Aggressive or defensive?

[UK Tim]

We've had our 4 month old panther cham for a few weeks and we've not really handled him to any great extent, just left him to settle in. He came from a great local breeder so we not concerned about his treatment prior to coming to us. This weekend though we needed to clean his cage a bit and added some new perches. In order to get him out without stressing him to much we let him climb onto the plant and lifted him out on that. Whilst out of his cage he climbed onto our blinds and sat in the sun which he seemed to enjoy.

Today he has been really keen to come out, so I opened the doors of his cage (exo terra terrarium) and he immediately found his way to the front and walked along the front edge of the opened door but when we try to encourage him onto our hands he flares up, gapes and generally looks pretty unhappy and heads back off into his . He doesn't seem to mind us putting our hands in his cage to mist and dish out crickets etc, he seems to tolerate us in his space without showing any signs of stress.

Not much to go on I know but in this situation where he is flaring up does it sound aggressive or defensive?

Any thoughts on how to make him feel less threatened so that he can climb onto us so we can put him on a plant or perch in the sun etc? Seems like he has the taste for being out and about (or just wants to escape) and it woul dbe good if he associated us with a bit of freedom.

 

[raven1139]

The more you interact with him the better, I handle mine daily and offer him treats like mealworms/waxworms. He is defensive when he feels threatened. It makes it easier when he associates food with handling. My Panther is also 4-5 months old, and now enjoys being handled

 

[Devokid]

Defensive. He is scared of your hand and is flaring up to try and prevent you from eating him. There have been many post on here dealing with this, but I find that hand feeding and taking them out every so often is the best way to get them accustom to you.

 

[Jovan]

hand feeding

Try to hand-feed your chameleon because it will make him associate food with the hand. If he hisses at you the worst thing you could do is close his/her cage. It will teach him that, if he does that you will leave him alone. So if he hisses just pull your hand back to where he cant hurt you and just leave your hand there.

One last thing, when ever you go and try to handle him move around so he is looking at you and move your hand so he isn't spooked.

 

[UK Tim]

Thanks all, we are perhaps being a little to careful in giving him his space. We'd like him to be a cham that can be handled so we are being patient and not pushing him to engage with us.

The hand feeding does seem to work for lots of people so I think this might be our next course of action.

 

[Carlton]

Thanks all, we are perhaps being a little to careful in giving him his space. We'd like him to be a cham that can be handled so we are being patient and not pushing him to engage with us.

The hand feeding does seem to work for lots of people so I think this might be our next course of action.

I think the first time you took him out it was something completely new and he didn't react defensively because he didn't know what the "correct" response should be. The next time, he was brave enough to flare up and try to scare your huge hand away (he's just a little kid now and you are huge). He probably hasn't made the connection between hand and good things...such as a trip to a nice sunny spot in the house. He will, just give him time and treats. Chams are not the sharpest knives in the drawer so be patient.

 

[UK Tim]

Well he took a waxworm from my wife's hand this morning which is good news, we are going to make it a regular thing every morning so he associates our hands with good things. Fingers crossed he'll get more comfortable.

 

[Psychobunny]

I have the same situation with my 4 month old panther.
He has not fully warmed up to me yet.

It takes time working with them daily before they start to trust you.

 

[lisagr07]

My 7 month old panther is a spitfire! I'm doing what I can to get him to trust me, he will take crickets from my hand but doesn't want anything to do with coming out....he swells up, gapes and swings his head at you...
I can't even get a good picture of him... I'd love to get him out in the sun!
I'll just keep working with him...

 

[Psychobunny]

I got my little guy out by attaching one of those bendy vine things to his basking branch, and the other end to the free range above the cage.
Then I stept back so he couldnt see me.
Now he spends most of his time during the day trying to figure out where that escape spot is!!

He only eats from my hand sometimes, he generaly still does not trust me.

 

[UK Tim]

Had a good day with Enzo today, left the doors open on his tank and he came to the front for a look round, I sat about 2 feet away from him for about 15 minutes and he seemed pretty relaxed. Put a spare plastic plant in front of the tank which he then climbed out onto and spent some time on that in the sunshine which he clearly enjoyed.

Then before I put him back I managed to coax him on to my hand, he showed a fair bit of colour but no gaping or flaring up. He sat on my hand for about 10 mins and then I put him back where he just climbed on to his basking spot All good and feels like we've made some progress today. Here is a pic of his colours on the window sill, sorry couldn't get shot of his head, he kept hiding behind the leaves!

 

[UK Tim]

Massive progress this Easter weekend with our Enzo. He's been really keen to come out and we've just allowed him to do his thing by leaving the doors open and helping him onto the window sill. When it's been time to go back he's been fine to crawl onto my hand and sit for a few minutes before heading off into his viv.

I'm also able now to put my hand close enough to touch him whilst in his viv and he's not displayed any defensive behaviour. We are still taking our time, hand feeding him mealworms and silkworms and just being really passive around him but it sure seems to be working.

Happy times!!