I have never owned a chamelion... how much do they eat?

[dja]

I have never owned a chemelion but I am interested in buying one. I haven't done any research as to how to take care of them yet (though I would before I bought one).

My question is, how much does it cost to feed them per week? And also, I have heard that chemelions are very hard to care for, is this true?

[reptilemama]

Yes, chameleons are challenging for even experienced keepers. They stress easily, need high humidity and good ventilation, which is a tough combination to acheive, they can be picky eaters, go off feed for no reason, and even under perfect conditions can go downhill quickly, as they are very slow to show symptoms of illness. Feeding will be the least of your costs, as you will need a good screen cage, UV lighting, basking lights, humidifier, dripper, etc. If you order crickets online in bulk quantities, you can probably feed a single adult chameleon for under $10 a week, but if you've never had a lizard or haven't had much experience, I'd consider something different.