I NEED HELP i find a Chameleon on the street

[tiziana]

I hope this message finds you well. Today, while walking down the street, I came across a small chameleon that appears to be lost or abandoned. I'm not familiar with chameleons at all, and I'm concerned for its well-being. I'm reaching out to this forum in the hopes that you can provide me with some guidance on how to care for this little creature.

I have no experience with chameleons, so any information and advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Here's what I can tell you about the chameleon I found:

1. It's very small and seems quite young.
2. I have no idea what species it is.
3. I don't have any chameleon-specific equipment or supplies.

I'm eager to provide the best possible care for this chameleon, so please share your expertise with me. I have many questions, such as:

• What type of enclosure should I set up?
• What should I feed it, and how often?
• How do I maintain the right temperature and humidity levels?
• Are there any signs of illness or stress I should watch out for?

Your input will be invaluable in helping me give this little chameleon a safe and comfortable home. Thank you in advance for your assistance, and I look forward to learning from your collective wisdom.

 

[Gloriawood]

Oh my gosh! Such a little baby! You found it on the street?!

Babies are very fragile and can die quite easily so I’m not going to sugar coat this. It will be difficult at first and expensive. Start by reading up on husbandry on chameleon academy. I have provided you the link. Neptune the chameleon on YouTube is also very good. I’m also going to tag someone who is very knowledgeable about babies for their opinion.

@jannb

Welcome to you and baby!

https://chameleonacademy.com/

 

[JacksJill]

Where did you find it? Just curious to the state or region it may be native or feral.

 

[Sherbertsmysunshine]

Hi and welcome first of, we all want you to have the best experience with your new friend. Baby chameleons can be a lot of work, so we will try our best to help with whatever we need.
May I ask where you have him\her right now? You might put it in a small box, in front of some light until you get a baby bin.

 

[tiziana]

Where did you find it? Just curious to the state or region it may be native or feral.

malta

 

[tiziana]

Hi and welcome first of, we all want you to have the best experience with your new friend. Baby chameleons can be a lot of work, so we will try our best to help with whatever we need.
May I ask where you have him\her right now? You might put it in a small box, in front of some light until you get a baby bin

i used a old acquarium like a terrarium and i had some land and wook tommorow i will by the another things for him/her

 

[tiziana]

Oh my gosh! Such a little baby! You found it on the street?!

Babies are very fragile and can die quite easily so I’m not going to sugar coat this. It will be difficult at first and expensive. Start by reading up on husbandry on chameleon academy. I have provided you the link. Neptune the chameleon on YouTube is also very good. I’m also going to tag someone who is very knowledgeable about babies for their opinion.

@jannb

Welcome to you and baby!

https://chameleonacademy.com/

thank u so much

 

[JacksJill]

malta

He's a wild native chameleon.

 

[Newtoreptiles]

If he's wild and native, best to release it.

 

[MissSkittles]

He's a wild native chameleon.

@tiziana - baby will do best if you release it in a field or other wild area that has some small trees, or thick bushes are even better. It’s very difficult not only to care for a baby chameleon, but even harder to care for one which has been wild caught. It is not as helpless in the wild as it looks. They are wonderful hunters almost as soon as they hatch from their eggs.

 

[tiziana]

@tiziana - baby will do best if you release it in a field or other wild area that has some small trees, or thick bushes are even better. It’s very difficult not only to care for a baby chameleon, but even harder to care for one which has been wild caught. It is not as helpless in the wild as it looks. They are wonderful hunters almost as soon as they hatch from their eggs.

I met a Maltese man who is knowledgeable about this species. I had never seen a chameleon here before, and I learned that they are not native to Malta but were introduced by Maltese from North Africa. I plan to discuss with him what to do for the chameleon. I was quite surprised to find it on the main road and i feel very lucky for it, here is very rare see animal on land, also becouse there isn't large land , and green here doesn't exit! I will let you know how I will proceed.

 

[yoteango]

Based on iNaturalist, looks like it's a Common chameleon

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=8240&subview=map&taxon_id=32805&view=species
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chameleon

In Malta, Jesuit priests are thought to have introduced this species around 1880 in a small private garden in St. Julian's. Since then, this species seems to have flourished and spread across the island, with sightings being reported in Gozo, Malta's sister island. A small population is reported to be present in Apulia and Calabria in southern Italy.

 

[MissSkittles]

I met a Maltese man who is knowledgeable about this species. I had never seen a chameleon here before, and I learned that they are not native to Malta but were introduced by Maltese from North Africa. I plan to discuss with him what to do for the chameleon. I was quite surprised to find it on the main road and i feel very lucky for it, here is very rare see animal on land, also becouse there isn't large land , and green here doesn't exit! I will let you know how I will proceed.

They find a way to survive. There are a few threads on where chameleons are commonly found in Malta, although they are quite old and things probably have changed. However, I am going to doubt that the following has changed.

https://www.guidememalta.com/en/8-interesting-facts-about-the-mediterranean-chameleon
"In Malta, the chameleon is protected. Handling a chameleon for reasons that are not purely scientific is illegal. To keep it as a pet, to sell it, to export it or to kill it is illegal. Please, protect these lovely creatures so that they can continue to prosper!"