New pet...

This year I had the opportunity to either purhcase a new lense for my birthday in May, or a new pet. Can you guessed what I picked? I've been wanting a chameleon for years, but they are a significant investment in money, time, space, effort, plants, and crickets. One time a few years ago I actually bought the screened cage and never bought the chameleon, and then lost the cage on the highway off the back of a truck during a move a few years ago.

So in early May I waited eagerly for the little box to be delivered to my doorstep, overnight from Florida. It arrived, and it's been a learning experience ever since. Ruth wasn't totally informed on how much attention these animals required (neither was I), but since May I think I've developed a pretty good 'husbandry' for raising a healthy little lizard. Well...not that little. They get pretty big. Ruth didn't know that either.

But I did. ;)




Funny thing about Chameleons - they hate people. He likes me to feed him 10 to 13 crickets a day, he likes me to mist him 2 to 3 times a day, buy and maintain live plants, and clean up his poop, but after that; this is what I get from him...



He hates me.

Oh well. It's kind of like owning a zoo animal. It's a bit of a 'look but don't touch' pet. Very fun to observe and photograph.



These are his colors when he's all fired up and sitting in the sun. This was one of his first succesful photo shoots. What a beautiful animal!

Ruth didn't quite know what she was agreeing to when she aproved of the lizard. Especially the other day when she found a "vibrating" fedex box on the doorstep. It was full of 500 live crickets. (Super cheap when you order online like that). Sorry babe. Lizard's gotta eat!



Ruth named him "Otto". I'm sure you'll be seeing more pictures of him.