Stingray Charlotte has company: Hendersonville pet store chameleon births 15 babies
HENDERSONVILLE - Everyone by now has heard of Hendersonville's famous stingray, Charlotte, who is expected to give asexual birth any day, but many don't know about another proud mom at a unique pet store that's just around the corner from the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO.
This mother is a chameleon who doesn't have a name yet, and she's been at Fins on Fifth on Fifth Avenue for the past six months. On Feb. 27, she gave birth to 15 tiny baby chameleons, according to store owners Daryl and Lisa Waldrop. The Waldrops said since the birth, people have been dropping in to see the babies and even hold them.
"We have 30-40 people per day come in to see them," Daryl Waldrop said. "The mother abandons them when she gives birth, and the birth of all 15 took about two hours. All 15 babies are doing really well."
Daryl Waldrop said they'll be up for adoption soon.
"They'll be ready to go home to people in about two months," he said.
Unlike the stingray Charlotte, the chameleon mother still has no name, Daryl Waldrop said.
"Since she's up for adoption, too, I didn't name her. I usually don't name any of the pets in here that we sell," he said.
He said she is a rainbow Jackson chameleon, and those species of chameleon's origins are in Kenya and Tanzania.
"They are now bred in the United States, so she is actually from Florida," he said.
More: Waldrops opening two more stores downtown: Fins on Fifth and BigFoot, Ammo and More
More: Our celebrity stingray Charlotte makes skits on 'SNL,' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
Fins on Fifth is right beside the Waldrops' other store, Big Foot Ammo and More. The two stores opened in May 2023 and are the fourth and fifth store in downtown owned by the Waldrops, who also own Pisgah Forest Gem Mine in Pisgah Forest, Pisgah Forest Gem Mine and Gifts on Main Street in Hendersonville and Lazy One of Hendersonville, which is a 'quirky and fun' matching pajama store, the Waldrops said.
Daryl Waldrop said Fins on Fifth continues growing with more different, unique pets being added.
"We're stretching the walls," he said. "I do research on any new pet we get in here, so that I will know everything there is to know about them before they get adopted."
As for Hendersonville's other famous animal mother, Daryl Waldrop said it's been exciting for all the downtown merchants.
"It's great seeing so many people come here to see her. There have been long lines down Main Street on occasion, so that's great to see," he said.
Fins on Fifth, 118 Fifth Ave. W., is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. More information is available at https://finsonfifth.com/.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Another famous Hendersonville pregnancy: Chameleon gives birth to 15
