Home for reptiles

Question
I just read your answer to tongue problems in veiled chameleon hope it works for ours.  She has been having aiming problems, and today I found her with her tongue hanging out.  I do always use calcium supplement both powder and spray and also gut load her food.  Ok now to the real question, I run a Nature Center at a State Park in Louisiana, and due to budget and staff cuts need to find good homes for some of our reptiles.  We need homes for a male Collared lizard, a Cuban Knight Anole, a Female Veiled Chameleon with tongue problems, a Cane Toad sorry not a reptile should have said herps, a giant Plated lizard, and a House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). Any help you can offer would be great.

Answer
Hi Brad,

I would really only be able to make a few very generalized suggestions for re-locating some of your animals since I am in Canada. You have a bit of a mix there as well which adds to the challenge, a native U.S species, a couple introduced species and some pure exotics. Obviously you want to avoid anything that looks like a "roadside or petting zoo" if they are anything like ours or any situation where the animals end up back in the retail pet market.

If you can hold out till September, you might approach an enthusiastic biology or science teacher through your local school board who would want to take on one or more as an educational class pet. You might also locate one of those travelling education reptile services that take reptiles to classrooms and birthdays. We have some very reputable ones here with licenses and permits that provide a good service and take excellent care of their animals. With both of those you will definitely want to assess their knowledge, reputation, intent etc. through a bit of an interview process!

My third suggestion would be to contact any Herpetological clubs or societies in your state. The animals would have a much better chance of going to knowledgeable homes or perhaps into captive breeding programs if placed with their members . Your potentially "special needs" veiled would also more likely get the extra effort her future care may require.  Best of luck!