So this morning we got up out of bed to find that our chameleon, Phlangey, is no longer with us. I have never owned a lizard before being with my guy, but I actually got kind of attached to the little guy. We bought him 3 years ago from a pet shop that, to be honest, really shouldn't be a pet shop.We got a lot of our "rescue" lizards from there.
Phlangey was a fastinating guy. He loved his bugs (I think he masterminded a plot to have crickets breeding endlessly in his habitat - I know we sure didn't do that on purpose!!!) and he loved to hiss and bite people :p Not the friendliest of lizards, but he was stunning to look at as he changed colours to suit his environment.
We aren't certain why Phlangey didn't live as long as we'd hoped. We'd estimate he was about 3 1/2-4 years old and they should live 5-8 years. Not sure if that's in captivity or just in general.
My only hope (and only worry) is that the Topper the Cat didn't have something to do with it. Stress wise only - he never got into the habitat at him physically. But Topper would frequently watch Phlangey - and in fact, I think Phlangey may have taught Topper to hiss! We tried our best to keep him away from the habitat, but when Mommy's away, cat's like to play....
Anyways, we are sad today at the loss of one of our beloved little zoo.
RIP Phlangey!
pls. excuse DH's mountain man appearance in this photo! Sometimes I just can't get him to shave it off :p
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