Introducing...Stanley!

[saucyaussies]

CrazyBird...I thought of you when I got him...thinking I'm getting the crazies too...

Just got this guy yesterday from a reptile rescue.  He is my first chameleon and with a ton of research and reading I hope I'm totally prepared.  A couple weeks worth of cage building, running around to various garden centres, researching online reptile supplies and finally the inhabitant, a male veiled chameleon and I have my first reptile!

A few pics snapped as he settled in to his basking area at the top of his cage (and a couple post misting, he wasn't very happy with me, but was thirsty).  He's still a bit thin (I think, he looks thin to me and came in very thin to the rescue, I'm his *third* home) so will be working on plumping him up a bit.

Sorry all the pics are taken through teh screen so not the best quality. No idea on age, but a few on the chameleon forum think he's between 8mos and 2 years.  So he has a long life ahead of him.

[BEAU]

Now that is a pretty cool looking guy!

[JoeF]

I like him. Check out that prehensile tail.

[Carol]

alright, someone fill me in....I'm clueless as to reptiles except for 2 anoles my kids "won" at school and neither made it past 6 mths.  What is the pleasure of having a reptile.....dogs you cuddle and play with, cats you cuddle, birds you get to bond and talk.....fill me in on the glees of the reptiles.  How long will a chamelion (yes Joe, pretty sure that's not spelled right) live??  What kind of care do they need?

[CrazyBird]

OMG if you could see me now, I'm positively GREEN with envy!!!!!

I want a cham very badly. But I hear they're very hard to keep. So I couldn't bring myself to get one. Good for you for taking on the challenge! He does look like he's on the thin side, but other than that he's amazing!

Congrats!!!! And I love the name Stanley!

[saucyaussies]

Well apparently he's not thin...he was making himself scary flat (cause flat is scary right?) hence the name Flat Stanley.  When he's calm, which is still fairly rare when I'm in teh room, he's much plumper.

He's a veiled, and they aren't quite as finicky as the others, say panters, meilleri etc are.  He gets crickets, gutloaded with veggies/fruit, some worms, right now we're doing a couple waxworms a day.  Daily misting, needs humidity of at least 40 (my house sits at 60, so no problem there), a basking area that gets up to 95F, and then in the night temps can be as low as 60F.  Tall cage, mine is 4' x 3' x 2'.  Most ppl keep them in 4x2x2.  Live plants, UVB tube (not compact!).  And that's about it.  Not hugely difficult.

Carol, I just love watching him.  Watching him eat is awesome, I'll try to get video one of these days.  I talk to him, but I'm honestly not sure if chams have ears, so he may not be hearing me.  He's not as into watching me as I am watching him.

CrazyBird...for tons of cham info go to http://www.chameleonforums.com you'll learn all you want to know, plus see some incredible looking chams!  I have a wish list *this* long!  lol!

Next on my list is an iguana, have much research to do there...I do like the fact that they are vegetarians though!  The rescue I got Stanley from has a couple big ones in...she says they get them regularly so I'll likely get one from there when the time comes, not for a year or so, want to get a huge enclosure built and get all knowledgeable first.

[Louisa]

he's cute!  i was always fascinated by their eyes.