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Which chameleon should I choose?
I'm always asked 'which chameleon is right for me?' The following is a general guideline that might help
you decide which chameleon is right for you.
If it's in your budget, I highly
recommend a male panther chameleon. They get 18-22 inches, and live for up to 8 years with good husbandry. They're almost
as forgiving in their husbandry as veileds, but they don't seem to have the attitude that veileds get. I would go
so far as to say most of my panthers are friendly (although no chameleon is ever truly 'friendly'; at best they can be
thought of as highly tolerant of one's presence). Panthers get some very nice colorations, with shades of light blue/turquoise
and red/maroon banding on the ambanjas when they 'fire up'. I've seen panthers described as the 'rock stars' of the chameleon
world with good reason!
If you can put up with an
attitude, then veileds offer the best "bang for your buck", in my opinion. You can buy baby and juvenile veileds at a reasonable
price and they grow big; about as big as panthers. Coloration on veileds are on par with (some will argue exceed) panther's
colorations. Veileds will typically show a background coloration of green, with orange, yellow, turquoise, blue, and red banding
possible when 'fired up'. As far as breeding, they are one of the easiest chameleons to breed in captivity. If you want a chameleon that is easy to care for (ease of care on par with veileds IMO),
stays a medium size, has a good disposition, and is real eye candy, then you want a Jackson. Xantholophus subspecies of Jackson
top out at about 12-14 inches, but I've had an older breeder male that reached a full 16 inches. Jackson coloration varies
between different shades of green, brown, and black when stressed. They don't possess the color variation that the panthers
and veileds get, but they make up for it in their head gear. Male Jacksons sport two occular horns and a single rostral horn
that is reminiscent of a miniature triceratops. A full grown Jackson will be very happy in a 65 gallon sized reptarium, making
them less demanding as far as their space requirements go. Jackson do not have the attitude veileds have, and once trust is
established, Jacksons will take food directly from you hand.
We are always looking for new ideas, suggestions and comments as to which direction the SDCK should go.
If you have any ideas, suggestion, pictures, or comments, please feel free to contact Victor Gomez at gomezvi@yahoo.com .
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