My second addition!

xraygirl

Established Member
I wanted to introduce my new handsome boy! I've had Chief for a year now (I know, I'm no expert, but I really took my time getting to know Chief before pursing another chameleon)

I found this little dude on a craigslist ad in Florida. We were going to be an hour and a half away from him when we were going to be home for Christmas. I spoke with the owner regularly for a month about him, and about the current panther I have. They were kind enough to reduce the price, and hold him for me for 3 weeks until we were in town. They are a family of 5 plus some cats and dogs and thought that he would be better off to be re-homed. I'm so happy that they held him for me as long as they did because most people wouldn't have!

I named him Flash. I came up with the name at 2 am the night we brought him home, because when I first picked him up, he moved real quick and zippy like! A couple of 'chin rubs' and he calmed right down. The little kids of the family cracked me up cause they were saying I was the "chameleon whisperer!", hehe. :) Compared to Chief who is very laid back, he is a speedy Gonzalez! So I named him, "Flash"!

I brought him home kinda late so I let him sleep in his padded box I made up for him for the night. Then the next morning before we hit the road for our 8 hour drive back, I put him on a hibiscus plant and went to turn the hose on and let some water run through it. He was so funny cause he turned nose down away from me and wanted nothing to do with me. So I let a few drops run out of the hose where it would roll down to his mouth. He whipped around so fast and literally shoved his little face into the end of the sprayer nozzle (it was only dripping drops) and sucking the water down. I let him have his fill of it for about 20-30 minutes and I put him back in his box to hit the road.

When we got home around 5:30 pm and we put him in his new cage and I turned his little dripper on to a semi-fast rate.... and boy he drank and drank again. I felt so bad that he slept for so long because the poor thing was so restless for hours after lights out. My lights go out at 6 pm and I think his lights used to be on until around 10 pm at night. While climbing around I heard him 'slide' on the screen so I peeked to check on him, and he hissed at me. Chief has never hissed at me, and Flash did it out the sides of his mouth and it worried me at first! Anyway, he finally settled down and slept attached to the cage door. (I'm kicking myself cause I didn't weigh him before putting him in his cage, but he was already stressed as it was...)

Woke both boys up this morning and Chief was just as cute and pudgy and curled up with his little winky sleepy eyes. I checked on Flash and he still hung onto the door. I knew that he was starving hungry, but I didn't want to startle him cause he wasn't moving off the door. So I dusted some crickets up for him and slowly opened his door (after giving up waiting) dumped them into his little cup, and slowly closed the door back. He didn't hiss or act upset at all.

Unfortunately, I had a million errands to do after work tonight and I got home after lights out. Bj (boyfriend) said that he was moving around this morning before he left for work, and was chilling under his heat lamp when he got home from work. So by the time I got home, they were both asleep, and Bj covered up their cages for me.

When I finally got home, I peered in a Chief to see where he was sleeping at, cause he's in his new 24x24x48 cage. Then I peered in thinking I was gonna have to do a search for Flash cause he was probably hidden (Chief stayed hidden for a few weeks when he went to sleep, but he was also younger when I found him) and nope, he was right at the front of his cage all curled up. Bj said he checked him out and said he didn't act too phased about it.

Sorry for the long story, but I love hearing others tell their stories about rescuing or adopting new babies that needed a new home. I paid $150 for him (paid $150 for Chief too). So I'm up to my limit now. I wanted a 'red' body chameleon, and a 'blue' chameleon. I really wanted a nosy be, but I'm perfectly content with Flash. :)

So here's a few pictures of "Flash"! He has two things that will need a vets attention soon, plus a fecal float, so that's the first 'to do' on the list. He was fed crickets and meal worms only, so he has very, very little body fat. I just got in some Sticky Tongue Farm supplements (I've been using the Exo-Terra brand) to use. Tomorrow I'll be home early enough to see him while he's awake, but I'm sure he's already looking better from having lots of water to drink.

