Chameleon Facts

Hello, my name is John and my goal is to help you discover some helpful chameleon facts and tips on proper housing and care for your new chameleon before you bring him home. I started this blog in hopes of helping people avoid some of the mistakes I made in selecting and caring for my wonderful veiled chameleon named Marty. Chameleons are shy, wonderful creatures. They aren’t the right pet for a child or anyone who isn’t willing to invest the work, time, and money to properly care for these marvelous animals. I absolutely love chameleons. They are a beautiful and wonderful pet. I had the joy and privilege of caring for my little guy, Marty, for about 2 and 1/2 years. I first saw Marty at a pet store when he was a baby. I immediately fell in love. After begging my wife for several days, I finally got him as a birthday present.

Unfortunately, the pet store had not given Marty proper care because they apparently didn’t know anything about chameleon facts housing and care. The pet store had his housing, lighting, and diet all wrong. They put a hot incandescent light bulb in the little guy’s cage and it burned about half of his tail off when he bumped against it. The store also sold me all the wrong equipment to house and care for Marty by selling me the same type of stuff they had been using. A small glass terrarium, one incandescent light bulb, and a wood chip substrate was what they sold me. Unfortunately I didn’t research chameleon care before I brought Marty home to be sure he got off to a proper start. I should have had all of the right stuff researched and set up before I purchased him.

I researched chameleon care three days after bringing Marty home and corrected the situation after two of his little legs broke due to metabolic bone disease which he had when I bought him (I was unaware of this, of course). I thought he would need to be put down due to one broken right front and left rear leg. Ultimately we decided to see if he could pull through. With the proper enclosure, lighting, diet, and supplementation that we now had for Marty he made an amazing recovery over the course of a few weeks. His legs mended but he never did fully recover from the metabolic bone disease that he got due to the improper start he received from the pet store. This is why I would suggest that you purchase your chameleon from a qualified breeder with an excellent reputation instead of a pet store.

In spite of his rough start, Marty grew into a big beautiful chameleon and we had about 2 wonderful years where Marty thrived and enjoyed his life. He was unusual in that he would swipe his paw in the air at us and beg to come out of his cage to roam the house when we came near his cage. This is rather unusual as chameleons are usually somewhere between shy and fearful of humans. He was delightful. He would ride our shoulder, perch on our hand, and have fun climbing around the house. Marty was a natural free spirit and a delightful clown. He was hilarious when he gobbled hunks of watermelon (which he absolutely loved) and then shake his head back and forth with a “watermelon rush”.

In the end, Marty declined all too soon and broke our hearts. We spent about $500.00 on veterinary fees trying to save him but lost him after a couple of torturous months of watching him slowly slip away. We loved him so, and will never forget our sweet chameleon.

More Chameleon Facts

Chameleons are originally from remote areas like rain forests or desert regions. They are primarily found in Madagascar or Africa with some species located in Europe and Asia. All chameleons share some characteristics in common. All of them have eyes that move independently of each other. Their eyes look rather comical as they travel independently of each other to enable them to see predators from every direction.

They also have long retractable tongues that are somewhat bulbous and “sticky” on the end for catching prey. Their tongues are often one and a half times their main body length. Their tails are prehensile, which means they can use it to wind around and grip tree branches and vines. Their tails also aid chameleons in maintaining their balance.

Chameleons often change their color based on their mood or the climate. When a male is chasing a female it will often display brighter colors. They will also often display bright colors and “hiss” if they are angry or stressed in any way. Their color is usually green which serves as a camouflage against predators in the canopies and tree tops of the rain forest. If their surroundings change they can readily change their color to blend in.

Different species of chameleons vary in size. An adult panther chameleon can range between 12 to 18 inches. An adult veiled chameleon can range between 18 and 24 inches. Their life span is between 5 and 10 years with proper housing and care. Pigmy chameleons are smaller at 2 to 4 inches and live about 3 to 5 years.

My personal favorite is the veiled chameleon as they tend to be a bit more hardy than some of the other species of chameleon and I just love their look and nature. Chameleons aren’t an easy pet to care for. You will need to invest a fair amount of time and money in one to keep it safe, happy, and healthy. For more information about chameleon facts and care click here.