A necropsy is the examination of a deceased chameleon. Usually, in the pet and hobbyist arena, this is done to determine the cause of death with the hopes of correcting a husbandry issue or learning what can be done in the future to prevent a similar loss. Only a qualified, experienced, person should perform a necropsy if the outcome is critical. But if a keeper does not intend to have a necropsy performed then the situation becomes a perfect opportunity for the keeper to begin to get familiar with the insides of a chameleon. Instead of disposing of the body use it as a learning experience. As Dr. Greek leads us through the major areas of the chameleon's body consider the things you can learn without a microscope. Is the chameleon eating? Are there fat reserves? Is there an infestation of parasitic worms?
Dr. Greek specializes in exotic animal care and has extensive experience with chameleons. We are very pleased to have him share a bit of that experience.
Note: All captions on pictures and below pictures are by Bill Strand with information derived from personal communication with Dr. Greek and Don Wells