An Unexpected Guest

Dave preparing his goodbyes.

I was sat in my friend's car about to go for our quarterly trip to McDonalds. My phone vibrated in my pocket and I, even though I was with a friend, read the message. Inside the message was a grand request that would change things forever.

I forget the wording of the message but the upthrust was this. Dave has accepted a new job in Poland and needed someone to take on his guitar and his chameleon. The guitar was not a problem, I am no stranger to musical instruments but the chameleon presented a unique challenge.

I had met Ziggy before, I was impressed by her 360 degree vision and her incredibly long tongue, but I did not imagine a world in which  I would have to welcome her into my own home.

Moving day came and went. I remember Dave coaxing Ziggy out of her tank so he could load her into a polysterene tub, ready for the half hour drive to my house. I remember being overwhelmed slightly
by all the chameleon paraphernalia I was given to aid me in the task of caring for Ziggy; The Dripper, The Humidity Sensor, The 60 Watt Bulb, The Laying Bin. It all seemed like a big task, but, I was animal fact boy at school, surely I could take care of Ziggy.

Wash your hands afterwards!

Veiled chameleons come from the rain forests of Yemen and are used to humid surroundings. This means a spray first thing in the morning and another in the evening, to keep things wet and warm. A dehydrated chameleon is a sad chameleon. Every time I poked my bottle of water into the vivarium I would be met with angry hissing noises. It was in equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. Feeding time was even worse, catching live cricket from a little tub, covering them in calcium and releasing them into the vivarium. I felt sorry for the little critters as they explored their new surroundings only to be sucker punched by a wet slimy tongue and crushed to death in the reptile's powerful jaws. I could hear Sir David Attenborough narrating the whole scene in his trade mark style.

For a few months things seemed to be going very smoothly. Dave enjoyed receiving updates and pictures while he settled into Poland. I began showing pictures of Ziggy to beautiful women in an attempt to appear exotic and dangerous.  I could feed her out of my hand (I got bitten once and the pain was hideous!) and the hissing had stopped. I held her in my hands on a few occasions (washing them thoroughly afterwards of course, salmonella is not ideal!) and life seemed sweet. I was enjoying the fascinating and rewarding world of keeping my colourful new friend. 

But like, all things, there was an ordeal on its way. And it is in that ordeal where we find ourselves today. Eggs. You see, chameleons lay eggs once a year. Unfertilised of course (one chameleon is enough!). Ziggy started looking a bit chubby, a tell-tale sign she was full of eggs (gravid). Recently, Ziggy has been digging on the floor, hiding in the corner and just looking ever so grumpy. Gravid chameleons also need their privacy. I have had to cover her tank so things are peaceful for her. My cat has other ideas though, so that has been rather stressful. Egg bound chameleons lose their appetites as well and  and since the crickets I released into her tank remain untouched I think she's due any day now. There's a big pot of damp sand ready for her when she's ready.. So all I can do is wait.. and that's the hardest part. It's revealed to me yet another layer of chameleon care.

So what is the moral to this story? It is amazing how many things exist that we don't know about. The whole world of chameleon keeping is full of thrills and spills. There is a vivarium in my living room that is full of stories, full of possibilities. I'm left wondering how far I could take this whole chameleon thing. Could I get another one? Could I try for some chameleon babies? Could I raise those children by hand using the latest rearing techniques. The answer to all of those questions is probably no, but it is mad to think there are people for whom keeping these weird creatures is their entire world.

 Do what you love and do it well.