HENDERSONVILLE – Everyone has heard of Charlotte, Hendersonville's famous stingray. Both are expected to reproduce asexually, but many people don't know that there is another proud mother in a unique pet shop just down the road from the Aquarium and Shark Research Institute. By Team ECCO.
The mother, a still-unnamed chameleon, has been at Finn's on Fifth Avenue for the past six months. On February 27th, she gave birth to 15 small baby chameleons, according to owners Darryl and Lisa Waldrop. The Waldrops say that since her birth, people have been coming to see and hold their baby.
“We get 30 to 40 people a day to see them,” Darryl Waldrop said. “Mothers abandon their babies at birth, but it took about two hours for all 15 babies to be born. All 15 babies are doing very well.”
Darryl Waldrop said adoptions will begin soon.
“We will be able to go back to people in about two months,” he said.
Unlike the stingray Charlotte, the mother chameleon doesn't yet have a name, Darryl Waldrop said.
“I didn't name her because she also wants to be adopted. We don't usually name the pets we sell here,” he said.
He said she was a Rainbow Jackson chameleon, and chameleons originated in Kenya and Tanzania.
“It's actually from Florida because it's currently being bred in the United States,” he said.
more: Waldrops opens two more stores downtown: Fins on Fifth and BigFoot, Ammo and More
more: Our celebrity stingray Charlotte does skits on 'SNL' and 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.'
Fins on Fifth is located right next door to another Waldrops store, Big Foot Ammo and More. The two stores will open in May 2023 and will be Waldrops' fourth and fifth downtown locations. Waldrops also owns Pisgah Forest Gem Mine in Pisgah Forest, Pisgah Forest Gem Mine and Gifts on Main Street in Hendersonville, and Lazy One in Hendersonville. Waldrops says it's a “quirky and fun” matching pajama store.
Darryl Waldrop said Finn on Fifth continues to grow with the addition of more diverse and unique pets.
“We're expanding the walls,” he said. “Whenever we bring in new pets, we research them to make sure we know everything before we adopt them.”
As for Hendersonville's other famous animal mother, Darryl Waldrop said it's exciting for all downtown merchants.
“It's great to see so many people come here to see her. There were sometimes long lines down Main Street, so it's great to see that.” He said.
Fins on Fifth, 118 Fifth Ave. W., is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit https://finsonfifth.com/.
This article originally appeared in the Hendersonville Times News: Another famous Hendersonville pregnancy: Chameleon gives birth to 15-year-old
