Chameleon handling

[sheilahinkley]

So my chameleon needed to be medicated soon after we got him for a respiratory infection and he really hated that. He hadn't warmed up to us prior to having to medicate him so now he is aggressive and scared. I've tried hand feeding him but he just hides whenever we get near his cage. He is about 7 months old. I just want him to be tame enough so we can move him when cleaning his cage and some light handling won't be super stressful. He just hides and is uninterested in the food we try and hand feed him. He has recently been kinda scaling the cage like he wants to get out and I was considering putting a large potted hibiscus outside of his cage so he can have some more room while I monitor him and maybe while he is somewhat out of his cage I could try handling him? Opinions please!

 

[nightanole]

My best trick is a feeder treat that he doesnt get unless its from my hand or long tongs. If you want the new bug, you are gonna have to face your fears.

There is also a big difference between "tame" and "cage dominant". Some will not put up with a hand in the cage, but will still hand feed outside the cage.

 

[sheilahinkley]

I've tried crickets and worms, the worms he doesnt get often but really likes with not much luck :/

 

[MissLissa]

First off... "Cage dominant" is not actually a thing. Sure, a cham may puff and hiss and lunge when you mess about in his cage, but "cage dominance" is basically a catch-all phrase which does not adequately describe behaviour and often leads to misinformation. "Territory dominance" is a thing, where an animal seeks to drive out individuals that compete for valuable resources, but I would argue that it does not apply to chameleon-human interactions as humans are 1) not chameleons and 2) do not compete with chameleons for resources. I'd argue that a cham who is hissing and puffing about having a human in their space is... just not comfortable having a human in their safe space, not trying to drive them away to guard their cup of bugs! Terminology matters

Otherwise... it takes time to earn trust, no matter what species. Act in a trustworthy fashion: don't stare, loom, etc. Move slowly and predictably. Offer the hand-feeding bugs at the same time every day. Start a routine and stick to it. Reserve his favourite foods for handfeeding, hold them out very very steadily for a few minutes. If he doesn't take them, but them in his feeding cup (or wherever) and walk away. It took months for my roomate to earn my panther chams trust, but now she can move him around the apartment no problem. At the lab, it can also take a significant amount of time before the chams get used to a new caretaker.

Keep in mind that some chams are just more wary than others. Some may never be comfortable being handled much, but I've yet to meet a cham that wouldn't calm down at least a little- maybe not enough to be handled comfortably, but certainly enough not to freak out over minor cage maintenance.

 

[Peachypink]

I remember standing very still for 15-20 minutes with a bug before my panther would take it and I had to be very still. It takes time and patience. And I second MissLissa, be predictable and go slow.