You know…the ducks were one thing…but reptiles are a bridge too far.
I found this guy while gardening. He/she crawled right into my hand. Luckily I have a 13-yr old niece who is wild about reptiles (and has a bearded dragon). I texted her a photo, she told me it was a chameleon. Clearly well taken care of and very, very lost.
I’ve canvassed the neighborhood, feeling stupid, asking anyone if they lost a chameleon. I put a notice on NextDoor, where someone kindly informed me that there is a CO Reptile Humane Society here in town. I’ve contacted them and hopefully soon this poor thing will be in better hands than mine.
He/she is molting, so stress is probably not what it needs. For now, its in the bathroom in a plastic tote (probably the same one Penelope hung out in the kitchen) with some things to make it comfortable.
Its sweet, but I know nothing about reptile, except how to remove a snake from my hallway and escort it outside.
My life. It is weird.
Open thread
ETA: Rescue contacted me and we are headed over there to drop off the little cutie. He/she will be safe now.
WereBear
Reptile rescue. That should warm even a cold-blooded heart.
arrieve
It took me a long time to find the chameleon in the second picture. Well done, little reptile!
Miss Bianca
Awwwww!!
That is all, thank you.
SiubhanDuinne
Poor little thing. I’m glad s/he’s going to a safe place. You’re a good person, TaMara.
eclare
That little chameleon found the right rescuer. Happy story, which we could all use. Thank you!
Haydnseek
Reminds me of the old Mitch Hedberg bit: “My friend came up to me all excited and said “I just saw a chameleon!” I said “Really? must have been a pretty shitty chameleon.”
Major Major Major Major
Glad it’ll end up somewhere safe. Hang in there little guy!
We are about to head to Central Park for our first book club meeting since February.
trollhattan
When a kid I thought chameleons would magically match whatever they were on, color and pattern. e.g. a chameleon on tartan plaid would blend right in.
I’m a little disappointed this isn’t true, but they’re still pretty cool, especially the independently rotating eyes. Every one is Marty Feldman.
germy
If you put a chameleon on a plaid shirt, would he go insane?
JPL
Someone on nextdoor posted that they found an Amazon Parrot near the oyster bar, and they were able to locate the owner. Good luck Tamara, maybe nextdoor will come through.
Jeffro
If that thing had appeared while I was gardening, y’all would have been able to hear the screams across this great land of ours.
Reptiles, man. Ugh.
Haroldo
A happy outcome is most welcome. Thanks for saving Boy George.
SiubhanDuinne
Back in the late ‘40s-early ‘50s, there was a fad of wearing live chameleons on a sweater or lapel as jewelry. As I recall, they came with a tiny gold collar to put around the little guy’s neck, with a short chain a couple of inches long which you pinned to your garment. I never had one — it just seemed wrong — but plenty of my schoolmates did.
Haydnseek
@SiubhanDuinne: They actually sold those at the Los Angeles County Fair even into the early 60’s. I absolutely hated that. It still bothers me if I think about it too long.
pluky
oldie, but goodie:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UbkqE4fpvdI
R-Jud
The Child adores reptiles and is pleased to hear the chameleon will have a new safe place to live soon.
I’m taking her shopping for a snake this week. She’s been agitating for one for two years, and has done research to show she’s serious about taking care of it. I’m not super-keen about having dead mice in the freezer, but as a vegan friend put it to me, I’ve already got dead chicken in there, so…
MoxieM
Such a good soul, you are, to take such care.
LuciaMia
You must give off a good aura, for all the lost ones to come to you.
Yutsano
Chameleons are fun. I’m guessing it was warm enough in your house that the poor critter wasn’t too distressed. S/he is a cute. And yes had to have been owned by someone if s/he crawled right on your hand.
I’m re-watching the Democratic roll call. Is it me or did Klobuchar lose some weight?
mrmoshpotato
Hahaha
Falling Diphthong
I sweep the grass snakes into a dustpan and dump them outside.
For years I believed we had no snakes in the house, but then we got the calico kitten and it turned into a beloved theme. We dare not move anywhere with serious numbers of poisonous snakes, given her cemented “A snake is to bip” position.
eclare
@Yutsano: Didn’t notice.
yellowdog
@R-Jud: When we had a snake we fed it goldfish, but it was a small snake. His name was Hitch and he would always get excited by the L A Law theme song.
SiubhanDuinne
@Haydnseek:
Is it illegal now? I would hope so.
dmsilev
Poster I saw on a streetlamp a couple of years ago:
(emphasis in original…)
NotMax
Awaiting the day you step outside only to discover a baby hippo.
;)
SiubhanDuinne
@yellowdog:
In all candour, I did too.
R-Jud
@yellowdog:
Actual belly laugh. I mean, I don’t blame him. The corn snake The Child wants will probably be capable of doing interpretive dance to the Pokémon theme.
TaMara (HFG)
@NotMax: Please do NOT put any ideas into the Universe’s mind.
