Family of exotica


Bambi, the latest member of the family, a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus), is Emly's pride and joy. Bambi's terrarium is next to Thumper's, both under heat lamps. Bambi eats 3-5 live small crickets daily and needs plenty of moisture to simulate a tropical environment. He (or she) is quite young, and so far is doing well.

I am having an odd, restrained reaction to this. On the one hand, there's an imposed distance. Emly's dad bought it for her, with all the gear -- it was her heart's desire last week, and she really needed a heart's desire filled. I am so glad he did it, and glad for her. And the pet is hers... you know? I want her to discover and appreciate everything on her own.

On the other hand, I have my own associations -- from growing up in South and Central America -- and from a youth that could so easily have led me to become a biologist instead of an artist and writer. I adore reptiles, especially lizards. Some of my earliest memories include rescuing foot-long iguanas from our dog, who had chased them indoors. My mother would call for my help if a tree frog (I know, an amphibian) landed on her in the shower. And the brightly colored skinks that scampered across the sunlit patio are an integral part of my memories of Costa Rica.

This changeable little guy isn't mine, but he awakens things in me that are deeply felt, deeply "me."