Pet Chamleon Care

Can chameleons make good pets?

The answer is a resounding yes, based upon my years of experience keeping, breeding, and raising these amazing lizards! I’ve hatched thousands of baby chameleons spanning 18 different species, including hybrids, and have had four different live-bearing species give live birth numerous times.

These lizards are a passion of mine, and I’m here to help you understand pet chameleon care in captivity so that you’re successful with these special reptiles.

Chameleons make absolutely fascinating pets, for kids and adults alike. Very few reptiles are as captivating as these creatures, and I’ve found that no other reptile is as big of a crowd-pleaser.

Holding a cricket in your hand and having a chameleon shoot out its lightning-fast tongue to pluck it from your fingertips is something everyone should experience.

What makes pet chameleons so special?

How about their slow locomotion—back-and-forth like a leaf in the wind. It’s one of the ways chameleons blend into the background in the wild, so that predators don’t notice them. Chameleons will do this in captivity as well, as they’re maneuvering across a vine or branch.

How about their tongue—it’s up to 1.5 times as long as their bodies, and as precise as it is fast. A chameleon’s tongue supposedly accelerates at a G-force five times stronger than an F-16 jet. It never gets old watching them stalk a prey insect, calibrate their distance, and shoot their tongue across the cage in a blur.

One of the great things about having a pet chameleon is that they come in an array of sizes, from tiny Pygmy chameleons that are 2-3 inches total length, to giants like the Oustalet’s, Parson’s, and Meller’s which attain lengths in excess of 2+ feet. There’s a size for every taste.

Looking for a chameleon that’s a particular color? No problem, there are more color and pattern variations within chameleons than any other type of lizard. Bright yellows, blues, greens, oranges, reds, you name it!

What about personalities—can you handle your pet chameleon? Most species of chameleon are really passive and seemingly gentle, with just a few species that are a bit more defensive in nature. We’ll cover the best pet species as you continue reading.

The purpose of this website is to teach you how to become a chameleon expert yourself. I’ll show you, in easy-to-read sections, how to care for your pet chameleon, including how to set up a cage, the best foods, how they drink, what type of lights to use, how to handle, and even how to breed your pet chameleon.

In the United States, over 4.7 million households own pet reptiles—I challenge you to experience it for yourself! This site can be as comprehensive, or as simple, as you’d like it to be. Read for hours, or minutes—either way, I aim to help greatly increase your knowledge about pet chameleons.