Chameleons in Florida

[rhodysailor]

I hear that there is possibly two populations of two chameleon species that have been introduced and established in Tampa FL. Has anybody else heard this or checked it out?

 

[JColt]

Not sure about Tampa but I know there's a couple species living in the everglades. Lot's of non native thru out Fl, so I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[bigalosu]

I live in MB and have seen them in North Shore Open Space Park before. I've only seen one, so it could have been a recent release or it could be a small population. You seen lots of invasives/exotics down here.

 

[PICHISPYTHONS]

I hear they are by new port richie...

 

[Varanis]

The only ones I know of were near Fort Myers and they were Veileds, Last I heard the freeze a couple years appears to have wiped them out though?

 

[trimbler]

When I lived in Saint Petersburg I found a pygmy in my neighbor's orange tree. Think it was a pygmy but it was over 10 years ago.

 

[Hybridbird]

There was at least one established colony on a property on the east side of Ft. Myers, that used to be home to a reptile shop many years ago. Apparently they had veileds and they were kept in an outdoor enclosure that was broken into one night and left open by the perpetrators and there were many escapees. I don't know any of this first hand but, this is what I remember being told by a long standing member of the local herp society that did have first hand knowledge. There may also be something to the story that says they were killed off by the cold, I don't know for sure, but it certainly seems possible.

 

[1995sportster883]

I've heard a lot about veileds in Fort Myers but never any specific location. I wish I did know a specific location considering Fort Myers is only 40mins away from me I'd be out there in an instant to check out these invasive veileds.

 

[gila7150]

There was at least one established colony on a property on the east side of Ft. Myers, that used to be home to a reptile shop many years ago.

Glades Herp, maybe?

I remember in the early to mid 90's there used to be a ridiculous amount of exotics in Hallandale Beach surrounding Strictly Reptiles. I drove down there one day and saw a large, male plumed basilisk sitting on the menu board in the Burger King drive thru. The same day I saw a fresh DOR adult leopard tortoise on Hallandale Beach Blvd. Later that same year my friend found a prehensile tailed skink in a overgrown vacant lot a few blocks from Strictly Reptiles. That's when you could still buy imported prehensile tailed skinks for about $75.

 

[smwboxer]

I've come across several veileds, adults and juveniles, in my backyard in Fort Lauderdale.

 

[timgreener1]

I live in ft myers, tried all the rumored spots, but never any luck. But every now and again I see someone post an add on craigslist saying they found a 'lizard' and have one for $300 bucks or something stupid.

I hear Alva area has them, never made it that way yet

 

[Scrooge]

chameleons

Actually I have been to Ft. Myers and I know exactly where the property is where the veiled chameleons are. I have been there several times, and I have caught babies, juvies, and adults. The property is right off the exit of the highway, but it is in front of a residential neighborhood. The last time we went there the sons of one of the residents tried to fight me and my friends (redneck trash people) then they called the police. The police came and thankfully let us go because we had one small chameleon in our possession. fwc.com list the species of established reptiles and they used to give you pretty exact coordinates of established populations, don't know if they still do, but that was how I found this place- I googled the coordinates from the website.
I would like to start a different thread in the future and share some good spots in south Florida.

Also someone is selling tegus on the classified section, I know where they are exactly in homestead, behind Robert is Here tourist attraction, close to everglades national park I have a co worker who lives in that neighborhood and has accidentally ran over several of them on that road. You need traps to catch them...
I also will sell puertorican anoles from time to time, I catch those specifically in greynolds park in north Miami beach west of Biscayne Blvd , you guys should go if your in Miami good stuff there. Stripped basilisk, iguanas, all kinds anoles.

 

[smwboxer]

The veiled's are pretty well established in my neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale. I have two that were caught right in my yard.

 

[Scrooge]

What neighborhood exactly in ft laterdale? Lol your going to see a nerd in front of your house with a flashlight at night, that would be me so don't call the police!

 

[timgreener1]

I still have yet to find any for myself. I recently bought my first house up in north port / port charlotte border. I have a decent amount of land and every so often go out with a flashlight looking but only found a few rat snakes.

 

[Scrooge]

Dude you would be surprised, that neighborhood I'm talking about I scoured the whole neighborhood. The only place I found them was at the front of the neghborhood in a patch of overgrown jungle that is probably 50ft by 100ft, I think it's like a privacy fence. I did not find anything else in the entire neighborhood. It's more like a colony
This goes the same for other species for example curly tail Lizards, I know a Taco Bell of all places, behind the Taco Bell under a tangle wood tree there is a colony, you go a block away and there's nothing. They are not native animals and when they say they are established it doesn't mean they are reproducing in mass numbers on a 200 sq mile radius. They will be found on small locales.

Check the FWC.com website- another good example is the giant day geckos,, some people let them go on some of the keys islands and they are reproducing but have not extended their range.
Also Amelia Earhart park in Miami, this place only has spiny tail iguanas, outside the park there are none, inside the park they are full of them. I haven't spitted another area in Miami that has spiny tail iguanas, yet they are considered established.

I know there is another small locale of veiled in homestead also, there is a farmers market there were they have a "pet shop" selling wild caught chameleons that were caught close to that area.
There is a Savealot supermarket #329, only in that parking lot you will find red head agamas.
Tim, herping for non natives is like a searching needle in a haystack and unless you stumble across them or know exactly where they are you will never find them and unfortunately a lot of these releases where done on purpose for financial gain so they are kept secret. It's stupid because we all loose when we loose our native wild life to pet trade reptiles, even though I love all reptiles it's a total loss.

 

[dumje]

I have seen the Spiny Tails in Amelia Earhart Park...ALL OVER the place in there

 

[giothereptileguy]

i know a spot where the veiled are and ive caught them there every year for the last two in the same spot on the same time of year also seen red head agamas

 

[Jmyers]

I caught a adult male Veild chameleon in Buckingham FL, I've lived in buckingham for 25 years this is the first one I've seen, he was crossing the road. I hear a lot of people say they see them all over I must be in the wrong location!

 

[salizaria7]

Dead on the road Leopard Tortoise.......so sad