Hey I'm about to do a biology project involving land and water animals in an ecosystem. My partners and I want to use a chameleon but we have no idea how much it costs and my family is a little tight on money at the moment. My father suggests I use an aquatic turtle instead and we just found out that it costs about $15. Does anybody know if a chameleon is any cheaper or not? Please answer as soon as possible, and I value all your answers : )
Mahalo Nui Loa (Hawai'ian for thank you :))
Mahalo Nui Loa (Hawai'ian for thank you :))
An aquatic turtle will cost money to filter the water tank. A chameleon will just need to be fed.
turtles need a big tank red eared sliders get to 12 inches long and you will need to buy special light fixtures for both animals id say a chameleon would probably coast the same as a turtle would with the whole set up in place i had turtles in the past and there high maintenance to me the tank gets pretty dirty fast......... a chameleon will need high humidity levels.... do research on them id say in the long run they probably end up coasting the same
Both require special care, and both will need money spent to keep them healthy...
Chameleons stress very easily and don't appreciate being handled or moved around a lot, need a lot of ventilation ~and~ relatively high humidity levels, so are pretty difficult to keep happy... and are not by any means recommended for beginners.
A $15 turtle will still cost between $150 and $200 to set up properly after you've gotten the tank (10 gallons of water per inch of carapace {top shell} length, and remember to consider how large it will be as an adult... research research research ~before~ getting ANY animal) stand, filter (rated for at least twice the water volume it will be filtering), basking platform, heat lamp, UVB lighting (needed to produce vitamin D3, which is needed to properly metabolize calcium... without it, the turtle will eventually develop a soft and/or misshapen shell and die a horrible drawn out premature death), etc.... Also, if you do everything right, your turtle will need to be kept and cared for for 25 - 30 years or more...
If this project does not require use of a live animal that you know nothing about the care and maintenance of, either find another way or do the research on what the animal needs before you get it.
Chameleons stress very easily and don't appreciate being handled or moved around a lot, need a lot of ventilation ~and~ relatively high humidity levels, so are pretty difficult to keep happy... and are not by any means recommended for beginners.
A $15 turtle will still cost between $150 and $200 to set up properly after you've gotten the tank (10 gallons of water per inch of carapace {top shell} length, and remember to consider how large it will be as an adult... research research research ~before~ getting ANY animal) stand, filter (rated for at least twice the water volume it will be filtering), basking platform, heat lamp, UVB lighting (needed to produce vitamin D3, which is needed to properly metabolize calcium... without it, the turtle will eventually develop a soft and/or misshapen shell and die a horrible drawn out premature death), etc.... Also, if you do everything right, your turtle will need to be kept and cared for for 25 - 30 years or more...
If this project does not require use of a live animal that you know nothing about the care and maintenance of, either find another way or do the research on what the animal needs before you get it.