Education animal possible?

[FredBenneton]

Has anyone ever used an extremely friendly chameleon as an education animal to bring into schools?

 

[kinyonga]

Back in the old days…before the wheel was invented…I took chameleons to some talks and university lectures with vets, and I found that it seemed to stress the chameleons too much so I stopped doing it. I do have to mention though, that my chameleons were all wild caught in those days because nobody was breeding.

 

[FredBenneton]

Back in the old days…before the wheel was invented…I took chameleons to some talks and university lectures with vets, and I found that it seemed to stress the chameleons too much so I stopped doing it. I do have to mention though, that my chameleons were all wild caught in those days because nobody was breeding.

Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it although I'm apparently a little behind on checking my posts. (I think it's funny that I have an online etsy shop and my tagline is "Reinventing the Wheel.") LOL

I walk Fred once or twice a day along the bike path that goes from one end of town to the other, (we don't go that far) and only during the summer when it's over 70 degrees and sunny of course.

Fred was bred in captivity and I purposely didn't handle him for the first few months I had him as a hatchling and let him approach me when ready. His stress levels don't seem to change (by virtue of keeping an eye on his colors, etc.). He truly breaks all laws of "chameleon-ism" in my opinion. Instead of tolerating being handled, like every book and everything I've ever read says, he seems completely content as a social cham and I use every moment as a teaching moment to anyone who stops and asks questions about him, especially children.

Of course I live in a ski town in Colorado, and other than getting his feeder insects to arrive alive in the middle of winter, we have yet to encounter any related problems (other than having to live in a cabin for a month built in the 1880s - longest standing structure in my county and bought 14 space heaters and have replaced almost 10 humidifiers that broke due to hard water after having to live in the mountains 45 minutes away from Steamboat Springs for a few months before we moved back into town last month). He has already lived in 5 different places (not on purpose or possibly anticipated) and his resilience is incredible. I had to keep him in the basement of a church for 2 months to protect him from the ongoing pesticide my previous apartment complex used every two weeks for a disgusting cockroach infestation in his first residence.

He is unbelievably curious and sometimes I let him walk around outside in the grass and trees/branches that are shorter with me, without ever taking my eyes off of him. I am truly the definition of a 'helicopter mom' since I got him the end of last January.

Thank you for sharing your experience, and as soon as my life settles down, I'll contact the school system here and maybe due a trial run. Another reason this is so important to me is that we live at least 3-5 hours from the closest zoo, where at least the children can learn to appreciate wildlife by having a closer connection to those creatures that we don't find in our backyard. Every week I see moose and bears on my way home from work on bike or driving.

Anyways, it is still something I want to get more opinions on and really think about it before proceeding.

Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks for everything,
Allison and Fred

 

[elizaann2]

Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it although I'm apparently a little behind on checking my posts. (I think it's funny that I have an online etsy shop and my tagline is "Reinventing the Wheel.") LOL

I walk Fred once or twice a day along the bike path that goes from one end of town to the other, (we don't go that far) and only during the summer when it's over 70 degrees and sunny of course.

Fred was bred in captivity and I purposely didn't handle him for the first few months I had him as a hatchling and let him approach me when ready. His stress levels don't seem to change (by virtue of keeping an eye on his colors, etc.). He truly breaks all laws of "chameleon-ism" in my opinion. Instead of tolerating being handled, like every book and everything I've ever read says, he seems completely content as a social cham and I use every moment as a teaching moment to anyone who stops and asks questions about him, especially children.

Of course I live in a ski town in Colorado, and other than getting his feeder insects to arrive alive in the middle of winter, we have yet to encounter any related problems (other than having to live in a cabin for a month built in the 1880s - longest standing structure in my county and bought 14 space heaters and have replaced almost 10 humidifiers that broke due to hard water after having to live in the mountains 45 minutes away from Steamboat Springs for a few months before we moved back into town last month). He has already lived in 5 different places (not on purpose or possibly anticipated) and his resilience is incredible. I had to keep him in the basement of a church for 2 months to protect him from the ongoing pesticide my previous apartment complex used every two weeks for a disgusting cockroach infestation in his first residence.

