Accompanied by strange creatures

Parrots, chameleons, chinchillas and other unusual choice of pets entertain students with their amusing features

Senior Matthew Melchiori’s chinchilla hides in a dark, silent tube during the day because it is a nocturnal animal.

The screeching squawks of a parrot or the startling squeaks of a chinchilla aren’t the usual sounds heard in someone’s home.

Senior Matthew Melchiori is not the average pet owner. Instead of having one or two dogs or cats, he has a dozen unique animals.

“I have three dogs, five panther chameleons, three snakes and one chinchilla,” said Melchiori. “I really like having weird pets because they’re really unique and none of my friends know what they are.”

The five panther chameleons require specific living environments that mirror the jungle completely. This means that proper lighting, heating and a variety of live insects to eat in order for the animal to live well. One the most distinctive features of this reptile is its array of colors.

His panther chameleon, exhibiting a light blue color and bumpy skin, stares with bulging, rotating eyes.

“When I show my friends pictures of the panther chameleons, they don’t believe that I actually have them because they look so cool,” Melchiori said. “They come in a lot of different colors like neon blue, bright green and red.”

With 12 pets, Melchiori has to dedicate a lot of time and effort into taking care of them. Each of his pets requires different living standards and must be catered to exactly.

“It’s a lot of work to take care of so many different pets, but I think it’s worth it because I really like them,” said Melchiori.

Parrots are able to mimic the human voice and language well enough so that they are understood completely. The standard African Grey parrot is widely considered one of the most intelligent birds. Another type of parrot, the Caique, is known for its playful manner and childlike behavior.

“The African Grey talks but the other one doesn’t,” said junior Catherine Acio. “We’ve had the African Grey since 1998 and the Caique for two years.”

The African Grey doesn’t begin talking until it is at least a year old. They are able to mimic noises before speaking. In their natural habitat, mimicking noises is a defense mechanism that helps them avoid being prey.

“She can imitate the phone, and it’s really funny because my grandma always thinks it’s the actual phone ringing,” said Acio. “She also imitates the alarm system, which can be kind of annoying.”

Teaching the parrots to speak requires a lot of bonding between the owner and parrot. Although it takes a while before they are able to mimic language, they are very intelligent and are able to build a large vocabulary with training.

“My mom is the one who teaches them to talk,” Acio said. “Sometimes when I come downstairs she’ll say, ‘Good morning’ to me, and when I leave the house she’ll say, ‘Bye bye.’”

Mimicking sounds is not the only thing these clever birds know how to do. They are also gifted with the ability to mimic actions.

“My mom also taught her what a kiss is so she touches her beak to your face when you ask for a kiss,” Acio said.

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• Chameleons have crests, spines and horns that make it look like some prehistoric creature.
• Contrary to popular belief, chameleons can’t voluntarily change color. Factors such as temperature and fear cause an involuntary change in color.
• The African grey parrot can live up to 60 years in age.
• Some African Greys have a tendency to feather pick which is where the bird chews his own feathers.
• Chinchilla fur is considered the softest in the world and is thirty times softer than human hair.
• The Caique matures  between two and three years and their size is approximately 9 to 11 inches.

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Photos contributed by Matthew Melchiori

Written by Sean Mowery & Adithi Krishnamoorthy

animals, pets, unique Features, Issue 7, Print