Little girl is safely at the Reptile center, headed to some serious rehab before she can go to a good home.
Aleta
That chameleon’s sitting on an Incredible Journey tale that would be a hot pixar script if s/he could dictate. But Chama is fine with things just as they are.
Mike in NC
I saw a chameleon like that at PetSmart last week. The two very common lizards we get around here are the little Carolina Anole (Anolis Carolinensis) and the much larger Broadhead Skink. We often find anoles in our screened-in sunroom, where the cats will bat them around until we set them free outside.
evodevo
It’s DEFINITELY an escapee…someone’s pet or the descendant of same – there are no native chameleons in NA. Doesn’t really look malnourished, but the fact that it didn’t run away and crawled into your hand makes the escaped pet scenario very likely. Glad to hear it went to a good home. Cute little guy..
evodevo
@SiubhanDuinne: Yeah – I had one too…they were Caribbean anoles, and it really was cruel – most of them died from neglect/malnutrition, etc.
laura
We had what we think was a chinese water Dragon show up in our backyard a couple of years ago in during a cold snap and the local reptile rescue was able to take it into care. I had a rescue this morning; spotty got a hummingbird. It cried as I used a tissue to gather it and move it to a safe spot. It was stunned. Sugar water and zinnia blossom was offered. After half an hour its flown off. I’m heart sick.
WereBear
We had a friend whose son’s pet iguana escaped during some remodeling mayhem. This was the beginning of summer. As fall appeared and the nights got nippy, he found his way home.
When he left, he fit in a fifty gallon tank. Upon his return, he had to have a pen built in the basement. Many gardens had been raided in the interim :)
Gravenstone
@eclare: And this is the point TaMara has to accept that the local wildlife know her place is a safe haven. The word is out!
rikyrah
You are good people ?
DocH
Chameleons =/= anoles! And chameleon color change is more communicative than it is camoufleur. They’re demanding pets, but if you’re into it, worth it. Don Coyote, folks!
debbie
Hope it finds its home, but yuck.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Mike in NC: when I lived in Guam there were always geckos in my house. My two kittens spent hours trying to figure out how to get up to the ceiling to get them. I had to explain the fake Christmas tree was Not erected for them.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@evodevo: escaped or dumped. Sadly too many people dump their own or their kids reptile pets in the local woods or ponds. It’s cruel to an animal raised as a pet and it’s often the introduction of an invasive species.
Edmund Dantes
https://www.foco.com/products/dr-anthony-fauci-washington-nationals-first-pitch-bobblehead
might have to order one of these.
karensky
@TaMara (HFG): Great result!
How is the air quality in your part of Colorado? My brother lives in Longmont and said it was bad yesterday and my son lives in Denver and said it was not as bad as Longmont as one of the fires is near Longmont.
Yutsano
@EmbraceYourInnerCrone: I was born in Hawai’i. My mom told me stories of coming into my room and having dozens of geckos scatter when she would turn on the light. She usually doesn’t like reptiles but the geckos were okay. The noise they make though…
J R in WV
@dmsilev:
My mom’s cousin (mine too, but I didn’t grow up with her) was a teacher, and one year her class obtained an iguana (Iggy) which, at the end of the school year, went home with her. From then on, Iggy was part of their family.
Rode in the car on the rear shelf, where he would bask in the sun. Took him (No idea of the actual gender, just going with standard grammar rules of the distant past when I went to school) on vacation road trips. Ate fruits and veggies.
Dunno how long he lasted, litter trained? All those folks are long gone now, so no one I know to ask those intimate questions.
ETA: I do recall that Iggy stretched all the way across the car’s rear shelf, so probably like 5′ long or so…
SiubhanDuinne
@karensky:
My sister lives in Aurora. She’s on 24/7 oxygen and some other medicinal inhaler, and when I talked to her last night she was bemoaning the fact that she couldn’t go outside because of the smoke. I suppose it might not be that bad for most people, but with her severely compromised lungs she just can’t.
geg6
TaMara, you are a whisperer to ALL the creatures, great and small!
I splurged on myself today and ordered a Michelle Obama VOTE necklace. I got the cheap version in sterling, but really wanted the white gold one.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yutsano:
Inorite? Those insurance guys and their fakey British accents….
SiubhanDuinne
@geg6:
I keep seeing ads for that necklace and have been seriously tempted myself.
Yutsano
@SiubhanDuinne: It’s worse. I think it’s an ersatz Kiwi.
geg6
@SiubhanDuinne:
I found an article about the designer with a link and got it from her. She is a Black designer, which you would expect from Forever FLOTUS. There are lots of nice knockoffs on Etsy though and they cost much less. I just wanted to support the original designer, so I spent a bit more.
Calouste
@Yutsano: The Kiwi accent has a noticeable vowel shift, where they pronounce a short e and similar sounds as a short i. So for example Danny is pronounced more as Dinny. I don’t hear that in the gecko (which in Kiwi would of course be pronounced as gicko).
