|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon
#13387686 - 10/25/10 10:25 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Somehow I now have a big aquarium in my living room, with an adult veiled chameleon, formally named "Loki", now named "Naugahyde" (another story).
I ventured to hang out with a friend this weekend who had problems with a room mate not paying rent and just being a lousy individual in general. Long story short, the guy gets kicked out, packs only his essentials, and then leaves many of his things behind, including his pet. The thing looked starved and discolored the last time I visited, so I went and bought some crickets for it. Whenever I saw him this weekend and realized none of the room mates ever took responsibility and just neglected it in the cold room, I told them I'm taking it (deny marijuana's amotivational syndrome all you want, but this particular group spends too much time on the peace pipe).
Anyhow, Saint Arden has now pimped out his environs with live foliage, good temps, food and water. Chameleons usually don't like being handled, but this guy was so lethargic and apathetic from being malnourished, he reached his little baseball mits to the air, was swooped away to a downtown apartment, and has now received the grace of cricketdom.
This isn't it but it looks similar to this. I've spent a good deal of time reading up on them. Not sure if I'll permanently hang on to it, but I'll be a caregiver for awhile. While observing it I'm reminded how nature is simultaneously beautiful and just plain fucking weird.
|
hippielauren
Fuxed Up



Registered: 05/09/10
Posts: 1,034
Loc:
Last seen: 12 years, 4 months
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13387707 - 10/25/10 10:30 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
:good for you. Sounds like he really needed you. 
You should hang onto him. Orphan pets always make better friends lol I inherited an African Clawed frog and he pretty cool. Munches on earthworms and fingers if you get to close. I call them love nibbles luls
no but really i'll take him if you dont want him
|
kirilan
dued



Registered: 03/08/10
Posts: 3,791
Loc:
Last seen: 4 years, 1 month
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13387718 - 10/25/10 10:33 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
That is incredibly awesome. I've always wanted a Chameleon.
-------------------- "The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together" Carl Sagan
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: hippielauren]
#13387734 - 10/25/10 10:37 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I'll see how I adjust to having a creature and his feeder animals in my apartment. I'm fairly OCD and consequently very clean, so even the idea of a "caged" reptile is a bit unusual to me. I enjoy being outdoors and can tolerate interacting with domesticated animals on farms or in labs, but when I come home I want a spotless retreat from the outside world. Of course it ends up being an artificial illusion since we harbor bacteria, dust mites, garbage, fruit flies, old milk and what have you, but nothing beats a bottle of bleach and some elbow grease. Mmm...
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13387749 - 10/25/10 10:38 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I doubt it's coincidental that [animal] husbandry and a smidgen of compassion invited the first 2 responses from females.
|
JesusGoneRogue


Registered: 10/24/10
Posts: 9,495
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13387767 - 10/25/10 10:42 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
man i want a chameleon. they look so bad ass. hmmmm i wonder if chameleons and are related. cmon i know i'm not the only one that sees the resemblance.
|
Liquid_Dimension
Lighthousekeeper



Registered: 02/15/04
Posts: 4,413
Loc: Radioactive state
Last seen: 1 month, 11 days
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: JesusGoneRogue]
#13387785 - 10/25/10 10:46 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I had one for a year then it caught a bone disease 
theyre very high maintenace,please take care of it!
--------------------
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
|
Quote:
Liquid_Dimension said: I had one for a year then it caught a bone disease 
theyre very high maintenace,please take care of it!
Could have been exacerbated by lack of sufficient UV spectrum for adequate metabolism, that or an imbalance in calcium or protein. I read that bone curvature (and disease) is a problem related to diet and supplementation. I may put him in a hot dog if he tries to bite me.
|
Raw
Muslim



Registered: 03/23/10
Posts: 1,419
Loc: USA West Coast
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13387869 - 10/25/10 11:05 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Arden, Hope he doesn't try and bite you...
Good for you taking him in and caring for the little critter.
--------------------
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Raw]
#13387901 - 10/25/10 11:13 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Raw, I laughed at your avatar. Said friends and I located some quality molly over the weekend and it looked and smelled like sugar in the raw. Code name quickly spread after the pupils did the talking.
|
gzuf
٩(̾๏̮̮̃̾๏̃̾)۶



Registered: 07/13/09
Posts: 6,535
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Raw]
#13387905 - 10/25/10 11:13 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Here is some reading, good luck. I used to be heavily involved in the reptile and amphibian way of life, it's quite fun. I have always been envious of my buddy's chameleon, they make great pets.
Kingsnake - Veiled Chameleon
Another one with a lot of good links at the bottom.
-------------------- +1 Post ٩(̾๏̮̮̃̾๏̃̾)۶
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: gzuf]
#13387917 - 10/25/10 11:16 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
in the reptile and amphibian way of life
What's the word on that? Apparently they have their own forums, make money breeding, and discuss pet ownership as hobbyists. I guess it's cool in a Charles Darwin type of way, but I don't see it impressing the women folk.
|
gzuf
٩(̾๏̮̮̃̾๏̃̾)۶



