Kodak is going on a Field Trip!

[Betta_Koi]

Hi everybody!
My Veiled Female Kodak is going to be going on a little excursion on Wednesday. My mom is a teacher at an elementary school and they are reading a play/story about a Veiled Chameleon so Kodak gets to go visit the kiddos. I'm excited but I've never really taken her out except to check on her and take her to the vet because she's not the most social creature. Any advice about travel and reducing stress on her? Has anyone here shared their chameleon with the public before? How did it go?

 

[Syreptyon]

Honestly, my advice would be to not do that at all. It is not a necessary excursion and chameleons are not toys to bring around to show and tell. You should only be traveling with her when completely necessary (read: when moving to a new home or going to the vet). Since it is not necessary, it would be neither responsible nor compassionate to subject her to this much stress. Chameleons don't even like a single person watching them, let alone dozens of children who will not understand or respect how sensitive chameleons are. Please rethink this!

 

[Betta_Koi]

First of all, state your source.
Second, outreach is important for destigmatizing the reptile hobbist community. How do you expect people to learn if they never have an opportunity to be taught? I would have never gotten into the hobby if I hadn't been able to interact with these animals in a controlled school environment. You make it sound like she's going to keel over by just being looked at.

 

[Syreptyon]

You came to our forum asking for advice. I offered advice, which I guarantee most other members of the forum would agree with. You don't have to take it.

It is the commonest knowledge that chameleons stress very easily and should not be transported except when necessary for moves and vet visits. It is up to you if you want to prioritize the experience of children over the wellbeing of your pet. That is a selfish decision, but a choice that is yours to make.

Looking back through your history, this is your first chameleon and you haven't even had her for two months. She has/had MBD and wasn't eating well and was dehydrated. She is a rescue. She should be allowed to acclimate to her new environment before even considering putting her through this stress. She needs time to get well and this will not help.

 

[Goose502]

Sounds like you have been taking good care of this chameleon. Bringing a rescue back from MBD is admirable. So far you have made some good choices, bringing the chameleon into a classroom setting would not be one. I agree with you that outreach is important, but chameleons should not be included in this act. Any and all chameleon species are far too fragile to transport on a regular basis, or be subject to a classroom full of little eyes. If the chameleon was a class pet, then possibly, it would learn to deal with regular stress. This particular chameleon is not used to regular stress, and in no way in good enough health to deal with such a trip. It can for sure survive this excursion, but may result in weeks or months of behavioral change that could lead to illness. Bring pictures and stories to the classroom. Most keepers on this forum will infact implore you do just that. Chameleons, reptiles and amphibians for the most part are not “pets” as much as they are displays.

 

[KeopiCat]

Perhaps you could make a short video about Kodak instead of putting her through the stress of travel. You should only transport your chameleons when absolutely necessary. Sorry to seem like a buzzkill, but it's what's best for Kodak.

 

[Decadancin]

First of all, state your source.
Second, outreach is important for destigmatizing the reptile hobbist community. How do you expect people to learn if they never have an opportunity to be taught? I would have never gotten into the hobby if I hadn't been able to interact with these animals in a controlled school environment. You make it sound like she's going to keel over by just being looked at.

So, just my two cents... which you may or may not want...

Educating people about chameleons is definitely something I admire, and I believe it is important. I just believe it should be done the right way. Not all stress is terrible for a healthy chameleon and if your animal was one that "enjoyed" being held I may not be so opposed to the idea. I just don't see this method of displaying the animal in a classroom setting as the best thing for the chameleon. It may offer the wrong type of message about these animals and cause those impulse buys and future health issues from those who do not know what they are getting into. No, I wouldn't say that she is going to "keel over by just being looked at" but I will say that it is very difficult to see actual stress levels and their effects, especially if an animal is not in their usual environment, or if there are underlying issues that are already present but have not shown symptoms as of yet. Also, I would prefer that someone displaying a chameleon for a presentation was more knowledgeable about their care, requirements and potential health concerns (no offense is intended by this, I don't know if I would consider myself knowledgeable enough to do this either) so that the children could ask questions and get the right answers.

I like the idea of a video and pictures, but I get it. Kids are not going to want to see that if they can see the real thing. If you decide to do this, I would suggest to have a short discussion with the children about the chameleons and then make sure that they are not all around the animal at the same time. Bring them over one or two at a time and make sure the chameleon is up kind of high so she doesn't feel like she has no escape.

Hope that helps...

 

[flowerrpal]

Personally, my chameleons live at school and are used to regular excursions, but I would not suggest this for others. I keep this to a minimum even for them and only transport them home and back to school for breaks. My chameleons are not particularly affected by this since they were raised this way but there is no way to tell how this would affect another chameleon. If you do insist on doing this, I would suggest bringing a carrier that is clear. Place her in it and place vines/plants so she can hide as much as she wants. Then, do not let the kids hold her but rather let them look at her. If she does let you pull her out, keep her away from the kids and just show them. You don't want to risk her safety of course so this is what I have found that works around other people.

 

[Graves923]

I agree with everyone so far. My chameleon gets spooked enough when my camera lens is pointed at him, let alone multiple pairs of eyes he is not familiar with staring at him. Kids are also full of energy so you know there is going to be at least one kid jumping around. In my experience, chams pick up on movement easily which will add to the stress.

I would not advise bringing this chameleon into a classroom. As stated above, it seems this chameleon is new and has had a rough beginning. Put yourself in the chameleons position... Youre comfortable in your home then you are taken and put into a dark box. After a bump ride and not having a clue where your are or understanding what is happening, the box is opened and you are taken out again but now in front of all these eyes staring at you in a room you are not familiar with. Its going to be a bit stressful, right?

 

[Betta_Koi]

I apologize. Bad day at work leaked into my internet life. I talked it over with Kodak (I know that makes me sound nuts) but she gave me a definite "nope". She used to be an unusually friendly veiled. That part of the reason I got her. It was only day of I noticed some issues. Vet said wasn't MBD, she was just dehydrated and very skinny. She's doing 10 times better now which may be why she is now acting like a normal veiled. She's not going after all. Just pictures that'll have to be enough for the kiddos. Again, I'm sorry about the hostility.