My new chameleon died

[Kathryn747]

Im so sad. Our 2 1/2 month old chameleon arrived this morning. He seemed fine when I checked on him. Then the next time I checked he was dead. He'd turned black and his tongue was out and not breathing. Totally limp.
Everything was fine temp humidity everything .... I new he was stressed from shipping but just to suddenly die. I'm sick. We hadn't even had him for 8 hours. I've emailed and called .... and am waiting for him to reply.
Why would he just die like that?

 

[carol5208]

More than likely it is not something you did if you only had him 8 hours. Maybe he was injured during shipping and died from a result of that. Whatever the case, I am so sorry!!

 

[Kathryn747]

More than likely it is not something you did if you only had him 8 hours. Maybe he was injured during shipping and died from a result of that. Whatever the case, I am so sorry!!

After he went into his cage 4 hrs later when I first checked him he was moving just tuning around basically in the same spot that he'd entered. An hour later he was dead. I am so bummed, it's so sad. He was so tiny

 

[carol5208]

how old was he?? That is so sad.

 

[bimac6]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Definitely keep in touch with the breeder about this. But as a warning, I would edit your post and take out their company name.

 

[SaintJimmy]

Yeah if you've only had him for such a small amount of time, that is definitely not your fault.

He could have been shipped with an illness and it happened to kill him, the stress might have contributed, he might have internally bruised from flailing inside a box, who knows. (Sorry for graphic descriptions but you know)

Sorry for your loss Hopefully the problem can be sorted out.

Could you post a picture or is he already disposed of? Maybe if he has bruises or visible broken bones we could tell how he died, but I doubt it.

 

[Kathryn747]

I've just taked to the breeder and he was very sympathetic. He said this has never happened to any of his animals before and is going to replace him.
I'm 57 years old and was so bummed.
My husband said he was on the same branch since leaving the shipping carton. When I saw him he was dark and what I would call pacing, one step then turn, one step then turn. After I'd changed from work and got something to eat I went to take a picture and he was dead. This was all within 2 hours.
All I can think of is shipping damage or shipping stress.
So sad

 

[Kathryn747]

Yeah if you've only had him for such a small amount of time, that is definitely not your fault.

He could have been shipped with an illness and it happened to kill him, the stress might have contributed, he might have internally bruised from flailing inside a box, who knows. (Sorry for graphic descriptions but you know)

Sorry for your loss Hopefully the problem can be sorted out.

Could you post a picture or is he already disposed of? Maybe if he has bruises or visible broken bones we could tell how he died, but I doubt it.

I sent a picture to the breeder and after I talked to him I had my husband put him in the garden. I asked the breeder if he wanted me to send his body back and he said no it wasn't nessasary.
I'm not going to post a picture. He was almost black, his body was limp, his tongue was partly sticking out, and his eyes were shut.
So sad

 

[Kathryn747]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Definitely keep in touch with the breeder about this. But as a warning, I would edit your post and take out their company name.

I took the name out. The breeder seems to be a nice guy. I really don't think he's at fault. He even sent me a pic of him before he shipped yesterday. And it was definitely the same chameleon.
I've talked with him since this post and hopefully this was a fluke and I never have to experience this again

 

[Jupiter]

Ugh, that sucks, I'm sorry for your loss. I guess the only good thing is that it happened before you could get too attached to him.

 

[lovepicasso]

I am so sorry for your loss, the loss of any cham is heart breaking, wishing you the best with your next.

 

[Dyamedic]

Sorry for your loss

 

[deadhd5]

Sorry that you had to experience that, I am sure it was traumatic.

Good luck with your next cham and know that it was surely not your fault in the slightest.

 

[Nikkii]

I'm sorry your loss.
What a roller coaster of emotions you have had to deal with in one day.
But I also beleive that it was nothing that you did, that caused this little guy to expire so quickly.
I'm sure the breeder will replace it, (if he is reputable)and if he is telling the truth and has never had a problem like this before. I know that didnt make you feel better.
Unfortunetly poop happens and not every little baby is born healthy.
Let us know when he replaces your little one. And best of Luck to you.

 

[Kathryn747]

I'm sorry your loss.
What a roller coaster of emotions you have had to deal with in one day.
But I also beleive that it was nothing that you did, that caused this little guy to expire so quickly.
I'm sure the breeder will replace it, (if he is reputable)and if he is telling the truth and has never had a problem like this before. I know that didnt make you feel better.
Unfortunetly poop happens and not every little baby is born healthy.
Let us know when he replaces your little one. And best of Luck to you.

Thanks, I have a new one on the way. I'm going to call him Eddie
The more I think about it the more I'm convinced it had to have been the stress or treatment during shipping. It's 90 today in the shade so I hope it wasn't sitting in a hot truck.
I'm better today it's just a horrible thing and the breeder was very understanding.
After I have him a week or so I'll post a pic, I'm paranoid now so for sure he's gonna have time to acclimate

 

[Olimpia]

I'm sorry you had to be one of the really unlucky people that receive that one animal out of how many thousand yearly that don't do well during shipping. When everything is done properly it is super uncommon for chameleons to not do well but who knows what happened to the box during shipping (thrown around, exposed to temperature extremes, etc.) It may not have been the breeder's fault at all either, just something that happened during shipping.

Fortunately, the breeder is responsible enough that he's replacing the little guy anyway. It's still a sad situation but it's being rectified to the best of everyone's ability.

A tip that I always use now is to have all live animals shipped directly to the UPS/FedEx hub and NOT delivered to my house. Because usually they are there before 7am and I can just run in and pick them up myself, instead of waiting several hours for the truck to drive up (or not, if they get delayed for whatever reason.) I've found it to be a more reliable thing to do, and the chameleon gets to be in his cage a few hours sooner.

 

[reptoman]

I'm sorry you had to be one of the really unlucky people that receive that one animal out of how many thousand yearly that don't do well during shipping. When everything is done properly it is super uncommon for chameleons to not do well but who knows what happened to the box during shipping (thrown around, exposed to temperature extremes, etc.) It may not have been the breeder's fault at all either, just something that happened during shipping.

Fortunately, the breeder is responsible enough that he's replacing the little guy anyway. It's still a sad situation but it's being rectified to the best of everyone's ability.

A tip that I always use now is to have all live animals shipped directly to the UPS/FedEx hub and NOT delivered to my house. Because usually they are there before 7am and I can just run in and pick them up myself, instead of waiting several hours for the truck to drive up (or not, if they get delayed for whatever reason.) I've found it to be a more reliable thing to do, and the chameleon gets to be in his cage a few hours sooner.

Shipping to the hub, hold for pickup, is really the way to go. It keeps the animal off the deiivery truck decreasing the chances for something to go wrong.
Sorry you are having to deal with this and I hope everything goes well with the next one. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new baby.

 

[jannb]

Shipping to the hub, hold for pickup, is really the way to go. It keeps the animal off the deiivery truck decreasing the chances for something to go wrong.
Sorry you are having to deal with this and I hope everything goes well with the next one. I look forward to seeing pictures of your new baby.

I am so sorry for your loss.

I truly believe in picking up at the hub.

 

[Brandonmh]

Sorry to hear about this, I would be pretty upset as well, if I were in your shoes. All the time I spent researching and getting stuff ready for him/her and dead in hours.

 

[pepezkakap]

Uhm, I am so sorry that you have to experience this the first time.
Hope you would get replacement for him/her.