And yes, Flash is in quarantine away from Chief. :)

Oh, and my other amazing find is a free bird/parrot sized cage, it's HUGE! A friend gave it to me because it was taking up space in her garage. We scrubbed it down before we left Florida and it will be set up for days when it's nice outside in the spring/early summer/fall to have one of the boys out there for some natural rays! I have a great idea of what plants I'll put in and have arranged!


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As soon as were leaving with him I snapped this picture of him.


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The next morning on the hibiscus plant just before getting a drink.


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After his drink, took a few pics and he seemed to be enjoying a little bit of warmth from a Florida sunrise.


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I was peeking in halfway through our 8 hour drive to make sure he was okay, and he gave me the stink eye.




Oh, and here's some pictures of my super sweet and cute Chief! He has such a sweet personality! I love him to bits! He weighs in at 164 grams as of November, and we think he'll be 2 years old around the beginning of the year. (Flash, I have no idea how old he is.)

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I can tell already that he's one lucky panther! Such a beauty no matter what local he is. Good luck with him!
 
I can tell already that he's one lucky panther! Such a beauty no matter what local he is. Good luck with him!
Thanks Carl! I really look forward to seeing his changes. Chief was younger so I got to see the tail end of his maturing time. So with Flash being older, it's anticipation of getting him to where he should be and seeing how he will look!

Both are awesome, but Chief's colors are amazing! :D

Chief has come a LONG way. He is so sweet and laid back. He just kinda does whatever he wants. Everyday he comes out on his free range to roam all over between his trellis of plants to his window. He certainly lives the spoiled life. :)

I'm sure Flash will be stunning in a few months too. I'm curious to see the results in both chameleons from using the STF's supplements versus what I've been using.






...... plus it's funny that when I put Flash in his cage, I realized how loooooong his tail is, and then realized how much tail Chief is missing! :eek:
 
a little update....

So here's some updated pictures of "FLASH"! He LOVES coming out of his cage, on his own of course..... I hook a branch up from the free range to his cage and he immediately comes out and roams all over! I just kinda let him do whatever (like I've done with Chief) and he seems to enjoy his 'free' time. As long as I move real slow with him, he's not too jumpy.... He hasn't hissed at me or gaped at me since the first night home.... No where near as jumpy as he was when I first found him... but still a long road :) He is a eating machine! Didn't take him long to discover what a hornworm was and he destroys them instantly! He has some interesting 'poses'.... I did get a weight on him, about 2-3 weeks after bringing him home, and he was at 161 grams..... Chief is at 191 grams! :)

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And Chief is enjoying his new big boy 24x24x48 cage with a light your reptiles set up :) (Flash will be upgrading soon too)

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I think we need a photo gallery just of chams in their pjs.

One of my favorite cham mannerisms is that anxious, getting ready to bolt, front-foot-under-the-chin pose. Then the dithering "should I-shouldn't I" reach out and back when they can't decide if its safe to more or not.

Little drama queens.
 
I think we need a photo gallery just of chams in their pjs.

One of my favorite cham mannerisms is that anxious, getting ready to bolt, front-foot-under-the-chin pose. Then the dithering "should I-shouldn't I" reach out and back when they can't decide if its safe to more or not.

Little drama queens.

I try not to do things to stress him, but sometimes it's just unavoidable.... but the 'pose' cracks me up.... I can hear jackie chann and a "hoaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh" and think of a ninja chop with the foot-under-the-chin-pose... haha :)

And oh my gosh he is a jumper (he jumped from me about a foot off the carpet when he was 'escaping' and I moved too quickly for his liking, I have to be sooo careful with him.... He moves crazy fast!
 
I try not to do things to stress him, but sometimes it's just unavoidable.... but the 'pose' cracks me up.... I can hear jackie chann and a "hoaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh" and think of a ninja chop with the foot-under-the-chin-pose... haha :)

And oh my gosh he is a jumper (he jumped from me about a foot off the carpet when he was 'escaping' and I moved too quickly for his liking, I have to be sooo careful with him.... He moves crazy fast!

Funny, the front foot pose reminds me of a Victorian matron considering fainting after hearing something shocking!
 
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