Young/baby female veiled chameleon

Hello, I'm new to this site and I just got my first chameleon about 4 days ago now. She is doing great and seems to be getting comfortable with her new home. I am taking her out for a short while every day to get her used to me and I've hand fed her couple of times now. She gets fussy when I try to take her out and she always tries to bite me. But once she is out she seems to enjoy it a lot. Right now since she is young it doesn't hurt when she bites but I'm sure later on it might. Will she stop biting eventually? Or is it just going to depend on her personality? Thanks!

Aw she sounds cute! What kind of chameleon is she? What's her name?

She's a veiled chameleon! Named her Ayla, she's a sassy one but I love how much personality she has! Do you have one?

I have been reading. A lot of chameleons don't like being held. Mine is a little less than a year old, and she has only actually bit me once.

Yes, I have a Veiled as well! His name is Pleakley and he has quite the personality too! He didn't like handling either, but instead of biting he just changes crazy colours and runs like crazy. The last few times I've handled him he stays his happy green, and sits happily on my hand. I don't know if it's because we're handling him much less now, or if he's just more comfortable. I hope Ayla becomes less nippy with you in time!

MontyAndMelissa said:

I have been reading. A lot of chameleons don't like being held. Mine is a little less than a year old, and she has only actually bit me once.

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Hmm, I mean I think it is also because they are territorial and she probably feels I'm invading her space when I go to get her, but once she is out she loves it and I even have a hard time getting her back in. It is just getting her out. But yah, I also read that a lot too, but she loves getting out and getting to aventure.

Whiskyness said:

Yes, I have a Veiled as well! His name is Pleakley and he has quite the personality too! He didn't like handling either, but instead of biting he just changes crazy colours and runs like crazy. The last few times I've handled him he stays his happy green, and sits happily on my hand. I don't know if it's because we're handling him much less now, or if he's just more comfortable. I hope Ayla becomes less nippy with you in time!

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Awe! Pleakley sounds cute. Amd hmm, yah how often do you hold him? And thank you1 I'm hoping so too, its only been a week so we will see how it goes.

Well the first week I was handling him every day, usually just once but sometimes twice a day. This is my second week now with him and I've really cut back, only handling him when I need to fix something in his cage. I think we found a happy medium, I'm not handling him too much to be stressful, but I think just enough that he's getting more comfortable with me.

I guess I am the downer in the group. Leave the cham alone and give it time to settle into her new home. Most of us say one to two weeks. If you want that cham to hate you, keep forcing her to interact with you. After it has settled in and is comfortable in the cage, then you can VERY slowly try to make friends with her.

Take it very slow, move at the same rate the cham does, put your hand under her - slowly. Keeping offering your hand until she is willing to sit on it. Always have your hand under her, if it is above it is a threat. Another thing you can do is hand feed her. Hold her prey in you hand and let her eat it. She will associate you with food and be happy to see you. Slowly start moving the food back and try to get her to come out of the cage. Some people open the door with a tree outside the door and get the cham to come out that way.

Please be careful. Several people have had chams killed by other pets, or even people who were not careful and stepped on the cham. Let me know how it goes, good luck.

Hmm, Okay I was thinking about having a branch and some vines coming out of the cage so I'll try that and also start hand feeding more. I won't be forceful with her, thank you! And yes no other pets to worry about. Thanks! I'll give an update in a week or two.

Yes, sounds like a happy medium! Do you have any pictures of Pleakley? And yah I think I'm going to let Ayla have a few chill days so she doesn't get stressed.

I actually looked up how to "tame" your chameleon. That's not how I worded it. But that's the article that it came up with. Let her settle in, then start feeding her by hand. One or two prey first thing in the morning when she's hungry. After a week of her taking food from your hand let a vine or branch or small tree hang out of the door to the enclosure, and once she gets out on her own (could take hours) place your hand under her and allow her to walk to you. Never force a chameleon.

I'm going to start this routine with Charma tomorrow.. Charma's a b*tch. That's how she got her name. Lol.

Yes I do! I actually gave a quick little intro here:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/pleakley-140310/

It has a few pictures of him at the bottom.

njoslen said:

Hmm, I mean I think it is also because they are territorial and she probably feels I'm invading her space when I go to get her, but once she is out she loves it and I even have a hard time getting her back in. It is just getting her out. But yah, I also read that a lot too, but she loves getting out and getting to aventure.

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How do you get her out? I was thinking about grabbing her branch while she's on it and removing it from the room then letting her climb onto my hand.