Is Chameleon A Good Pet For A Child?

Wanting to get your child closer to a pet is indeed a great initiative, we believe. This is probably the best way to grow empathy in your child for these animals. But handing them over the right kind of pet is a different challenge. Dogs and cats are pretty common pets for kids. But what about a chameleon? Will it be a good one for them?

If you’re asking for a pet that your kid will find interesting and will be harmless to your kid, then we’d say a chameleon will be a good pet. But you have to teach your kid first how to handle them, as these reptiles are quite sensitive.

But the question is, how safe are your kids for a chameleon? Well, along with that, there are tons of other things you need to put on your list of considerations before handing your kid a chameleon.

Chameleons As Pets For Kids: The Good Sides

We’re kind of sure that you’d never ask for a pet that your kids will find hard to keep pace with. Well, that’s exactly what chameleons are. But there are tons of good sides to having a chameleon for your kid, and they are –

Adorable

Kids always look forward to having adorable pets, and chameleons surely look adorable with all those amazing colors on their bodies. On top of that, their ability to change those colors made these reptiles nothing but fascinating creatures.

Low Energy Pets

Because of their leisurely pace and low energy levels, chameleons don’t need a lot of care to be content. As long as they’re getting their favorite food within their range, plants, and branches to climb on, they will be okay in their enclosure.

So, if you don’t want your kid to invest too much energy in their pet, which will leave them too tired to do anything later, you’d find that having chameleons as a pet is more of a wiser choice. All you have to do is just set the right enclosure with the proper equipment and make sure it’s getting the required supplies there.

Longer Lifespan

The average lifespan of these reptiles in the wild is about two to three years. But with the right kind of attention from their owners, they can simply survive up to ten years, which is significantly higher if you’d compare them with some of the other common pets. So, if you’re asking for a pet that your kids can keep to them for a long time, this is it.

Low Weight

These color-changing reptiles are categorized by their varying sizes, shapes, and of course, their weight. Their weight varies depending on the lizard’s age and general condition. Male veiled chameleons can weigh anything from 85 to 170 grams, while females typically tip the scales at 118 grams at most.

This means if you want a pet that your kid can lift up easily, then chameleons are simply perfect for the role. But if you’re asking for our suggestion on that, we’d say teach your kid not to lift the lizard frequently, as that can stress them up.

Not A Frequent Biter

You’re maybe concerned about your kid’s safety under the fear that the reptile might bite them. Well, chameleons come with lots of features but being aggressive is not one of them, and we’ve already clarified that in this blog of ours.

So, unless the reptile is worried about its own safety, it’s not going to land a bite on your kid’s hand. But for that, make sure that your kid is not stressing up the reptile in the first place.

Not Venomous

If you’re thinking about the score of chameleons on the scale of venom, their scope will be simply zero. Yup! You’ve heard it right. They’re not venomous at all, unlike most of the other reptiles out there.

So, even if it manages to bite your kid under any stressful situation, it’s not going to do any major harm to your kid for sure. The only negative part of such action is that it’ll get your kid scared a bit.

Why Are Chameleons Tough to Handle for Kids?

There’s no way to deny that chameleons are nothing but unusually unique as pets. Probably that’s what has made it tough for the kids to handle them to a certain extent. But there’s more to it.

Easy to Get Stressed

Chameleons can get stressed easily, and they need to be handled with proper care for that. But we don’t know how much the kids can pull that off. Picking them up, putting them in unsuitable temperatures, putting them in front of a mirror, etc., can trigger stress in them. Actually, the list is so big that no kid can keep it all in mind that easily.

Solitary Reptiles

The only company a chameleon likes to have the most is itself. But when you’re handing your kids a chameleon, they’re surely not going to live it alone that easily. On top of that, when the reptile gets stressed, they change their color, and the kids surely will find it more fascinating, which ultimately will make them stick long with the pet.

Delicate Health

We don’t know too many reptiles that have delicate health as the chameleons. That’s why a chameleon’s environment must be kept in pristine condition at all times. Changes in the environment can trigger tons of health issues.

If you’re asking for some name, we can’t help metioning Edema, respiratory infections, injuries, shedding, tongue retraction difficulties, mouth infections, egg binding, etc. But for a kid, keeping track of all of it can be really challenging, or in a sense, impossible for their age.

Temperature Preference

Depending on the species, chameleons are most comfortable living in a certain temperature. So, it’s kind of more than important to keep track of the temperature every now and then. Experts say that using a thermometer is the best way to ensure that the heat is within the acceptable range.

If there’s any change in the numbers, either a little misting of water or the lighting of basking bulbs can get things back to normal. In general, chameleons can tolerate temperatures ranging from around 50° Fahrenheit to about 70°Fahrenheit.

But kids are not going to stick to a place with their pets, will they? They’ll go here and there where the temperature can be out of control. So, that can stress up the reptile quite easily.

What Can You Do to Make Things Better Between the Chameleon and Your Kid?

Getting your kid used to a cat or dog is comparatively easier. After all, they’re quite interactive and highly expressive. But chameleons are nothing like that. So, when you’re getting your kids a chameleon as their next pet, you need to try your best to make things better between them. We’d say you can try certain tips some tips including –

• Ask them to handle the reptile in the right way and teach them to be patient with the lizard.
• Don’t let them force themselves on the chameleon, as that might stress it up.
• Ask them to let the reptile be in its comfort zone, as the outer atmosphere might not contain the proper temperature.
• Tell them to wash off their hands every time they touch the reptile.
• Educate them about how the chameleon interacts and what the changing colors mean.
• Ask them not to go with higher expectations from the chameleon as they’re not interactive as other pets.
• Teach them about the symptoms of sickness in a chameleon so that they can be a bit more careful about the pet.

Final Words

Maybe you’re just a parent confused about whether you should or not fall for your children’s repeated demands for a pet chameleon. Well, we can assure you that doing so will be a mutually enriching experience. But that’s when you’re all on the same page and fulfilling your designated responsibilities.

From your kids’ end, they’ll have the chance to develop a sense of responsibility for their pet animals, especially when they’re taking in something like the chameleons. So, if you have a positive vibe over the fact that your kids can handle this delicate reptile, we’d say go for it and let your kids have what they’re asking for.