SiubhanDuinne
@Yutsano:
Maybe. Or faux Strine.
SiubhanDuinne
@geg6:
Oh, neat. Do you still have a link to that article? I’d love to know about the designer.
JCJ
OT – Bayern just scored against PSG (I miss Randinho)
WaterGirl
@geg6: I guess if you have to be on campus and interacting with people, you may as well inspire them to V-O-T-E-!
I checked out the designer the next morning, are they still $300 or is she selling them for less now that she’s already got all the details worked out?
dmsilev
@SiubhanDuinne:
Here’s one article:
Michelle Obama’s VOTE necklace puts L.A. designer in the spotlight
geg6
@dmsilev:
Looks like no more sterling ones. It was $105.
Jeffro
@mrmoshpotato: Walter Shaub is SERIOUSLY losing his shit over people who lose their shit over the Rose Garden (instead of losing their shit over, say, voting rights)
Twitter is great!
Jeffro
@yellowdog: I started humming that, then after a minute I realized I was humming the theme to “Dallas”
Annnnnnd now I’m off to YouTube…
Haydnseek
@SiubhanDuinne: very illegal.
Tokyokie
TaMara’s story reminds me of the time I looked up and saw a ferret wandering across my living-room, with cats excited but unsure what to do about it. I plucked the ferret away from the kitties and locked her in the bedroom, then left for work. When I got home that night, the woman in the apartment above mine — apparently the critter had come and gone through dryer vent holes — asked me if I’d seen a ferret, and I replied, “As a matter of fact, I have one in my bedroom,” not realizing how creepy that would sound. She thought better of me once I returned her beloved weasel.
Kropacetic
Was it friends with Holly, Gloria Gopher, and Jacob Bluejay?
catclub
Our cat also captured a hummingbird once in midair. Then was VERY surprised when she opened her mouth a little and if flew away. So were we.
trollhattan
@Calouste:
My favorite has to be “seeks” when saying sex.
JCJ
@JCJ:
And Bayern wins 1 – 0 vs PSG
CaseyL
Oh, old world chameleons are just the cutest things! I love their deliberate, little-old-lady way of moving, their tiny little mitten hands, their independently-moving eyes… just, everything. I’d have one, if I didn’t also have two cats.
(I had an iguana some years ago, and gave him free range of the apartment. I used to bring him flowers to eat, which he loved. One must have had pesticide on it, because he sickened and died despite multiple trips to the vet. Broke my heart.)
WaterGirl
@J R in WV: For two years, right out of the dorms after sophomore year, we had our own Iggy!
We lived in a house with 9 people (+ boyfriends and girlfriends who often stayed over) and Iggy lived in a smallish cage. Snakes totally creep me out by I am okay with reptiles with legs.
At some point in year 2, one of the guys decided Iggy needed a bigger cage, and he built a cage that went nearly to the ceiling. Sure enough, Iggy grew (really fast!) until he was the right size for his new cage.
When we moved out, we gave Iggy to some special zoo in Indianapolis, and I visited him a couple of times.
Godiva – our naked mannequin, who had very real looking hair from somebody’s art project, but whom we surely clothed – hung out right next to Iggy’s cage.
On summer days, we would take Godiva for ride’s in Laurie’s convertible, with the top down. Godiva was kind of hot, before you realized she wasn’t real, so it was fun to see guys do a double-take when we were stopped at a light.
Life was definitely more fun back then!
WaterGirl
@CaseyL: Oh, no! I am so sorry. You can see from my comment just below yours that I, too, have loved an iguana.
wvng
TaMara, you are a fine person. I hope your little rescue finds a home with someone who understands these guys. They are fascinating but also extremely sensitive to disturbances.
Aleta
@TaMara (HFG): It’s only been four hours and I’m missing her more than I thought I would. : )
TaMara (HFG)
@Aleta: You are not wrong. She was sooo adorable.
jame
Karma Karma Karma Karma Karma Chameleon!
Grover Gardner
My daughter yearned for a bearded dragon years ago when she was little, and despite my wife’s gloomy warnings, I foolishly gave in. My gosh, what a lot of work it was! It finally got too big for her to handle, and when I realized it would probably live longer than I would, I insisted we give it away to a local teenager who had a bunch of them.
GeriUpNorth
@SiubhanDuinne: When I was in college in the early 80s there was a fellow student who I saw wearing a little chameleon like that. I just thought she was weird. I had no idea it was a thing people actually did.
EmbraceYourInnerCrone
@Yutsano: I didn’t mind them because they are huge. Guam had some Enormous bugs. I also used to like to watch the bars fly around at night. The land crabs that used coconut shells for houses freaked me out first time I saw them. I lived in Hawaii for a while too. I still miss it. I lived in Aiea and had a view of the whole East side of Pearl Harbor I used to watch the movie at the drive in from my balcony. Good times
Mai naem mobile
You guys have all these interesting animals…all I got is scorpions. Big ones… Little ones… Adults…babies…Anybody interested in scorpions?