Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Took Harley out for some sun today while I cleaned his cage. He went down the tree....no cage. I know I should have known better, and that's what makes me feel so bad....I did know better. Anyway, I have looked evrrywhere. Thing is, he hides so well, he could be 6 inches in front of my face and i would miss him. I have gone out with a spotlight(thanks Alan) but with no luck as of yet. I figure I have a month, two at most to find him. If you have any ideas, please share.
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Matt

Matt-

I have a WC Ambilobe that is spoiled rotten. He gets what he want when he wants it!LOL! He always wants out of his cage, he has an indoor cage and outdoor cage (well all my pardalis do). He seems to like being held to much, I sh!t you not, when you open the cage door and put your hand in he runs over and jumps on! Well he was placed on a large ficus tree (not in a cage). He climbed off the ficus and into our Avocado tree about 10 ft away from his ficus. He did this when I turned my back to answer the phone and lucky for me I heard him running through the leafs on the floor under the avocado tree. Larger chameleons can run fast, faster then you would think they can. I would look in any trees/shrubs near by for him. You would be surprised how long they can last outside on there own. With fall on the way the leafs will be falling so if he is in a high tree, it might help locate him. I don't see a spot light helping any, being that they are a diurnal lizard there will be no shinny eyes to look for like with nocturnal animals. The only thing the light would do is attract bugs, but being that it is night and cooler the chameleons will be more interested in finding a place to sleep then finding food. Your best bet would be getting up right before sunrise and look for him in the sunny areas where he might be basking. I hope you find him before some bird or wild animal does! Good luck!
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

The spotlight will eluminate the chameleon at night. If you wait until it is dark, when the chameleon goes to sleep and is in his resting colors, the chromatophores (the cells responsible for the coloration of the chameleon) will reflect the light very well, making it much easier to see it then in the day when their natural colors help them blend in.

During the day something to help attract him would help the most.
Like a female Veiled in an outdoor wire cage. A male will make a beeline from across a yard if he sees a female.

hmm...you know thats a good idea. There is a guy in my area who sells veileds....he may rent a female to me for a few days. I doubt it though.
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Matt

That is probably your best bet... lure him in with a gal.
Don't beat yourself up. I once forgot to latch Orion's cage, and when I came home she was out. Thank god my cat wasn't in there... I found her on top of my dresser, and she was ok. I can imagine how you feel though.. Before I found her it was aweful. It happens to the best of us. Hopefully you will find him soon and it will just be a lesson learned.
Does he have any absolutely adored foods? You could try putting a few worms on the trunks of some trees... and see if he comes around for them. I would hire a few kids from the neighbourhood to look for him... that might help too. Set up a backyard exploration.