Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering if someone could help me. I am moving to AZ for the summer from OR and am debating taking my chameleon with me as my roommate does not want the responsability of watching him, which is cool. im just afraid he will not make it. it is a twenty hour drive so 2 days with a night at a motel in between. is there any advice you could give me on taking him with me in the car for such a long period? i have a plastic travel carrier i usually put him in and i also have a nice wire cage he used as a baby. i know as soon as i get to my destination he will be fine but its just the car ride that im worried about cause i know he wont eat or drink a drop unless he is all set up in his reptarium. any suggestions? thanks a lot.

Whitney in Oregon

I'd set him up for the drive in a covered box with a sturdy perch so he'll nap most of the time. As long as the temps in the box are "nighttime" temps he won't chill or overheat. He won't starve during a couple of days of travel. To keep him humid you can put moist paper towels on the bottom. You might want to stop driving a bit earlier in the day than you might have otherwise, so you can set up his cage at the motel with a basking light so he can warm up and drink or eat if he chooses. Chances are he won't do much of either as the change will upset him. Actually, two of my chams went to a new home and their new keepers carried them from CO to IA on a big Harley touring bike. They carried them in ventilated boxes in backpacks. When they stopped for the night they hung a piece of cargo net in the motel shower and let the chams soak up the warm humidity and drink. They both arrived just fine after their trip.

thanks for your reply. ive really been kickin this idea around for a while. this helps a lot. thanks again.

whit