Where to find CHAMELEONS in Florida! (Veiled Chameleons)

[@WILDFL]

Catch that subscribe button!

[@mcohan6854]

Amazing video and such cool animals. I live in the Tampa area and have been doing research for a few weeks now to narrow down locations of where to find these guys so I can enjoy it as a pet with my kids. Do you know if they are still near Okeechobee? I think I might have better luck finding one or two in SW FL. I have an idea where to look, but I need to avoid neighborhoods.

[@WILDFL]

Honestly, if you want one as a pet, your best bet is to buy one from a store. Wild Chams often have parasites that can be treated, but are kinda expensive. A store bought Cham should only cost between 40-60$ usd and comes parasite free. There are still wild Chams in SFL near Okeechobee and you can find them from the roadside at night.

[@mcohan6854]

@@WILDFL I use a medical microscope as part of my job, so I could easily tell if there are parasites or ovum present. If they were, I'd gladly seek vet treatment. The experience of finding one myself would give me greater joy than just buying captive bred. Thanks for the reply and info about Okeechobee.

[@ameo666]

You showed up when I was looking up what to find in Florida. Very funny video, and super informative.

[@WILDFL]

Glad to give you something to look forward to!

[@satchelsnowgw]

Fantastic vid my friend really great stuff!

[@WILDFL]

Thanks for watching!

[@Novamama87]

Love the video! We have a male veiled Cham at home and this video makes me and my husband ready to visit Florida! Much love from the 818 in California!

[@dgenbraking]

Yessss I'm moving to lake okechobee in a month! My ebike gets 200 miles range and has an insane headlight, can't wait to find one of these amazing dinosaurs!

[@WILDFL]

Good luck! And stay safe!

[@ryanwallace9723]

Awesome video! Keep em coming!

[@WILDFL]

Glad you liked it!

[@ewanwilsonadventurefilms]

Awesome video man! Keep it up!

[@wpb34]

Excellent video. I am gonna try to catch a few in the homestead area.

[@garretthigginbotham6122]

They survive Florida winters?

[@WILDFL]

In south Florida, absolutely. There are a few pockets in central Florida, but thats about their northern most extent

[@dreseworld]

Nice videos ! We need more Diana !

[@WILDFL]

Thanks for watching! Ill definitely have Diana featured more in future episodes! I want her charm on screen!

[@theonlybruhmoment4336]

Crazy looking male bro! Would you mind sharing the google maps coordinates where you found that one? That okeechobee area is close to me and I would love to catch one to keep as a pet.

[@WILDFL]

I don't have the coordinates but we just drove around the area shining the trees with our spot lights. Just be careful about going onto people's property because many of the folks around there do not take kindly to chameleon hunters

[@danz409]

i'm planning a visit in october and wouldn't mind picking one up while i'm there. where is the best place to find the locals selling them? because. oddly facebook marketplace has a lack of the actual pets. plenty of enclosures though.

[@WILDFL]

Im not sure on this! Sorry :/

[@elliottnunez1057]

I live in Western Central Florida Didn't see any of these yet!! I hope I do I want one!! I did find a Ball Python in my back yard though. He was extremely healthy probably just released from his tank

[@WILDFL]

I havent seen in any in central Florida yet!

[@dotcole3382]

Very. Good Zack 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@SpartanTackle]

Awesome 🔥

[@thebrothers1477]

Awww I love them! So cute😂❤️

[@WILDFL]

Thanks for checking out what makes FL so WILD! Remember to subscribe for future adventures (Im currently working on season 2!)

[@ashlangford9587]

I’m near Fort Myers this weekend and I have a friend who raises them. Do you have any good locations to herp?

[@WILDFL]

We found ours just along the roadside near lake okeechobee, so just check out the road sides at night :)

[@ashlangford9587]

@@WILDFL I found one in Lehigh last night.

[@WILDFL]

@@ashlangford9587 Thats awesome! Did you keep it

[@InkyIntrovert]

What did you end up doing with them? So cool!

[@WILDFL]

We passed these off to a friend who sells them as pets!

[@ryanrodriguez5973]

Can you catch these chameleon without a class 3 permit in 2025 ?

[@WILDFL]

@ryanrodriguez5973 I'm honestly not sure. Usually, as long as it's not in a state/national park or on private property (unless you have permission) it's usually fair game to remove invasive/exotics

[@mcohan6854]

Chameleons are not native to FL, so its legal to take invasive species and make them pets. Interestingly, it’s actually illegal to catch and release invasives back into FL habitat. The animals must either be culled, sold or made pets.

[@erinblu112]

I'd love to find some in central florida. My daughter is a reptile fanatic and we're both florida natives., it would be amazing to find a wild chameleon in this area. I realize they are invasive but they don't seem to be as bad as some other dangers to fl wildlife. Id really like to find some if anyone can give me a heading

[@WILDFL]

I dont typically give out location information for animals, and for the chams its become a bit of an issue because many people have been shot at. I've tried chameleon hunting a few more times over the last few years and have never been able to get permission from property owners or anything any more. Its become really dangerous and tbh its not worth doing "Just for fun". Also, Im unaware of any populations in Central Florida (I live in Orlando) it seems to get too cold here for them.

[@ericlazenby5984]

Badass

[@W4MBU]

Funny people call some of these lizards invasive but what people fail to realize is that the green iguana was a native to Florida.

[@WILDFL]

Do you have a source for that? Green iguanas are typically recognized as an Invasive species in Florida and all of the literature confirms they are indeed, Non-natives.

[@TaylorShawn]

How about you stop slinging them around like that?

[@WILDFL]

Thanks for stopping by! Probably not surprising to you, but it was my first time handling them. I wasnt expecting them to be as crawly as they were, especially in the cold (it was almost 50 degrees out that night). Do you have any suggestions for me to better handle them?