ihaveapanther
New Member
Hi everyone, I'm really new to reptile care, though I think I'm doing a good job of it at the moment though. I was walking home from the grocery store visiting family in Florida and my friend spotted a strange looking alien like creature in a tree. That creature basically jumped on me and kept following us until I felt sorry for it and decided I'd take it home since it didn't look native to Florida like your basic anole, cuban knight anole or even the occasional iguana that appears. I had a feeling it was someone's pet and they left him to die outside. I was hesitant to take him with me since I'm moving to California but I couldn't just leave him, I didn't have the heart and with those bright colors and friendly domesticated demeanor I figured he'd be hunted in NO time around here.
I thought it was a chameleon and I googled chameleon species and it seems to be a panther chameleon maybe a male based on the color. I keep him on my screened porch, I've built him an umbrella tree space on a deck chair that he seems to love. He roams around occasionally and relives himself at the other side of the porch, too cute, it's so funny. But he has a lot of safe space to himself. I also bought terrible bugs to feed him, disgusting super worms and crickets though he seems to prefer the worms a lot more. I have no idea what his age might be or anything else. He also doesn't like to eat much, only 3-4 worms a day, except for the day after I brought him home, he ate 5 worms. He is also extremely friendly and loves to be handled except sometimes when he does this sneezing like thing when he's comfortable and I pick him up. I'm going to guess that would be him getting annoyed? Also the very end tip of his tail seems to be broken or something, it is always bent, I'm guessing its from a mishap when he was abandoned or escaped. I wonder if it hurts him but he doesn't seem bothered. You can see it in the first picture I've attached.
I also have to take him with me to California since I've made the effort to save him already and don't trust selling him or giving him away, he seems to be quite attached to me strangely, he doesn't like climbing on anyone else, he always runs right back to me. I can be a Snow White with animals but this is so unexpected for a chameleon isn't it? Does anyone have any advice on shipping him to Cali and anything that I should be doing to care for him? Florida is naturally hot and very humid this time of year and since my porch is screened it is quite nice out there for him and he seems quite happy! There are certain times of day he is happier to be handled then others and seems to get somewhat saddened when I DON'T handle him at all, I see he turns a darker color? Unless that's to blend with the branch? When he sees me he returns to his usual bright coloring. I didn't really want a pet but what are you gonna do? I love lizards and I couldn't just let him die. He's too cute and has quite the little personality. Any advice or any information would be greatly appreciated! Also if you have any idea on age? He's quite clumsy so I thought him to be young. Unless that means the opposite. He has to be older than 6 months according to coloration from what I've researched?
I thought it was a chameleon and I googled chameleon species and it seems to be a panther chameleon maybe a male based on the color. I keep him on my screened porch, I've built him an umbrella tree space on a deck chair that he seems to love. He roams around occasionally and relives himself at the other side of the porch, too cute, it's so funny. But he has a lot of safe space to himself. I also bought terrible bugs to feed him, disgusting super worms and crickets though he seems to prefer the worms a lot more. I have no idea what his age might be or anything else. He also doesn't like to eat much, only 3-4 worms a day, except for the day after I brought him home, he ate 5 worms. He is also extremely friendly and loves to be handled except sometimes when he does this sneezing like thing when he's comfortable and I pick him up. I'm going to guess that would be him getting annoyed? Also the very end tip of his tail seems to be broken or something, it is always bent, I'm guessing its from a mishap when he was abandoned or escaped. I wonder if it hurts him but he doesn't seem bothered. You can see it in the first picture I've attached.
I also have to take him with me to California since I've made the effort to save him already and don't trust selling him or giving him away, he seems to be quite attached to me strangely, he doesn't like climbing on anyone else, he always runs right back to me. I can be a Snow White with animals but this is so unexpected for a chameleon isn't it? Does anyone have any advice on shipping him to Cali and anything that I should be doing to care for him? Florida is naturally hot and very humid this time of year and since my porch is screened it is quite nice out there for him and he seems quite happy! There are certain times of day he is happier to be handled then others and seems to get somewhat saddened when I DON'T handle him at all, I see he turns a darker color? Unless that's to blend with the branch? When he sees me he returns to his usual bright coloring. I didn't really want a pet but what are you gonna do? I love lizards and I couldn't just let him die. He's too cute and has quite the little personality. Any advice or any information would be greatly appreciated! Also if you have any idea on age? He's quite clumsy so I thought him to be young. Unless that means the opposite. He has to be older than 6 months according to coloration from what I've researched?