Concerns are growing for the welfare of a chameleon which is on the loose after escaping from its owner’s Fife home.
Residents in Rosyth have been on the hunt for the veiled chameleon called Igor since it escaped from its enclosure in Findlay Street last Thursday.
The creatures are normally found in the more arid environments of Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Sharon Muir, who owns the chameleon, along with a array of other exotic pets, including a bearded dragon, two geckos, bull frogs, horn frogs and a tortoise, fears Igor will not survive unless he is soon found.
She said all reptiles need a heat source to survive and the weather has turned cooler since he vanished.
“He escaped from his outdoor enclosure and I was hoping he’d just be in the garden but he’s obviously made a run for it.
“He is green with blue and red markings so may be difficult to see in trees. Chameleons changing colour to suit surroundings is largely a myth but Igor will turn a dark grey or brown colour if stressed.
“I’ve had all the neighbours and local children out searching gardens, trees and bushes in the hope of finding him but as yet, he’s not turned up.
“One lady did say that her four-year-old daughter thought she had seen him as she kept referring to a ‘dragon’ in the garden but sadly the sighting has not lead us to Igor.”
Sharon said she had loved and kept exotic pets for years and purchased Igor in January from a pet shop in Airdrie.
“He’s only a youngster and we really need to find him soon,” she said.
The veiled or Yemen chameleon belongs to a distinctive and highly specialised group of lizards that are distinguished from others by their parrot-like (zygodactylous) feet and independently mobile eyes.
They usually live for about four to eight years with fully grown males reaching around 50cm in length.
Sharon hopes news of Igor’s escape will trigger a sighting and help bring him to safety.
“I’m urging anyone who sees Igor to get in touch. There is no need to be frightened as the cool weather will have slowed him down a great deal.
“Chameleons do have barbs on their skin so anyone finding him will be best to pick him up by the tail or to coax him into a box.”
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Sharon via Facebook at www.facebook.com/sharon.muir66
