New Cam introduction and sad goodbye.

broderp

Avid Member
II haven't been active on the forum lately, but wanted to stop in and share a story with the forum and to those who have helped me in the past. I wanted to share a story of the little cham named Gwenn.

I ran into this little cham several months ago at a pet store while looking to buy food and supplies for my Veiled cham named Jackson. I say this little dark brown creature that looked so scared and so sad all alone in this tank. I took a few pictures and went along my business.
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I kept seeing seeing this little guy peeking from behind the branches and leaves in the tank on my weekly pilgrimage to the pet store. I saw it grow from this tiny skinny runt into a young.Chameleon, but always a brown color and looking so miserable. I showed my wife the pictures weekly. Then one day while with my wife at the pet store during my weekly trip for crickets and dog. I stated that the little cham was outgrowing the tank she was in, so much so that they had marked her down to to some crazy low price for a pet store pet. My wife bought her on the spot even against my better judgment. I will admit, I had grown attached so I didn't but up a fight.

She fought and hissed the entire way into the crate to take her home. I knew she was going to be difficult "baby" as she was not used to being handled, unlike my older male veiled who comes to his terrarium doors to be picked up and handled.
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She only let me handle her ONE time, and that was right when I got her home. She turned a beautiful green color for the first time since I have known of her.
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She took to her new terrarium and climbed right in. I had to go to work right away to dig out and find my spare lights and heat bulbs. I had saved this smaller terrarium when my older cham outgrew it.
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She learned to eat out of a container just like my other cham. She was a piggy, eating almost as much as my older much larger cham!
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She was even curious about the dripping water bottle, enough so that she managed to get a few drops to drink.
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Like all cham's, she spent a lot of time sunbathing and warming herself up.
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I was ALWAYS greeted with this "warm welcome" :eek:
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She was a clown. She looks adorably dopey! She would sit like this for up to 15-20 minutes sometimes.
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She was mean to anyone attempting to clean her terrarium.
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She would watch me watch her. Eventually she would not hiss or be frightened. She would just sit and let me clean or feed her.
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Then the other day I noticed she was looking a little odd. She had lost some weight over the course of a week although she was still eating and pooping normally. I looked for signs of maybe it was time to lay eggs (since I don't know how old she really is) I saw none. Then she stopped eating. I made an appointment to take her to a vet. Earliest appointment was in 2 days.

The day before her appointment I went to feed her in case she got her appetite back and to check her temps and humidity. She was perched on her favorite branch still in her pajamas, eyes closed. When I approached her she let me touch her. She didn't move. I realized she was gone

I only had her for about 3 months. In that 3 months she was a PIA, mean, ate like a pig and most importantly brought a smile to my face and happiness every day. I will admit, I teared up and thinking about her still makes me sad. I will miss my little girl.
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Gwenn July 2016-Dec 2016
 
She certainly had the best 3 months of her life with you! The pictures are beautiful. R.I.P, Gwenn.
 
Although it has a sad ending, this story made me very happy. Kudos to you and your wife, you made this cham's last months incredible! It seems like she went peacefully and happily in her sleep.

It's amazing how fast we bond with these lizards. Sorry for your loss, and thank you for sharing.
 
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