Cham thinks I’m food

[Rhea’s mum]

My not so little scaley baby now thinks I’m food. She’s only recently started trying to strike out at my fingers (big yummy worms I know) but also my face. I can assure you all my face does not look like an insect of any sort.
Any reason she might be trying to strike her tongue out at my face?

 

[Fchamel]

My chameleon loves to try to eat my fingers and face as well. I wonder why they do that ?‍

 

[Mrjamwin]

Maybe you look like a giant yummy feeder and your Cham is a pig?

 

[Rhea’s mum]

She’s definitely a pig!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Chameleon kiss?

 

[nightanole]

They like blue eyeballs.

Tegus like knobby knees...

 

[eat2muchrice]

Maybe a beauty mark on your face that she thinks is a bug. Does she always strike around the same location?

 

[MissSkittles]

Both of my crazy little ladies do this all the time. I hold their feeding cup with fat juicy roaches squirming around in it and they immediately try to strike at my fingers instead. No idea why they do it but it’s adorable. ?

 

[Fchamel]

Both of my crazy little ladies do this all the time. I hold their feeding cup with fat juicy roaches squirming around in it and they immediately try to strike at my fingers instead. No idea why they do it but it’s adorable. ?

It is adorable! Then, their rotating eyes with their cute faces. ? ?

 

[Ramrod]

Well once they get a taste of human it's all over?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

They like blue eyeballs.

Tegus like knobby knees...

Dogs like crotches... ?‍

 

[Kaizen]

My not so little scaley baby now thinks I’m food. She’s only recently started trying to strike out at my fingers (big yummy worms I know) but also my face. I can assure you all my face does not look like an insect of any sort.
Any reason she might be trying to strike her tongue out at my face?

No idea, but if you have a female veiled, I wouldn’t be surprised.

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

My boy also likes to go for my fingers! He has shot at my eyeball and most recently i stuck my tongue out at him, and he shot it!? ? felt very weird and violated after hahah

 

[PabloTheCham]

I remember in one of Petr's videos he said chams use their tongue as a defense mechanism... maybe thats the case

 

[Fchamel]

Whenever I hold Carly, she loves to go for my fingers. She doesn't show any aggression. They may just be going with what they think. Our fingers are something that moves, so maybe that's an automatic bug to them?

 

[kinyonga]

You might like to read this...
https://archaius.eu/_files/200000041-9acbe9acc0/1-3 Chameleon tongue punching.pdf

 

[Rhea’s mum]

Interesting read. Thanks @kinyonga
I’m torn as to whether it is a defensive show as she doesn’t do any of her usual defensive shows first. It’s the same signs and sequence she does when feeding.
I try to not let her strike by moving myself so that she can’t hurt her tongue if she catches an earring and also I don’t really want to be struck in the eye or any other orifice.

 

[MissSkittles]

When mine try to strike at my fingers, they are always in feeding mode. They see their feeding cup and eagerly move to it. Then their eyes focus on my hand holding the cup, tongue comes partially out and they start aiming. Feeding time is the only time that they don’t care when my hand gets too close. The few times they’ve succeeded in striking a finger, they almost seem disappointed.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

When mine try to strike at my fingers, they are always in feeding mode. They see their feeding cup and eagerly move to it. Then their eyes focus on my hand holding the cup, tongue comes partially out and they start aiming. Feeding time is the only time that they don’t care when my hand gets too close. The few times they’ve succeeded in striking a finger, they almost seem disappointed.

Are your fingers roughly the same size (dia) as a hornworm? ?

 

[MissSkittles]

Are your fingers roughly the same size (dia) as a hornworm? ?

Not unless it’s a monster of a hornworm! They’re more like fat little sausages.?