'i'm snake wrangler – you won't believe what i found after turning up to a job'

BRUCE IRELAND WAS LEFT FLABBERGASTED AFTER BEING CALLED OUT TO A HOME IN CALIFORNIA TO HANDLE A CREATURE THAT HAD BEEN SPOTTED 'CRAWLING AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD' 15:36, 20 Feb

2025Updated 16:05, 20 Feb 2025 A snake wrangler had an unforgettable day when he was called out to a job in California, expecting the usual slithery suspects but instead found himself

face-to-face with a "crazy and amazing" alternative. Bruce Ireland shared his unique encounter on YouTube after being summoned by a local who spotted the creature "crawling

around the neighbourhood". He recounted: "Usually I get snake calls, but today this gentleman found this dude." To his surprise, Bruce pulled a chameleon from a container, and

the docile animal seemed eager to make friends, comfortably settling on his shoulder and then his baseball cap. Overwhelmed with excitement, Bruce exclaimed, "Oh my god you have got to

be kidding me," as the chameleon, now named Max, shifted its colour from green to a vibrant turquoise. READ MORE: 'I'm a computer expert – this is the reason your keyboard

has a Shift key' "What a trip!" Bruce said. "You are the coolest dude ever. My kids are going to flip - this is just a bizarre creature. I think they are from Madagascar.

He looks so healthy, I think what I will try to do is put ads up first (appealing for Max's owner to come forward) as this must be somebody's pet." Bruce's 699,000

subscribers were equally captivated, with thousands commenting in admiration of the lizard's beauty. One keen-eyed YouTube user clarified: "Beautiful Madagascar blue bar panther

chameleon! He's stunning, not even fully grown! The fact that he didn't puff up or hiss when you put your hand in says he's a pet." Article continues below A second

person concurred, saying: "The fact that he's so friendly and immediately started scrambling to get to you shows that he's been domesticated and wont survive in the wild.

Thank you for rescuing him!" A third admirer praised the owner's expertise: "Chameleon's are so hard to raise! You can tell, not only does his owners clearly know what

they're doing with chameleon's, but he's absolutely loved! He's been handled a lot. What magnificent colours!" Meanwhile, a fourth commenter observed: "It seems

like that little guy instantly was familiar as what a human is. Completely relaxed and comfortable crawling around. Idk if he had a previous owner, but take care of the little guy. Such a

amazing colour and pattern." Article continues below Chameleon Academy notes that panther chameleons are native to Madagascar's coastal regions, stretching from the central eastern

coast around the northern tip and almost to the central western coast. They also inhabit nearby islands, with locales such as Nosy Be, Nosy Faly, or any 'Nosy' indicating an

island – 'Nosy' being Malagasy for island. Each locale boasts distinct color palettes, meaning a red-based panther will never turn blue, highlighting the species' coloration

limitations. "The changes across the range are seen in the males. The females are a beautiful pink, salmon, brown or gray, but the females of all the locales show the same color

variations so there is no way to tell the locale of the females just by looking at her."