Necropsy Guide

Although we do not like to think of such a time, eventually, our chameleons pass away. As keepers continue to communicate with each other, we close the gaps in our knowledge. One method for gaining more information is by doing a study of the deceased. If the cause of death is not readily apparent, your vet may determine it by performing a necropsy and sending samples to a lab for a full histopathology report. Refrigerate, but do not freeze a corpse; the freezing renders a histopath useless. Ice crystals distort and destroy cell walls, and make single-celled organisms impossible to identify. In the event that your chameleon died of a known cause, and you are emotionally prepared, you may elect to perform a basic home necropsy to familiarize yourself with melleri internal anatomy. Sometimes, you do not have time to get a vet appointment before the decomposition makes it highly revolting, and you have to take matters into your own hands. Always have a camera ready to record the conditions of the organs.

If you do not have a dissection tray, you will need to make one. Select a metal baking tray at least 1" deep and large enough to hold the entire subject. Microcrystalline wax, sometimes called "Liberty Brown wax", is cheap and easy to use as the dissection surface.

Using a clean metal can (the wax will ruin a cooking pot because it is very hard to clean out completely), create a "double boiler" for the wax. Place the can, holding the solid chunk of wax, in a pot of water, and allow the water to boil for several minutes. Do not try to heat the wax directly on the stovetop in the metal tray, and do not microwave the wax. Wax can "flash" at high temperatures, and you will have a small fire to deal with!

Eventually, the wax will melt completely, and can be poured into the tray. Allow to cool completely.

Using long pins (straight, sewing, or T pins, your choice), secure the subject into place through the joints of each limb, with the body's ventral surface facing up.

Make one incision, using a scalpel or an X-acto knife with a sharp new blade. Unless you are looking for something inside the throat, start at the hyoid bone and cut the skin open down to the pelvis. Pin back the sides to expose the organs.

At this point, the gender of the chameleon should be readily apparent. Only the females have fat deposits in the lower abdomen, and these will be laying on top of the other lower GI organs. This is said to be unique to the species, however, I am still looking for more information on this formation.

The fat deposits are somewhat flat, pale, and have fine veining.

The following have a pale wooden pointer to indicate each organ:

The oviducts in this immature CB yearling specimen already show dozens of tiny eggs in a row.

The stomach, note how LARGE this organ is, compared to the rest of the GI tract. All the better to eat giant locusts, roaches, small lizards, and hornworms with.

The cecum, and the pale pink organ laying along its underside may be the pancreas? I am looking for more info on this.

An abnormal bolus in the lower intestine, the impaction site.

The colon shows the clear lubricating gel that accompanies normal feces.

The uric packet to be excreted.

The heart.

A lung, with delicate veining.

The kidneys, and note how tiny they are. It makes sense that dehydration and toxins can kill melleri easily.

The liver and spleen, and the female fatty deposits are to the right, in frame.