Chameleons in Morro Bay?

allwalksoflife87

allwalksoflife87

New Member
So I went to a pet store in Paso Robles (about 45 north of San Luis Obispo, ca) to pick up some bugs and while I was checking out, the girl at the register asked me if I heard about the rumor of wild chams in Morro Bay. I said no, I hadn't. Then I came on here and searched the threads and found several of them mentioned the rumor. Has anyone actually SEEN them? I go down to Cayucos with my family to our beach house several times a year and I would be very interested in knowing where in Morro Baby they are?? (I don't want to try and catch them, just see them for myself.)

Anyone can point me to some additional threads or websites talking about this would be cool also.:D
 
morrow bay

i too have heard rumors of a golf course , i have also read that most of them are fairly dehydrated and not in very good shape, i put an ad in last summers los angeles craigslist to try and find somebody with first hand knowledge but nobody responded. http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/c.jacksonii.html it is also said that jacksons have taken hold in florida. jmo
 
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xanthoman said:
i too have heard rumors of a golf course , i have also read that most of them are fairly dehydrated and not in very good shape, i put an ad in last summers los angeles craigslist to try and find somebody with first hand knowledge but nobody responded. http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/c.jacksonii.html it is also said that jacksons have taken hold in florida. jmo
Click to expand...

Yea I found that website also! Strange, I always thought the temps by the ocean would be too cold for them...but I guess not. I'll have to "wonder" by/in the golf course next time I'm down to see if I see any. If they look bad I will def. feel really bad and maybe I'll try and do something..... :\ I hope they're thriving ok if they are still there.

And I also wouldn't doubt there's chameleons in Florida with it's sub tropical weather. My ex told me there were a bunch of Jackson's in Hawaii also.
 
Here's a link to CaliforniaHerps.com about the Jacksons that are living in that area.

Origin
I have received a description of the origin of this introduced population of lizards from two independant sources. Both state that the lizards were released in 1981 by
California Department of Fish and Game employees when they left the door open to a chameleon cage during a raid on a suspect in Morro Bay. It is assumed that the employees did not see the lizards in the cage and ten chameleons escaped into the wild and began breeding.
Click to expand...
 
healthy xanths are well capable of handling short term temps into the 40*s, providing there is ample opportunity to them to warm up. xanths have been in hawaii since 1972. i think the ones in california are most commonly found on private property. they have reportedly been sighted in the area & campus of cal-poly, there is also an interesting story about cham legend and superstition. http://snakeymama.blogspot.com/2008/12/chameleons-in-morro-bay.html jmo
 
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allwalksoflife87 said:
Yea I found that website also! Strange, I always thought the temps by the ocean would be too cold for them...but I guess not. I'll have to "wonder" by/in the golf course next time I'm down to see if I see any. If they look bad I will def. feel really bad and maybe I'll try and do something..... :\ I hope they're thriving ok if they are still there.

And I also wouldn't doubt there's chameleons in Florida with it's sub tropical weather. My ex told me there were a bunch of Jackson's in Hawaii also.
Click to expand...

Vieleds are actually populating pretty vigorously in florida.
 
allwalksoflife87 said:
Yea I found that website also! Strange, I always thought the temps by the ocean would be too cold for them...but I guess not. I'll have to "wonder" by/in the golf course next time I'm down to see if I see any. If they look bad I will def. feel really bad and maybe I'll try and do something..... :\ I hope they're thriving ok if they are still there.

And I also wouldn't doubt there's chameleons in Florida with it's sub tropical weather. My ex told me there were a bunch of Jackson's in Hawaii also.
Click to expand...

Yup they are basically thriving in Hawaii. When I went back to where I lived in Hawaii there was a large population growth and back then never had any living where I lived always had to go Millilani/Wahiawa side just to look for some.
 
xanthoman said:
healthy xanths are well capable of handling short term temps into the 40*s, providing there is ample opportunity to them to warm up. xanths have been in hawaii since 1972. i think the ones in california are most commonly found on private property. they have reportedly been sighted in the area & campus of cal-poly, there is also an interesting story about cham legend and superstition. http://snakeymama.blogspot.com/2008/12/chameleons-in-morro-bay.html jmo
Click to expand...


Hey that's a really interesting legend! I've never heard that before. Thanks for the link! :) I love mythology :D
 
I live in San Luis Obispo right now. Every time I go to Morro Bay i look up in the trees hopping to spot a cham. I haven't seen any yet, but i'll keep looking! :)
 
I have never heard about a Santa Barbara population. But i wouldn't consider it impossible either. I just think Santa Barbara would be a little bit to hot for them.
 
When I was finishing my undergraduate education at Santa Barbara the local reptile shop in Isla Vista said on the coast where there was plenty of moisture there was an established colony of Jacksons Chameleons. I have heard rumors about this unconfirmed population from some old CIN members as well.
 
My second home is in Ojai, which is a little south of SB. Maybe if i get the chance i will do some research and take a trip to SB to see what i can see. it would be interesting if there was a confirmed population there. :)
 
That is interesting to hear that there is a rumor of a population in Santa Barbara. I live in Ventura just a little bit south of S.B. I'll Look around when I'm up there at the beaches or what not and see if i see any thing........
 
Has anyone from California had the oppertunity to go on a expedition and document this population. If not I have got a cousin going to school in San Luis Obispo and may have to bring my camera and start documenting this population. When I'm passing through the area collecting samples in Southern California and visiting my cousin.

Cross your fingers and I hope I can post some quality pictures.
 
I was told where to look for them in Orange County... but had no luck... we even snuck into the hotel to poke around the gardens to try and find them... nothing. :eek: Maybe they still live there and we didn't see them... but who knows.
 
I have read online and in books that they have been introduced to the Palos Verdes Peninsula here in LA County, i have been meaning to go up there for so long to look but just havent had the time. I live a little north of PV. It would be cool to go up there and try to find some chameleons.
 
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