What Pet Stores do Wrong...
First I will start this out by saying that not ALL Pet Stores are bad, but a high percentage ARE bad. Why is this? Well, a Pet Store is a business, and in order to stay that way they must sell things, the things in this case being animals. That said, the average animal hopefully does not have to stay long at the store. Again, being a business, space is at a premium and visibility sells animals, and space and visibility means small glass cages. None of these things is good for a chameleon. Next we move on to the Pet Store employee. I would venture to say that the average Pet Store employee does not have a degree in animal husbandry nor do they have experience in ALL animals that a Pet Store carries. This is extrememly evident in the Big Box Pet Stores.
So, the average Pet Store employee sells a chameleon and sets the buyer up with the following items (I swear I see it time and time again so I am wondering where they get this?):
Glass aquarium with screen top
Reptile Carpet or Bark Substrate or even Cedar shavings
Analog thermometer/Hygrometer
Clamp Lamp and Basking Bulb-usually wrong wattage
Small plastic plants, sometimes Vines
Red Bulb for Nighttime use
Water dishes
What Pet stores SHOULD sell and I rarely see:
Screen Cages/Reptariums
Correct UVB Lighting
All the proper supplements
What Pet stores give wrong advice on:
Temperatures-They usually tell customers to keep them too high.
Lighting-they usually do not suggest UVB or sell coils or red bulbs or tell people to keep lights on all of the time.
Plants-they say things like: "Live plants will bring in parasites."
Misting-They do not tell people to do it at all or they don't tell them to do it enough.
Gutloading feeders: I have never heard or had a Pet Store employee explain gutloading to anyone.
I am sure the list goes on and on, but I hope I can save a few animals and well intented owners from going through the trauma of losing a beloved Pet due to bad Pet store advice.
Best Advice-buy supplies from Pet stores and animals from reputable breeders.
Supplies are far cheaper online!
My Chameleon Shopping List gives a good list of needed items.