Veiled Chameleon At Sweetbriar

Monday, May 12, 2014,

And now for something completely different. Kudos to any of you Monty Python fans that actually understand that reference. As for the rest of you, it’s okay. We can still be friends. On that note, I invite everyone to click on these individual pics. In many cases here at Joe Kayaker clicking on a pic brings up a  larger (and hopefully) better shot for you to observe and enjoy. These two pics are prime examples of exactly that. This is one good looking lizard and you should see him in all his glory.

This handsome beast is a Veiled Chameleon. These guys hail from Yemen, which is just below Saudi Arabia. (I had to look that up). This is obviously a personal failing but whenever I think of the Middle East, my brain conjures up desert sands and oil. However, Yemen’s borders include just about as much waterline as it does dry land. Not to mention some mondo good looking reptiles.    

20140425111611 (2)-5x7aw

I came across this guy at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, NY. He’s a pet that was ‘donated’ to Sweetbriar after its former owner decided he was more trouble than was expected. This happens all too often in the pet trade. Folks see a sexy, exotic animal and start thinking how cool it might be to have that particular piece of eye candy around. Thoughts concerning the care and requirements of said animal are often secondary. And so it goes. Word is that this particular lizard, as handsome as he is, has a very nasty disposition. That may be why he was discarded. I mean donated. At any rate, he makes for another wonderful critter to see at Sweetbriar. Go check him out if you’re in town. JK   

3 thoughts on “Veiled Chameleon At Sweetbriar

  1. He looks like he’s made out of CANDY! What wild colors. And he also looks to be in deep thought — so maybe he’s grumpy when people disturb him because he’s busy being a philosopher and doesn’t want to be disturbed. Or maybe he’s longing for Yemen….

  2. I don’t know that he’s longing for Yemen. It turns out that Veiled Chameleons are very popular in the pet trade. In fact, they are one of the most commonly bred and available species of chameleons. Most of these guys have never seen Yemen.
    As for philosophizing, I do not put that past any animal. If Homo Sapiens can manage the trick, why not others? We are the new kids on the block. Other species, in fact entire Orders, have been around MUCH longer than us bipeds. We cannot be the first thinkers on this planet. It’s too depressing a thought.
    Here’s my stab at his grumpiness. This is a single guy in his prime wearing threads that any chick would notice. Unfortunately, there are no chicks to impress. He’s all dressed up and he’s got nowhere to go. The disco is closed and the daily feeding of crickets does not fulfill a man. Not one so beautiful as he. Maybe tomorrow there will waxworms with the crickets. Yummy. JK.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *