IT UP BY THE TAIL.in The Wild Lepord Gecko's Snap Off there tail if a bird picks it up by it,And runs away.If it does manage to break off by accident It will grow a new one but shorter.
Young Gecko's---- Young Lepord Gecko's Do Not Have Spots.As They Grow Older They Will grow spots.
Death---Lepord Geckos live for 20-30 years with proper Care.
Lighting----They Need an Ultra Violent Light.
And Do not put Heat Rocks in the tank as lepord geckos may burn them selfs.Rememeber To Not Stack To many Rocks on each other.as they can fall and hurt your pet.
This Is Usally Proper Care For A Lepord gecko.
Things to remember--- They Belong to a group of Animals With Eyelids.So When Your Gecko Sleeps It Will have it's eye's closed.
They Are Nocturnal.Your Bed Time Is There Day Time.
You Can Buy gecko's From reptile Breeders.Or Petsmart for Example.
2006-11-18 07:49:35 · answer #1 · answered by Brian 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Chameleons are extremely delicate creatures, and if you've never owned a reptile, they may not be a good place to start.
Here's some reptiles that DO make good starter pets:
Corn Snake
Bearded Dragon
Leopard Gecko
Russian Tortoise
Anole
Red-tailed boa
All of the above are fairly easy to care for, docile enough to handle safely, and everything you need to care for them is available at just about any petstore you go to. Try going online and looking up each one to see if any of them suit you. Chameleons are awesome, but you really have to know what you're doing as far as managing temperature zones, humidity, feeding, lighting, etc. before you can keep one alive. Good luck!
By the way, never believe anyone who says an animal doesn't bite. Leopard geckos DO bite. It may not be often or hurt, but if an animal has a mouth, it bites.
2006-11-18 19:33:38 · answer #2 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Whatever you do, don't buy a green iguana unless you have the room. I rescued a small one (1 foot long at first), as the owners were going to put it in the freezer to kill it. I had always wanted an iguana and decided now was the time to rescue it!!! It grew and thrived to about 5 feet (which is smaller than normal as growth had been stunted by the previous owners). I built a 6x6x3 foot cage for him and he was happy as a lark. Lived for another 14 years after that. Just passed away last year. Great pet, easy to deal with; but, you definately need the room.
2006-11-18 20:03:24 · answer #3 · answered by Firefightra 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I just want to point out that Brian's reply is pretty much dead on except for one thing! Leopard Geckos do not need UV lights. They are a nocturnal species and prefer to hide all day long. They do not bask in the sun like other reptiles. They get all they need from their food and do not need UV for processing certain minerals.
We have had our Leo for over 8 years now and never had a UV light on him. He is as healthy as a horse. No need to spend the money on an expensive light when there is no need too!
2006-11-18 16:14:32 · answer #4 · answered by nanookadenord 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm an experienced reptile keeper and am studying herpetology.Chameleons are NOT beginer reptiles.I would recomened a Leopard Gecko.I have 2.They are very clean and dont use the bathroom all over their cage.If you decide to buy any reptile,DONT get one from a petshop.Petshops are very bad with reptiles.
I hope that this helps.
P.S. go to geckoforums.net
2006-11-18 16:03:21 · answer #5 · answered by geckoluvr95 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Leopard gecko or bearded dragon. Only drawback to a beardie for a beginer is that they need UV light while leos don't. :) I have both and both are great beginer reptiles. If you like snakes, ball pythons are wonderful beginer herps as well (they don't get huge and are pretty calm, easy going snakes), but parents tend to freak out about snakes, go figure.
2006-11-19 01:04:29 · answer #6 · answered by Tara Lupa 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A chameleon is not the best pet to get. Although you may be able to hold them while they are young when they grow up they won't let you hold them and they start to get cranky. They are pretty easy to take care off though. I would suggest you read up about them first and find more information before you decide on that as a pet.
2006-11-18 16:28:55 · answer #7 · answered by Valerie 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
leos are really good first reptiles.... mine went in the same spot of the cage every time and was really nice and not hostile like my other gecko is.. well gl and you will spend alot for you first rep bc you dont have anything for it.. ie cage bedding water bowl lights etc.... and a word of advice DO NOT USE CALCISAND OR ANY SAND LIKE BEDDING its too fine and will impace (stop up) your leo had it happen.. we have fine gravel in out banded geckos cage and he is doing just fine in it... if you can see the grains from a few feet away its ok... NO SAND.... gl tho
2006-11-19 03:35:31 · answer #8 · answered by bribri 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm with the majority of others on this, go with a leopard gecko, chameleons are NOT for begginers, you could even go with a corn snake, that is if your parents arn't afraid of snakes. Good Luck!!
2006-11-18 18:22:17 · answer #9 · answered by xxpsycho_sweetiexx 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
read up on everything on chameleons,set up your tank,get it the way you like it, then go to kingsnake.com,and order you chameleon,I would get a Jackson,because of its 3 horns,hey you got to start some time.and if you listen to what everybody says,you would be wishing you did get one,20 years from now.get one and learn!
2006-11-19 07:52:43 · answer #10 · answered by tom l 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