She Kept A Parrot
A Journal For Charlie
Sam, I am!
Sam is a baby Veiled Chameleon.
His body is about 3.5 inches long.
He is perhaps two months old.
I have had Sam for four days.
And, I am still trying to figure out what he likes best.
In the gallery below, the first photo reveals his displeasure.
I was arranging his vegetation, and he didn’t like my hand in his cage.
Chameleons are shy creatures who should be housed alone and rarely handled.
He is not pleased!
Sam looks very thin to me, so I took a fecal sample for analysis. No parasites.
I suppose he simply needs to eat LOTS.
That poses a problem of sorts since I can never know precisely what he eats!
I laughed aloud at his expression when he checked out his feeding cup.
I think he was saying, “You really expect me to eat from that?
I thought it was a clever, on the spot, solution to the problem.
I thought learning about Bearded Dragons was difficult.
Holy Moley! I hadn’t met Sam yet!
Chuckle…
Chameleons are fascinating creatures who move in slow-motion.
Their most delightful characteristic is their expressive faces.
They move their eyes independently making sneaking up on them impossible.
Sam is a fragile baby.
He is sitting on the leaf of a silk plant (from Kelli’s garage box of discarded stuff).
I couldn’t weigh him because he climbed up my arm when I put him on the scale!
But, I can tell you that he is as light as a feather.
And difficult to photograph because he hides among the leaves.
Or climbs to the very top of his cage under the basking light.
Why did I buy him knowing that I won’t live long enough for him to grow up?
The simple answer is that I always wanted a Chameleon.
I will be able to see him into adolescence at the minimum,
And, a friend will take care of him for the remainder of his life.
They live approximately five years, maybe a bit longer.
He looks remarkably like a gargoyle sometimes, as the Coastal Crone observed.
Wish us luck!
🙂
32 Comments on “Sam, I am!”
Comments
She Kept A Parrot 
I would never have termed a chameleon ‘cute’, but your Sam sure is! 🙂 Fabulous photos as always George.
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So adorable. Why do I have an urge to just wanna’ hug the lil guy? 😉
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Touching, fascinating. And in very good hands…
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I can’t help but look at these critters and think that they know something really important and they’re just not going to tell us! 😉
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Brilliant photos, George. Never occurred to me ’til now but how in the world are you finding these little critters? You’ve come by some odd ones and give them a nice little spread with your photo magic.
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Excellent photos of your latest baby! Sam I Am is adorable. I love his eyes. He looks much larger with your wonderful close-ups. Take care!
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How I’m going to miss your photography….. what beautiful photos of a common creature we have here… I have always been fascinated by the chameleon, its ability to change colour and disguise itself in any tree… that shooting tongue that seems so accurate when hunting… slow in the trees, yet can get a burst of speed on the ground when threatened… tenacious in action when a snake sees it as a potential meal… actually seen one biting a “skaapstieker” (a snake) … love the little, as you say difficult to creep up on, chameleon…
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I love his “blue” moods….the pictures are awesome as always!
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These are fantastic photos. The one with the spots is really something. I want to see the new chameleon when it arrives!
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Fascinating! You capture his expressions, priceless.
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He’s very pretty 🙂
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Good luck! What a little sweetie! Love that last gargoyle-y shot.
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Such a sweetie, and these expressions…. you could put lots of captions on all the pictures!
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Baby Sam is adorable !! George your pictures are really good and beautiful !!
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Cute little Sam!!!!! I’m glad I got to see him.
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Well, you’ll get to see the new one too. He arrives tomorrow! 🙂
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Superb shots George and how much personality does Sam have! Reminds me of aa few people I know ….
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Ha-ha! He reminds me of a few people I know, too. He makes me laugh. Thanks, Patti! 🙂
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Congratulations in your new acquisition George. I can’t recall now where I saw so much wonderful footage of chameleons. Is is possible that it was part of documentary on Madagascar by David Attenborough? Perhaps … I’m as old as dirt, can’t remember anything. I do remember that they had a very long, elastic, and highly protrusible tongue that they used to capture a wide variety of insect prey. I’m sure you’ll settle on a diet that he’ll enjoy and fatten on. His hands and eyes are indeed something to behold. And, you are correct, he is rolling his eyes at you at the site of his feeding bowl! Once again congratulations to you both! D
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Ah, you’re too kind, D. Yes, their tongues extend up to 1.5 times the length of their bodies. I’ve seen photos of a chameleon tongue extended, and it is amazing. The end of the tongue is sticky so it captures the prey easily. I love the hands and eyes, too. In my next life, you and I are going to Madagascar and the Galapagos! Chuckle…
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I’ll make a mental note … the Galapagos has always been somewhere Joanna and I have wanted to visit … you know, kinda in the footsteps of Darwin. New Zealand and Scotland are also on the list of places we will never see. Oh well. Be well and be happy. D
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fascinating creature. He does have an expressive face. What are their social lives like in nature?
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Hi, Shimon! Chameleons are solitary and tolerate each other only during breeding which occurs up to three times a year. The males are bigger, very territorial, aggressive and live up to eight years. They do not live in social groups as other animals do. The babies are fully independent and able to hunt as soon as they hatch. Males grow to a length of 17-24 inches. They are ancient creatures. That’s perhaps why they appeal to me. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Shimon. I hope you are well. I am sending a big hug for Nechama! 🙂
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He looks so cute. I hope you are happy together.
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Thank you, Debra! I don’t have the slightest idea whether Sam likes me, but I like him! They are solitary creates who do not live in social groups and tolerate each other only during mating! About like many humans, I think. Chuckle. Thanks for stopping by to visit the “zoo”!
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Your pictures are great and Sam is very cool! Thank you for sharing. 😊
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Hi, Joe. Nice to meet you! Thanks for stopping by to visit the “zoo”! If you like Sam, check out the Bearded Dragons here. They are cool animals and wonderful pets. 🙂
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Sam is adorable!
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Thanks, girls! I like the little face! Chuckle… Thanks for stopping by!
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He looks like quite a character, George. Best of luck as you entertain and get to know each other. The photos are superb!
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Thank you, Naomi! I am going to enjoy Sam. I always liked the chameleons, so I decided to keep him. I’m sure the kids wonder what in the world I’m going to drag up next! Chuckle…
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We had a tiny chameleon when we were kids, but he looked more like a delicate gecko that changed color from green to brown. I’m glad you two found each other!
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