Trying to decide..beardie or not?!

Hi folks,

After weeks of speaking to pet shop owners and trying to work out if they really know what they are talking about or not, i decided this was the way to go. Im trying to decide whether to buy a Beardie or a Chameleon. Have been researching both. Pros: chameleon.. Not demanding on handling time, so working all day is not a big problem as far as i can tell, beautiful looking creature but...CONS: not much fun by all accounts, delicate, boring, slow. etc

Other option is obviously a beardie (otherwise i wouldn't be here) Again, seem to have a better reputation for being a fun pet, again beautiful creature, hardier...ah..you know all this..im the one looking for advice.

Any comments one way or another would be greatly appreciated. At the moment the Beardie is ahead by a hair, only thing holding me back is that if I am working all day, is he going to loose out by not being handled apart from only in evenings etc.

Look forward to hearing from you. Iain.

PS. I have had geckos before so i know the basics (sort of).

I'd go with a bearded, much easier to keep and you can actually hold them(you could always get two females so they keep each other company)...although chameleons are very neat to just watch. I've had both and I like them equally....tough decision!

welcome!! beardies are great, lots of work, lots of fun, lots of money, but wonderful.

if you do get two females they may not get along and be prepared to have to seperate them!

Its best not to house beardies together really, as you'll read from other members posts.

good luck!

i guess it depends on what you want.

do u like to interact with your pets or do u like having something that looks awesome in a tank?

if u like to interact, i'd def go the dragon, if youre 'a fish person' like my boyfriend (im a girl chris) and are happy to look @ things without feeling teh need to touch em,., i'd go with the cameleon, mainly due to your lack of time.

beardies are absolutely awesome, and once they get to know you they get very demanding and get upset when tehy dont get the attention they feel they deserve.

i think bd's need bigger tanks too.

personally, i'd go with beardies, i never expected tehm to be as sweet and affectionate as they are, but i'm a touchy feely person. :lol:

tehy are alot or work though.

Chris I thought you where a man :O

hehe, i wasnt having the most original day when i first came here,!! :lol:

Beardies don't necessarily need bigger tanks. I had to get a setup for a Jackson's Chameleon once, and was suprised at how big the tank needed to be, especially for such a small animal. I've found that it is generally alot easier to find accurate, well-researched information on the Bearded Dragons than on Chameleons. Also, you have to be especially careful with Chameleon breeders. Make sure they have a good warranty. There's a reason that that's so hard to find with Chameleons, I'm afraid. One of the few genuinely good sources I've found on Chameleon care is an absolutely wonderful book called "The Chameleon Handbook" by Francois LeBerre, R.D. Bartiett, and Patricia Barlett.
Here are some other sources on Chameleon info: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~sharritt/694/
http://rwochameleons.bravehost.com/index.html
http://hometown.aol.com/jjettavw/myhomepage/pet.html (I know that this site has a Bearded Dragon link attached as well but I haven't read it and don't vouch for the info on it, I'm only giving it as a Chameleon reference)
http://www.reptilevet.com/chamel.htm
http://www.geocities.com/chamjacksonii/behavior.html
http://www.chameleonjournals.com/marketplace/index.php?show=makedrip
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/bot350/1996/Reyes/reyes.htm
I know that alot of this focuses on the Jackson Chameleon, sorry, it's the only info I have.
Also, beware of any site or book that mentions Chameleons as being the same things as anoles or other types of lizards, they are not the same and saying so is the first sign of ignorance and bad info.
That said, I have to agree with the others about it depending on your own temperament. If you want a pet you can touch, then don't get a Chameleon.