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Presumed female veiled chameleon found crossing road on Plantation key in Tavernier, FL. Individual was captured and removed from the area and is currently being held in captivity by myself. I am no expert on chameleon behavior, but this individual’s temperament does not suggest to me that it is an escaped/released pet, though it is possible it could just have been feral for a long time. Did not thoroughly search area for more individuals, but spoke with home owner whose property it was coming from and he has not reported seeing any other chameleons in yard, though he indicated that he remembered there potentially being some juvenile chameleons in this area during the 1970s. The habitat here is thick, tall hardwood hammock, so ideal for the species and would not be hard for a small population to theoretically go unnoticed. Location obscured to protect home owner’s privacy from recreational herpers, but I would be happy to provide exact location to wildlife authorities and researchers. As far as I know this is the first report of a feral chameleon in the upper keys.

For more information, the easiest way to contact me is probably by email or phone, as I don’t check inat on my desktop enough to see messages. Email is kalebjudd@utexas.edu and phone number is 817-716-5642