Can Males and Females sense each other?

[Mr Wilson]

This may seem like a stupid question, but can they sense each other's presence? We have a male and a female caged next to each other, in separate cages, with black pegboard in between so they cannot see each other but still have optimal air flow. Is it possible that they can sense each other are there even though they cannot see each other?

 

[Carlton]

This may seem like a stupid question, but can they sense each other's presence? We have a male and a female caged next to each other, in separate cages, with black pegboard in between so they cannot see each other but still have optimal air flow. Is it possible that they can sense each other are there even though they cannot see each other?

Not likely. Chams are very visually oriented and their other senses less dominant. They gave up a lot of brain space to their vision. Sense of smell/taste is probably weak (I doubt they would be able to pick up odors of another cham's scent marking on shared branches), they only hear low frequency sound (I doubt they could detect movement vibrations on shared perches or from the next cage).

 

[Mr Wilson]

OK awesome, thanks!! I had a feeling they couldn't really sense each other, I just figured I'd ask to see what other people on the forum thought.

 

[kinyonga]

Personally I think they might be able to...if not through smell, perhaps through the vibrations that they make.

 

[Daguerreotype13]

I think they can sense the presense, though this is a completely opinionative statement and i have no scientific proof it. Howevery, i brought home a Female Ambilobe very recently and she is caged next to the male, yet they are separated by a black cloth that you cannot see through. I have noticed the male hang toward the side of the cage that faces the female more often than he had before she was moved in.

 

[Obama the cham]

kin, u just blew my f***in mind.

 

[Carlton]

Personally I think they might be able to...if not through smell, perhaps through the vibrations that they make.

Ah, I hadn't thought about those communication vibrations (buzzing) some make. But, if a cham was never aware that another cham was even close by, would they make some attempts to communicate anyway? Interesting question!

 

[morpheon]

The initial question is indeed interesting, so is yours, Carlton. And i have no idea of the good answer!

 

[CarlS85]

yes I've asked myself this one also. I house a pair separated by a green shower curtain, and when I first brought my female home I swore that my male would also hang out and sleep more by the side of the curtain/female. I convinced myself that he was more comfortable over there because the shower curtain is green, and it may provided a sense of cover from my white room walls, but who knows?! However I recently moved and now I house them on the opposite sides of each other... and now it seems my female is always closer to the curtain side and my male is on the farther end so heck! lol. Room walls now are blue though. Good question! I think this is one that all of us housing them visually separated have pondered over.

 

[kinyonga]

"The veiled chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus, produces plant-borne vibrations that may be used in communication (Barnett et al., 1999)."...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3746/is_200111/ai_n8998765/pg_2/?tag=artBody;col1

I realize that they are on the same branch...but if the cages are touching it might work too..
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1447408

"Melleri use infrasonic (as in elephants, okapi, and whales) communication, so the deep sounds of your vocalization, your heartbeat, even thunderstorms sound like loud, threatening gibberish to a melleri. You can reduce your “frightening” factor by being quiet"...
www.melleridiscovery.com/caresheet/Acclimation2.doc

Chameleon communication...
http://home.pcisys.net/~dlblanc/articles/ChamTalk.php