Cham biting after she's on my hand

[KrtyBox818]

Hey guys! Just as the title says I have a veiled chameleon whose about 1.5 years old (I've had her about a year) who tries to bite me after I get her on my hand. She's always been a bit of a butthead, the store I got her from nicknamed her grumpy. Every morning I'll wake up, open her door, show her the food cup and she bolts onto my hand but recently while she's eating out of the cup, on my hand, she been trying to bite my fingers when I don't move them. She will stick her head in the cup then slowly pull it back out look at my fingers and start puffing up and going after my finger. She's never actually gotten me but I was wondering if there was a way to curb this behavior. What I've been doing is trying to keep her head in the cup to stop me from flinching which has worked because she gets distracted by the food.

 

[Beman]

You can attach a cup in her enclosure so your hand is not there. She obviously does not want the intrusion of your hand. No other way to "curb" the behavior. They are the way they are. If the enclosure is not set up properly this can add stress and aggression. Or if it is too small for her.

 

[KrtyBox818]

You can attach a cup in her enclosure so your hand is not there. She obviously does not want the intrusion of your hand. No other way to "curb" the behavior. They are the way they are. If the enclosure is not set up properly this can add stress and aggression. Or if it is too small for her.

It's not just when feeding. Sometimes I'll just be handling her and she will see a finger of the hand she's on and open her mouth trying to bite it. In those situations I just put her back in the cage as fast as I can and she forgets about my hand then goes into her cage. She's not turning dark when I'm handling her so I don't think it's stress. She has also shot her tounge at my fingers previously and my nose once

 

[Beman]

It's not just when feeding. Sometimes I'll just be handling her and she will see a finger of the hand she's on and open her mouth trying to bite it. In those situations I just put her back in the cage as fast as I can and she forgets about my hand then goes into her cage. She's not turning dark when I'm handling her so I don't think it's stress. She has also shot her tounge at my fingers previously and my nose once

When they shoot their tongue at you it can be a sign of you needing to back off. Or maybe she thinks your hand is food. Depends on the cham. I do not know what her enclosure is like or anything so I can not comment on if it is a stress reaction. Has she laid eggs yet?

 

[KrtyBox818]

When they shoot their tongue at you it can be a sign of you needing to back off. Or maybe she thinks your hand is food. Depends on the cham. I do not know what her enclosure is like or anything so I can not comment on if it is a stress reaction. Has she laid eggs yet?

Yes she has laid eggs but not recently

 

[Beman]

Yes she has laid eggs but not recently

I dunno Veiled's can be very temperamental. My male will shoot his tongue at my face when he wants me to back off. He will happily come out and then get aggressive once he is on my hand. I have to move him away from his cage for him to calm down. Seems like the closer he is to his territory and being able to see it the more aggressive he gets with me.

 

[KrtyBox818]

I dunno Veiled's can be very temperamental. My male will shoot his tongue at my face when he wants me to back off. He will happily come out and then get aggressive once he is on my hand. I have to move him away from his cage for him to calm down. Seems like the closer he is to his territory and being able to see it the more aggressive he gets with me.

I've tried taking my Cham out of my room which is where her setup is but she will literally jump off my hands the second I'm past my doorway. She's actually jumped off my hands several time trying to get back to her cage, thankfully she hasn't been hurt yet doing so

 

[MissSkittles]

Both of my veiled girls have been shooting at my fingernails. It seems more that they are thinking they are tasty bugs than aggression. One is super crazy...comes running down when I open her door and have her feeding cup. Then when I slowly offer her the cup o’ bugs, she’ll brutally attack the cup itself. I’ve learned to keep my fingers out of sight and reach.

 

[CasqueAbove]

So this may sound odd, but are your nails done? Like nail polish.

 

[KrtyBox818]

So this may sound odd, but are your nails done? Like nail polish.

No

 

[CasqueAbove]

No

Well there goes that theory, I have just wondered if it may confuse them.

 

[MissSkittles]

Maybe they think our fingers are some type of fat juicy worm. ?

 

[nightanole]

lol goto youtube and search chameleon bite, its allllllllll veilds lol.

At least you get a few warning shots with the tongue. I get that when doing "procedures", you get a few tongue hits when you are doing something they dont like, then you get the clamp...

 

[MissSkittles]

lol goto youtube and search chameleon bite, its allllllllll veilds lol.

At least you get a few warning shots with the tongue. I get that when doing "procedures", you get a few tongue hits when you are doing something they dont like, then you get the clamp...

I actually think it’s one of their endearing qualities. They demand to be respected! Little divas.☺?

 

[Beman]

Personally I do not handle mine if he is telling me with his body language to back off. Veileds can be temperamental.

 

[CasqueAbove]

So mine are all bluff. I have had to get them from time to time when they are not happy. Full puff, gaping mouth, hissing, the karate arm (whatever that is).
Full lunge with open mouth, but no bite. They have both done this. I keep expecting my first bite, but nothing, just the bluff.

For the record, these handlings are usually cleaning, redesign, or medical checkup.

 

[kinyonga]

There are a lot of bluffer attacks with veiled chameleons but there are some who are never bluffing. Sometimes it's hard to read the difference between the intent to bite and the bluff!

 

[CasqueAbove]

There are a lot of bluffer attacks with veiled chameleons but there are some who are never bluffing. Sometimes it's hard to read the difference between the intent to bite and the bluff!

Yea that is what I would figure. It is interesting, I would assume it is a "personality" trait? I was sure I was getting it the other day, I was surprised I was not bit. I wonder if I am seen as more of an annoyance than a threat?
Now I want to have somebody else try and see if there is a difference in behavior.

 

[Ares05]

Lol my boy has never gotten me before. Just the loud hissing and the lunging, and karate hands. He will also attempt to tag me with his tongue to get me to back off.

I honestly think he would if I didnt have the ability to pull my hand back so fast. Sometimes he just lunges and hisses, keeping his mouth open the whole time. But other times if I really piss him off, he actually lunges and bites. But he never hands the bite(because I pull my hand back), just bites towards me/my hands, because he cant reach me.

*edited

 

[TwiceVeiled]

Our veiled has shot her tongue at the cursor arrow on the computer screen a couple of times... we try to be mindful of her confusion about these white arrow-shaped bugs....