Skinny Chameleon 'Abandoned' in Bag Outside Shelter Finds Loving Family

Anne Thompson

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A female chameleon left in a Bath & Body Works bag in the Humane Society Tampa Bay's lobby has been adopted by a family, after receiving care, and a new name, by the animal shelter's staff. The newly named Pascal had been abandoned at the front of the shelter in Tampa, Florida, in December 2022, and was nearly thrown out with the trash after one of the shelter's managers thought that the bag Pascal was hidden in was misplaced shopping. The reptile was eventually discovered and has now been rehomed.

Gekko — Photos of Pascal the chameleon. The reptile was almost thrown out with the trash before being found and rehomed by a Tampa animal shelter. (Humane Society Tampa Bay)

Chameleons are a breed of reptile that are, according to National Geographic magazine, mostly found in rainforests and in deserts in Africa. While they can live up to 12 years of age, they require very specific habitats to live in comfortably, which often include branches of various diameters to climb on and non-toxic plants to be eaten as foliage. Chameleons need branches of differing girths for climbing, and the bulk of their cage space should be filled with these branches or live foliage. Make sure that the plants are not toxic, as the chameleon may eat the foliage. Substrate made up of small particles, such as gravel, sand, bark or moss, should be avoided to prevent the chameleon from accidentally eating it while catching prey.

Chameleon family — Pascal and his new family. Pascal and his new family. @HumaneSocietyTampa

Individual chameleons have different preferences as to what temperatures they fancy basking in, so several relaxation areas are often recommended for an enclosure. Unlike most other pets, they will not take water from a bowl and instead hydrate by taking in the droplets that have been misted onto plant leaves. Regan Blessinger, marketing and content manager at the Humane Society Tampa Bay, told Newsweek: "Pascal was abandoned in a Bath & Body Works bag in our lobby. "One of the managers thought it was maybe trash when they saw a chameleon inside," she continued. "[Pascal] was very skinny and shedding. One of our great vet technicians and resident reptile expert took her home to foster for a few days to get her in an environment that was comfortable," Blessinger said. After being cared for by the shelter's vet technician for a few days, Pascal was put up for adoption through a social-media advert. "Within a few hours of the social-media post, a great family with reptile experience rushed to adopt her," Blessinger added. In the first Facebook post, the Florida-based shelter wrote that not much is known about Pascal but that staff believe she is about 6 months old. Her temperament was described to be friendly, but not for beginner reptile owners.

"She eats live crickets, needs lots of space for climbing, and requires humidity to get hydration," the Facebook post read. The advert, posted on the Humane Society of Tampa Bay's Facebook page on January 3, has received 1,600 reactions and 245 shares. "Poor thing is so thin. I hope she gets adopted by someone that knows what they are doing. They need very specific care," one Facebook user commented under the post. "Oh my gosh I want her," another user wrote. Pascal didn't need to wait long to meet her forever family. The animal shelter created a new post on January 5, announcing that the reptile had been officially adopted. "After seeing the social media post, Gloria and her children (who are awesome volunteer and previous adopters) came in to meet Pascal," the Facebook post announced. "Gloria has updated that Pascal loves her new extra-large enclosure with the proper humidity and branches to crawl around in, and loves being a part of the Brooks family," the post added. "Awesome," one follower of Pascal's journey commented under the post. "So glad Pascal has a loving home," another Facebook user wrote. Update 01/13/22, 11 a.m. ET: This article was updated with photos from @humanesocietytampa. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.