Missing chameleon: ransacked the room / fyi's lesson learned.

[unixmiah]

Yesterday was a complete misery. I thought I lost my 7 weeks old $300 bucks panther with a special blend and it stressed me the hell out.

I'm starting to train my Chameleons to be free rangers at day time and night time back on their cage-- during work I feel terrible they're in their cages, I'd much rather them be free while I'm not taking care of them.

My lil panther is a adult plan size full in length with his tail uncurled but he's very fast. I thought he ran away, the entire room is carpeted and windows sealed shut- the ac duct is very thin, he wouldn't fit it--- there is no gap between the door and carpet--

I did notice in there is a door to a utility room and there is somewhat of a small crack between the door and the carpet. I thought he ran in there, I spend an hour almost
looking in there, I smoked a few cig's and blew smoke in the utility room so he'd make a move-- I was literally like god give me a sign.

I really thought I lost him. After 5 hours he decides to come out of some corner of his cage. I thoroughly searched his cage like a state trooper searching for drugs. I checked every corner of his cage-- I even tried banging it to make sure he didn't get lost. I wonder why he did that, I really thought I lost him, I have no idea where he could have hid in his cage, still baffled and dumbfounded on where he was hiding. My Veiled never hides even if he doesn't like his visitors.

Lesson learned:

If you loose a chameleon, Chameleons don't hide in corners or cracks. They like to be in an open space but hide behind a leaf but not under a refrigerator with dark corners.

Is that true at all?


Small babies can hide, most fast and act un chameleon like

Why is that?

I already sealed the gap just in-case; last thing i want is lost chameleons in a dark utility room lost dying of hunger and thrust.

 

[Chameleonsthecoolest]

Nothing more than LOL. Haha in sorry it's amazing! They are such good hiders. My mom once took one of my chameleons to her classroom for a day and she left the door open. I was so terrified when I got home. Then 10 minutes later my mom showed up with him. In that 10 minute is had destroyed my room...

 

[AESara]

My baby veiled I had several years ago escaped his cage when I was at work. I tore the bedroom apart looking for him and finally found him staring at me while sitting on top of a hanger in the closet.

When he got bigger I let him free range since there were no animals or kids around to hurt him. I would always find him up on top of cabinets, on top of the shower, etc.

In my experience, just check all the high places.

 

[Aves]

That is a funny story! I was so lucky the other day when I left the house for about 2 hours and somehow forgot the door from his cage open... I was lucky because he didn't came out of his cage one lucky person right here

 

[unixmiah]

@Aves: that's funny but they never leave their cage from what i noticed-- they would much rather prefer not to get lost and leave their enclosure/environment.

My question is if they leave their enclosure do they know how to come back to it? Do they see and come back or smell and come back to their cage?

 

[unixmiah]

@AESara: that's funny and im sure this is likely-- that must have been frustrating and at the same time rewarding when you found him. I guess like go to high places bc on the bottom they are most likely to be eaten in the wild.

 

[unixmiah]

@Chameleonsthecoolest that's what I did-- I tore their room apart, thought he would be in a box or something or under something which is never the case. Then he suddenly emerges from his cage. idk how.