Lost chameleon found in Lake county, Florida

[xraygirl]

Someone just tagged me in this on Facebook....

 

[MorganC25]

Awww! He's so pretty! I hope they find the rightful owner, and they make sure to provide him with adequate temporary care. Could you try to keep updating on his situation?

 

[jannb]

He's good-looking boy. I hope you find his owner.

 

[xraygirl]

Awww! He's so pretty! I hope they find the rightful owner, and they make sure to provide him with adequate temporary care. Could you try to keep updating on his situation?

I've given her a crash course in how to care for him for now. She says she's going to keep in touch with me, I have two folks we know through the FB groups that live near her and can take him in. She is being bombarded with messages from a bunch of people who "want" him. So I told her that I can ask the proper questions/request pics to these folks who want him so that I'll know if they know what they're doing.... But if anyone lives in that area, spread the word! I'm from there but don't know any keepers in that area.

He was found in the Eustis, Pine Lakes area.

 

[Chase]

Wow! I am less than half an hour from Her. I could take him in if everyone else falls through.

Chase

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

How do you misplace a chameleon?

/thread

 

[MsCham]

Lost or set "free"? I find it hard to believe that someone would "misplace" a chameleon, so I'm placing my bets on this beauty needing a proper home... Poor boy!

 

[jajeanpierre]

How do you misplace a chameleon?

/thread

It is surprisingly easy to do.

 

[JlaPinska]

wasn't there a breeder in florida who was robbed last year/earlier this year? Also there is a wild population of chameleons in florida now so it's hard to say if he really was someone's pet. Either way they arent native so i would get him in a home asap and if he WAS someones pet and they lost him or set him free, they don't deserve to have him back. I keep a close eye on my cham and i sit with him when he sunbathes outside so i really don't understand how people can lose them either. Its irresponsible to "lose" a $500+ investment.. but thats just my opinion

 

[JlaPinska]

maybe it's just me but from the looks of the picture he is missing the tip of his tail

 

[Loistwx]

He's such a cutie! If I lived in Florida I'd take him in, in a heart beat! He does look like he is missing part of his tail.

Keep us updated!

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

Also there is a wild population of chameleons in florida now so it's hard to say if he really was someone's pet.

Do you have any info on this? That would be pretty hard to sustain life out there considering the python epidemic in Florida, would be awesome if the numbers actually rose to levels that became uncontrollable for FFWCC to handle.

 

[Chase]

Do you have any info on this? That would be pretty hard to sustain life out there considering the python epidemic in Florida, would be awesome if the numbers actually rose to levels that became uncontrollable for FFWCC to handle.

Look up Florida Python Hunters on Facebook. They catch them all the time. been a common practice for years.

Apparently now though there are panthers wild (not saying this one is wild)

Chase

 

[Chase]

wasn't there a breeder in florida who was robbed last year/earlier this year? Also there is a wild population of chameleons in florida now so it's hard to say if he really was someone's pet. Either way they arent native so i would get him in a home asap and if he WAS someones pet and they lost him or set him free, they don't deserve to have him back. I keep a close eye on my cham and i sit with him when he sunbathes outside so i really don't understand how people can lose them either. Its irresponsible to "lose" a $500+ investment.. but thats just my opinion

You know, its real easy to say how easy to keep an eye on your chameleon, but take your eye off them for 30 seconds and they're gone. What if a bird scooped this one up right in front of the owner.

One of the things that brings this hobby down is that people are quick to jump on someone's case. I know I'm guilty of it, but it sure does make people not want to talk to others about their pets.

Chase

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

You know, its real easy to say how easy to keep an eye on your chameleon, but take your eye off them for 30 seconds and they're gone. What if a bird scooped this one up right in front of the owner.

One of the things that brings this hobby down is that people are quick to jump on someone's case. I know I'm guilty of it, but it sure does make people not want to talk to others about their pets.

Chase

I can understand the bird thing, but if a bird really did get that cham it would have dropped it a few times to kill it.

And yes, I'm not saying that I am not guilty of looking away for a few seconds but panthers are so brightly colored I cant understand how you just look at your phone and then POOF gone....with a veiled its certainty a different story.

 

[Carlton]

Do you have any info on this? That would be pretty hard to sustain life out there considering the python epidemic in Florida, would be awesome if the numbers actually rose to levels that became uncontrollable for FFWCC to handle.

??? Why would the pythons make it hard for a cham to survive in FL?

FL's overall climate, habitat, and prey availability would make it pretty likely that panthers would survive. Not that anyone should be encouraging releases. That's the last thing our community needs...another public black eye from careless escapes or intentional introduction. Chams don't belong in the wilds of FL whether they can survive there or not.

 

[Chase]

I can understand the bird thing, but if a bird really did get that cham it would have dropped it a few times to kill it.

And yes, I'm not saying that I am not guilty of looking away for a few seconds but panthers are so brightly colored I cant understand how you just look at your phone and then POOF gone....with a veiled its certainty a different story.

Panthers aren't always displaying their colors vividly

Chase

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

??? Why would the pythons make it hard for a cham to survive in FL?

Chams don't belong in the wilds of FL whether they can survive there or not.

1. Easy food source

2. Remember pangea?

 

[Carlton]

I can understand the bird thing, but if a bird really did get that cham it would have dropped it a few times to kill it.

And yes, I'm not saying that I am not guilty of looking away for a few seconds but panthers are so brightly colored I cant understand how you just look at your phone and then POOF gone....with a veiled its certainty a different story.

People lose them all the time. They put one outdoors in a backyard shrub assuming their normally slow-moving cham won't get far before they realize it. Even with bright colors most chams are very hard to spot in a complicated visual background. Their patterned coloration breaks up their shape and silhouette, their very quiet way of moving, and ability to quickly disappear in swaying foliage makes it all too easy. A cham trying to get to a larger tree is a lot quicker than we realize, especially well warmed up in the sun.

 

[LeeroyJenkins]

People lose them all the time. They put one outdoors in a backyard shrub assuming their normally slow-moving cham won't get far before they realize it. Even with bright colors most chams are very hard to spot in a complicated visual background. Their patterned coloration breaks up their shape and silhouette, their very quiet way of moving, and ability to quickly disappear in swaying foliage makes it all too easy. A cham trying to get to a larger tree is a lot quicker than we realize, especially well warmed up in the sun.

You can make that argument, but I never said it was impossible. I said how could you do that, every time I go outside with my cham I'm always paying attention to it because I really don't trust birds.