Large breeds?

[Nemesis]

Wow this forum is so slow!

Has anyone dealt with any of the larger breed chameleons? I was looking into getting one but I do not know much about them.

[mymenagerie_2004]

I have had large chameleons for going on 3 years and love it. I would say the most important consideration with the larger species is space. I have Meller's, Madagascan Giant Spiny, and Oustalet's. They all require large individual enclosures that are set up in such a way that they do not view each other. By large I mean a minimum 2x2x4 foot dimension for a sub adult, adults should be in a minimum 2 feet deep-4 feet long-4 feet high enclosure with lots of large plants, biovines, and I like manzanita tree limbs for their climbing. This set up is important for their physical and mental health. Devoting a large room to them is the best option. I have incorporated the chams into my living room. I find observing them to be more fascinating than most television shows.
Also, the larger the cham, the larger the prey. Large chams need cockroaches, small lizards, and large grasshoppers in their diet. To do this right you need to set up a roach nursery ( I raise hissers), commit yourself to raising the small lizards you purchase for an extended period to insure they are deparasitized, and devote your weekends to collecting grasshoppers in pesticide free fields. Silk worms, and horn worms are an option and they still relish crickets, and super worms, too.
The Meller's in particular require copious amounts of water daily, a least a half hour of spraying, the more desert, savannah species every two days. I use a hudson walk and spray attached to my bathroom faucet, this way each cham gets a minimum 1/2 hour, or 5 gallons of water for hydration. I just need to watch the buckets, and the time. The days that I am watering all 4 of my large chams it takes me 2 hours to water them. If I am watering just the 2 Mellers, just 1 hour.
Also the larger the cham, enclosure, and prey the bigger and smellier the mess to clean up. Plus they are more expensive to maintain. It does not bother me, I would not trade my chams for a dog or cat. It is worth the trade off to observe them being the big bad chams they are. But, they are not for everyone.
Always consider your lifestyle, and what sacrifices you are willing to make both in your personal time, and financial investment.

The crazy cham lady. : >

[Nemesis]

Thank you for your imput. I plan on researching very well before I decide on which large breed to get. :)