Lost Chameleon

[Dreva]

This will make some of the readers appalled perhaps, but any advice would be appreciated. Yesterday afternoon in the hot weather we put our Yemen in a small tree in the garden to bask - it stayed there happily for 2 hours, after which we diverted our attention to gardening, etc (basically we weren't paying attention) and 2 hours later when we went to put it back in its vivarium it had disappeared. We have a big garden, surrounded by a low, quite dense hornbeam hedge with numerous trees. We've looked yesterday and today for about 5 hours total and there's no sign - it's hard to know where to start - the ground, the hedges, high up in the trees? Hard to predict its behaviour.

Basically, does anyone have any tips on how to perhaps bring us to him or vice versa?
Thank you all very much.

 

[carol5208]

I would look up high and look at night with a flashlight when they are their brighest colors. Continue to search in the day of course too. Sorry you lost your cham and I hope you find him. I guess you learned the hard way that you cannot take your eyes off of them for ONE second.

 

[seanUTD]

When they want to be fast they are fast... I almost lost mine and he had made it 10 feet in about 30 seconds... It's hard to say where he could have gone... Try heavy vegitation and taller trees... But otherwise I'm sorry this is definitely not a fun experience

 

[KTown333]

Just keep looking high and low. I have heard of instances where birds will come down and grab them. Lets hope that didnt happen. Good luck finding him! Sorry to hear the bad news : (

 

[Hoj]

so sorry this has happend i really hope you find him...

 

[Dreva]

Thanks you guys - it's just such a big garden i'm lost as where to start - we were thinking about putting a heatlamp on the little tree where we originally put it - would that attract it?

I don't think any birds would manage to get it - i live in England on a farm and there's nothing really big/predatory to be able to.

I'll go with a flashlight tonight, thanks for that advice. I just dunno whether he'll be low or high, cos he's a Vieled from Saudi so there aren't really any big trees...

 

[Hoj]

oh he will head up, up , and up a bit more, a few times i have let my guy go into a tree and he heads straight for the top..

 

[jdog1027]

I lost one several years ago, and I went out with a flashlight and found her within a minute. She was actually not more than a foot or two off of the ground. I figured she be higher. An LED flashlight works much better than a conventional filament bulb, but then again most flashlights nowadays are zenon LED bulbs. The higher the lumens the better. Good luck.

 

[Thompson]

You will find him, just keep looking. I lost my veiled for about 3 months and found him in my front yard.

 

[Dreva]

Thanks very much jdog1027, the flashlight approach seems the most promising. I just hope he's not gotten too cold over last night :/

 

[Kent67]

I just dunno whether he'll be low or high, cos he's a Vieled from Saudi so there aren't really any big trees...

The areas they come from do have trees (Acacia,etc) so look high. From what I've heard about the wild veileds in Florida and the one article about chameleon hunting in Yemen, they're usually found around 4-5m high, day or night. I agree with the others that searching at night will probably be the most successful but also wanted to add that they don't tend to go too far, especially if there are trees to provide shelter and food.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3632271 (Note: I did not check to see if Hodeida is confirmed calyptratus habitat or not, just illustrating the diversity.)

 

[Chamster]

looking for your buddy at night will give you the best chance for finding him because their colours will make them stand out very good.

OH YA.... my friend almost went over his 1 year old nose be with his lawn mower.....so be careful.

 

[Ekproject]

Best of luck please keep us posted

 

[Elizadolots]

We've seen lots of these stories turn out well. Very often the chameleon is found within feet of the place it was lost. You might try putting his cage, open, outside in a place he could access it from the tree.

 

[Chamero]

Dont worry!!! I ve lost my chameleon tons of times.... Found him in the neighbors even up to 3 days later.

Pretty much, during night and morning he wont move until he warms up. So as the sun is coming out...he will be sunning..

Best time to look is in the morning before he heats up and moves away.

Go Look now!!!

And remember to look through the bushes...he isnt far, and he sees you!!

 

[sdheli420]

We've seen lots of these stories turn out well. Very often the chameleon is found within feet of the place it was lost. You might try putting his cage, open, outside in a place he could access it from the tree.

probably the best solution..my ex gf once left a door open to the house..i had a yemen free ranger in the living room..gone..then a week later i was outside working on a bike and i look over..theres the lil basterd crawling towards me (was hungry maybe, and remebered i fed him???)..try the cage idea..it may work..

 

[Dreva]

Thanks so much for all your responses - i didn't expect so many. it's 7pm here so i'll wait for a couple more hours til it gets dark and i'll let you know if i find him

 

[laurie]

Dont worry!!! I ve lost my chameleon tons of times.... Found him in the neighbors even up to 3 days later.

Pretty much, during night and morning he wont move until he warms up. So as the sun is coming out...he will be sunning..

Best time to look is in the morning before he heats up and moves away.

Go Look now!!!

And remember to look through the bushes...he isnt far, and he sees you!!

Did you just say you lost your cham tons of times???????? I can understand doing it once, we all make mistakes but I just can't think of a way ANY cham keeper can just keep losing their chameleon. What am I missing here?

 

[drcrossfire]

Did you just say you lost your cham tons of times???????? I can understand doing it once, we all make mistakes but I just can't think of a way ANY cham keeper can just keep losing their chameleon. What am I missing here?

Agreed.. That statement seems goofy. Bad care or just moral support. I hope the latter....

 

[Hoj]

glad someone said it!!!! LoL