He is unbelievably curious and sometimes I let him walk around outside in the grass and trees/branches that are shorter with me, without ever taking my eyes off of him. I am truly the definition of a 'helicopter mom' since I got him the end of last January.

Thank you for sharing your experience, and as soon as my life settles down, I'll contact the school system here and maybe due a trial run. Another reason this is so important to me is that we live at least 3-5 hours from the closest zoo, where at least the children can learn to appreciate wildlife by having a closer connection to those creatures that we don't find in our backyard. Every week I see moose and bears on my way home from work on bike or driving.

Anyways, it is still something I want to get more opinions on and really think about it before proceeding.

Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks for everything,
Allison and Fred

I know a chameleon named sweet pea was taken to scone schools to teach about reptiles and their need for UVB to avoid MBD but I don’t know much beyond that.

 

[MissSkittles]

He is unbelievably curious and sometimes I let him walk around outside in the grass and trees/branches that are shorter with me, without ever taking my eyes off of him.

Unfortunately I have to warn you that birds of prey are always a very real hazard and are super fast.

 

[markarena]

Thanks for your response. I really appreciate it although I'm apparently a little behind on checking my posts. (I think it's funny that I have an online etsy shop and my tagline is "Reinventing the Wheel.") LOL

I walk Fred once or twice a day along the bike path that goes from one end of town to the other, (we don't go that far) and only during the summer when it's over 70 degrees and sunny of course.

Fred was bred in captivity and I purposely didn't handle him for the first few months I had him as a hatchling and let him approach me when ready. His stress levels don't seem to change (by virtue of keeping an eye on his colors, etc.). He truly breaks all laws of "chameleon-ism" in my opinion. Instead of tolerating being handled, like every book and everything I've ever read says, he seems completely content as a social cham and I use every moment as a teaching moment to anyone who stops and asks questions about him, especially children.

Of course I live in a ski town in Colorado, and other than getting his feeder insects to arrive alive in the middle of winter, we have yet to encounter any related problems (other than having to live in a cabin for a month built in the 1880s - longest standing structure in my county and bought 14 space heaters and have replaced almost 10 humidifiers that broke due to hard water after having to live in the mountains 45 minutes away from Steamboat Springs for a few months before we moved back into town last month). He has already lived in 5 different places (not on purpose or possibly anticipated) and his resilience is incredible. https://edubirdie.com/law-essay-writing-service is a great law essay writing service for cases with animals or any other complicated assignments. I had to keep him in the basement of a church for 2 months to protect him from the ongoing pesticide my previous apartment complex used every two weeks for a disgusting cockroach infestation in his first residence.

He is unbelievably curious and sometimes I let him walk around outside in the grass and trees/branches that are shorter with me, without ever taking my eyes off of him. I am truly the definition of a 'helicopter mom' since I got him the end of last January.

Thank you for sharing your experience, and as soon as my life settles down, I'll contact the school system here and maybe due a trial run. Another reason this is so important to me is that we live at least 3-5 hours from the closest zoo, where at least the children can learn to appreciate wildlife by having a closer connection to those creatures that we don't find in our backyard. Every week I see moose and bears on my way home from work on bike or driving.

Anyways, it is still something I want to get more opinions on and really think about it before proceeding.

Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks for everything,
Allison and Fred

I believe there are better ways to do this without putting Fred at risk. I mean you could give talks at schools using photos and videos of chameleons, or bring in a stuffed chameleon to show the children.
I hope you will reconsider your plan to take Fred to schools since his health and well-being are more important than any educational benefit that he could provide.

Cheers,
Margaret

P.S. Please keep Fred safe and indoors at all times. Chameleons are really escape artists and once my chameleon easily got lost(

 

[FredBenneton]

I really appreciate all the responses and Fred's health is pinnacle to anything else. He has wrapped his prehensile tail very tightly around my heart and I would never put him in danger, hence asking for other's opinions.

Thank you all very much!

 

[Newtoreptiles]

No chameleon would enjoy that. Sure they will tolerate it, but they are very much introverts lol.