I wanted a chameleon. I was around 1. I did all the research I could - went to all the pet stores, libraries, etc. I found nothing but TFH junk (you know it's bad when the author decided that the book should be about chameleons AND anoles).
A friend of my uncle dabbled in the exotic industry, and was going to get us a chameleon at wholesale cost. That didn't work out. Eventually, for my birthday, I got one from Robin pet shop in Hackensack, NJ (yeah, the place with the pig - if you've been there, you know)
A Fischer's chameleon. He was great - he ate in front of us at the store - and died the next day.
I was JUST finishing his wooden enclosure - a 5' tall, 3' wide, 18" deep planted cage - when my sister ran downstairs and said he was dead.
I was wrecked. Being a shy, semi-antisocial kid, I didnt' have many friends, and my animals were a big part of my life.
My father called every exotic pet store in th earea, and found NY reptilia, in Queens. they had a pair of veiled chameleons. My father bought them ($600 a PAIR) for us.
I later was able to figure a lot of stuff out about them, and when I hooked up with people via prodigy, I found out a lot more.
But the stupidest thing I did was over water the eggs from that female. She was the most beautiful female veiled ever, 16" long, WC, and laid two clutches of eggs - 67 and 65. The eggs went near full term, but they all drown, as I had kept them too moist.
I didnt' know.
You see, at that time, 2 week old veileds were going for $125 each.
That's over $15,000.00
I was 14
Yeah.
