A Guide To Buying Chameleons

Chameleon Care Course (Day 1)

Congratulations! You have taken the first step to becoming a
responsible chameleon owner! I would like to personally thank you
for doing the homework first before making a purchase. This 5 Day
Course will ensure that you have the knowledge to succeed with your
chameleon.

Have you ever heard someone say "Chameleons are hard to take care of"?
This is absolutely NOT true! The problem is not the chameleon,
but a combination of 3 things.

1. Starting out with the WRONG CHAMELEON
2. Starting out with the WRONG SETUP
3. Starting out with the WRONG NUTRITION

On days 1-3, we'll cover the 3 items above in detail. On Day 4
we'll go over how to shop for a new chameleon. On Day 5 we'll go
over how to prevent the most common problems with chameleons.

So let's get started! How do you start off with the RIGHT
CHAMELEON? In short, you should purchase from a reputable BREEDER.
This is in contrast to purchasing from a DEALER. Many pet stores
fall into this category. What is the difference?

A reputable BREEDER is an expert and their chameleons have been
raised in optimal conditions. From the very first day a baby
chameleon is hatched, they are kept at the optimum temperatures, in
the optimum enclosure, and are fed the optimum diet. They have the
knowledge to keep their chameleons in the best health possible.
When you take delivery of your chameleon, you can rest assured that
they are well-started.

DEALERS, on the other hand, buy from wholesalers and often house
their chameleons in poor conditions. They usually offer hundreds
of different animals with no real expertise in any one area. The
chameleon may change hands several times before landing at their
final destination. Some DEALERS house their chameleons properly,
but it saddens me to say that the overwhelming majority do not. I
have personally witnessed chameleons housed in 10 gallon aquariums
with poor lighting and no water. When you take delivery of your
chameleon, they are often stressed and in poor condition.

A reputable BREEDER will also back their chameleons with a
guarantee. In addition to a live arrival guarantee, most offer a
5-day guarantee. Screameleons DOUBLES that and offers a 10-Day
Health & Satisfaction Guarantee. In those 10 Days, you should
observe that the chameleon is alert, eating, and exhibits signs of
being healthy.

DEALERS often offer poor guarantees. Most offer a 24 hour
guarantee, which is not sufficient when evaluating the health a
chameleon. Because DEALERS have a limited number of chameleons
on-hand, sometimes it can be difficult getting a replacement if
something should go wrong.

A good BREEDER will always be available to answer your questions
before and, more importantly, after the sale. If a problem should
arise, they will be there to guide and assist you. Having someone
to contact is extremely important. Most vets have a limited
knowledge about chameleons, so your best bet is to stay in contact
with your BREEDER.

DEALERS are in the sole business of resale. They do not have any
interest in breeding or keeping chameleons as a hobby. The side
effect is that they are also very limited in their knowledge about
chameleons. There is nothing worse than calling a DEALER for help,
and finding out that they are clueless.

Even if you decide not to choose Screameleons for your chameleon,
we recommend that you stick with a reputable BREEDER. How do you
know who is a reputable BREEDER? The short answer is research,
research, and MORE research. The Internet will be the best place
to start. For instance, visit www.google.com, and search the
words "Screameleons thumbs up". Within seconds, you should see
feedback posted by users worldwide. Also, call the BREEDER and ask
them questions. If they give you poor service before the sale, you
can count on them not picking up the phone after the sale. Lastly,
look for testimonials from past customers. A reputable BREEDER
will have several testimonials from satisfied customers. For an
example, check out our list of testimonials.

http://www.screameleons.com/reasons_to_buy_chameleon.htm

That concludes Day 1 of the Course. We'll pick up tomorrow and
discuss starting out with the RIGHT SETUP.

Thanks for reading!