Registered: 07/13/09
Posts: 6,535
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13388074 - 10/25/10 11:47 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Arden said: What's the word on that? Apparently they have their own forums, make money breeding, and discuss pet ownership as hobbyists.
Well, there are a lot of forums out there. I used to be a part of a now extinct IRC chat, usually helped kids with leopard geckos dying of parasites they got at Petsmart and the like, but it was rewarding. I also helped out on this website, which has a chameleon forum I linked. There are places like Fauna Classifieds that have Good Guy/Bad Guy forums, herp-specific forums, buy sell trade and the like. Kingsnake, which is in my other post, is a good website as well, kind of a competitor of Fauna but they all have their pluses and minuses.
Quote:
I guess it's cool in a Charles Darwin type of way, but I don't see it impressing the women folk.
Well, a friend of mine sells snakes and he once sold some to Slash's manager for Mr. Slash himself. I'm not going to insinuate that having reptiles makes you a badass; however having reptiles really does make you a badass. I think you'll have an easier time with a cute fun chameleon than my ball python, anyway. I've used mice, butterworms, superworms, mealworms, 2! types of roaches, silkworms, hornworms, waxworms, crickets, etc to feed my pets. This all works out quite well because I've had an obsession with bugs since my youngin' years. It does become quite the hobby if you let it become so, reptiles and amphibians make great pets that are easy to get in to but unfortunately many people are not prepared for the things they need and the animals suffer because of it. Either that or you have fucking morons who let little Johnny play with a Burmese Python and then he gets fucked up, a law is passed, and now you live in Maine, where only until recent efforts (See: lawmakers were paid a lump sum to allow a few more on the list) you could only own a handful of reptiles.
I realized I was ranting so I hit enter and will end my post now. I am glad you saved the chameleon from a pot-induced death by starvation, though.
-------------------- +1 Post ٩(̾๏̮̮̃̾๏̃̾)۶
|
Arden
לנשום

Registered: 09/01/08
Posts: 7,666
Loc: Α & Ω
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: gzuf]
#13388163 - 10/26/10 12:03 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm just fascinated by how certain sub-cultures of specific interests are created (e.g. mycological enthusiasts; though I suspect the pretty colors reeled me in).
But yea, the thing is in good hands. If I already have a green thumb and a blue thumb, now do I have a multi-colored thumb?
|
Lion
Decadent Flower Magnate


Registered: 09/20/05
Posts: 8,775
Last seen: 8 days, 10 hours
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13389185 - 10/26/10 08:46 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Don't trust that chameleon. It is probably a shape-shifter and servant of Lucifer. You've been warned.
-------------------- “Strengthened by contemplation and study, I will not fear my passions like a coward. My body I will give to pleasures, to diversions that I’ve dreamed of, to the most daring erotic desires, to the lustful impulses of my blood, without any fear at all, for whenever I will— and I will have the will, strengthened as I’ll be with contemplation and study— at the crucial moments I’ll recover my spirit as was before: ascetic.”
|
TTT
Cultivate the inside


Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 4,340
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Lion]
#13389196 - 10/26/10 08:49 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I would keep it man! The only difficult part is caring for the live foliage and cleaning the tank. Gorgeous critter. It was very kind of you to save him/her
Quote:
Arden said:
Quote:
in the reptile and amphibian way of life
What's the word on that? Apparently they have their own forums, make money breeding, and discuss pet ownership as hobbyists. I guess it's cool in a Charles Darwin type of way, but I don't see it impressing the women folk.
I had a friend who was completely set on collecting and breeding Leopard Geckos and Bearded Dragons. He wanted to buy select, rare patterned lizards to cross-breed and create the popular and expensive phases lizards can have. Leopard Geckos, IMO, come in particularly cool patterns.
I was totally impressed and have been wanting some unusually patterned Leopard Geckos for experiments for some time. Critters are cool! If a girl doesn't think that you should smack them.
Edited by TTT (10/26/10 08:53 AM)
|
makaveli8x8
Stranger

Registered: 02/28/06
Posts: 21,636
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: TTT]
#13389263 - 10/26/10 09:09 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
would have been pretty sweet to live back in the day of the dinosores, imagine if raptors could blend in with there surroundings really quick
--------------------
  We were sent to hell for eternity Ø h® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
|
TTT
Cultivate the inside


Registered: 08/07/06
Posts: 4,340
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: makaveli8x8]
#13389294 - 10/26/10 09:18 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
makaveli8x8 said: would have been pretty sweet to live back in the day of the dinosores, imagine if raptors could blend in with there surroundings really quick
It would of been pretty terrifying, IMO. Maybe if I had some sweet guns and tons of ammo, it'd be badass. I think regardless of fire power, a pack of raptors would be soooo fucking scary. Raptors of all varieties are some of the scariest dinosaurs ever, even more so than larger Allosaurus type carnivores.
Dinosaurs are mad cool.
I'll end this now before I begin rambling about dinosaurs
|
thePatient
Criminal Bodhisattva


Registered: 07/07/02
Posts: 3,289
Loc: Indiana
|
Re: Randomly Inherited a Veiled Chameleon [Re: Arden]
#13389297 - 10/26/10 09:19 AM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|

Reptiles are so amazingly psychedelic. Every time I've had the pleasure of tripping around one I always spend wayyyy too much time observing and looking in awe. Some of them have such a beautiful range of colors.
A friend of mine used to own an eye-lashed crested gecko named Mogwai once. I'll have to dig up those pictures later.
-------------------- T h e r e a r e n o o r d i n a r y m o m e n t s.
|
|