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I hate people
Nov. 12th, 2006 07:12 amJust as I was leaving work today someone brought in a Jackson's chameleon that they had found outside. The poor thing was clearly at death's door, starved, it's eyes were collapsed, and dying of cold. (the temperature has been hovering at about 45-50*F). It probably wasn't dehydrated due to all the rain we've been getting, but the extreme cold (for a TROPICAL reptile) will probably do it in. If it survives one of my managers will probably take it home.
I don't think it will. It's eyes were sunken, which means that the muscles behind them had atrophied. That is the sign of a chameleon that is going die, they need those muscles to control their tongue, and if they can't use it then they can't eat. Chameleons also don't drink standing water, I have to mist my Veiled Chameleon once a day. They also need to eat pretty frequently (for a carnivorous reptile), at least five or six times a week.
What really pisses me off is that someone had to let it go outside. Chameleons are not exactly fast runners, and they don't like walking along the floor, so merely leaving the door open would not be enough to let one escape. No, someone probably got tired of keeping it and decided to 'free' it, nevermind that Hell would freeze over before a chameleon could survive an Oregon winter outdoors.
It isn't even an adult chameleon, at a guess it looks like it was about four or five months old. Still a baby. And the fuckers LET IT OUTSIDE TO DIE. Seriously, if you don't want a critter that much, why don't you put it up on Craigslist and sell it? The least they could do is find it a good home.
This isn't even the first stray reptile I've seen, my iguana, Radar, was found outdoors a couple of summers ago by some friends of my neighbor. Iggies are more prone to running away (he's FAST when he wants to be, and climbs as fast and as well as a squirrel. A giant green scaled squirrel), so I'm willing to give his first owners the benifit of the doubt, but not by much.
In summery, people suck.
I don't think it will. It's eyes were sunken, which means that the muscles behind them had atrophied. That is the sign of a chameleon that is going die, they need those muscles to control their tongue, and if they can't use it then they can't eat. Chameleons also don't drink standing water, I have to mist my Veiled Chameleon once a day. They also need to eat pretty frequently (for a carnivorous reptile), at least five or six times a week.
What really pisses me off is that someone had to let it go outside. Chameleons are not exactly fast runners, and they don't like walking along the floor, so merely leaving the door open would not be enough to let one escape. No, someone probably got tired of keeping it and decided to 'free' it, nevermind that Hell would freeze over before a chameleon could survive an Oregon winter outdoors.
It isn't even an adult chameleon, at a guess it looks like it was about four or five months old. Still a baby. And the fuckers LET IT OUTSIDE TO DIE. Seriously, if you don't want a critter that much, why don't you put it up on Craigslist and sell it? The least they could do is find it a good home.
This isn't even the first stray reptile I've seen, my iguana, Radar, was found outdoors a couple of summers ago by some friends of my neighbor. Iggies are more prone to running away (he's FAST when he wants to be, and climbs as fast and as well as a squirrel. A giant green scaled squirrel), so I'm willing to give his first owners the benifit of the doubt, but not by much.
In summery, people suck.