Chameleon handling

ChamChiefin

ChamChiefin

New Member
I highly respect the notion that chameleons should not be handled frequently because it can cause an unwanted amount of stress to my chamy, but i was wondering if there are any methods to getting your chameleon more tolerable to handling or even better yet, just not scared of its owner.
I should probably add that the chameleon is a veiled :)
 
it really depends on your chameleon. Some are just more approachable than others. They all have their own unique personalities. You can try hand feeding to get him used to you and not associate your hand with something big and bad. Also you can try coaxing him out with a stick and getting him to crawl on that and then try sitting down with the cham on the stick. Lastly you could try opening the cage door and see if he will climb out. Place a large tall potted plant in front of the door and see if he will climb onto that. Just try and keep working with him. Unless he totally freaks out, then I would keep trying. If you don't, you are never gonna be able to handle him. If you give up then don't expect to one day just reach in and he is going to miraculously crawl on your hand. Most likely that is not going to happen. Trust will come slowly. It will not happen over night, but it can happen over time. Good luck!!!!.
 
Don't know if this helps but what my boyfriend does is he'll like bend his fingers downward (so if she hisses and tries to bite she has nothing to bite) and rubs her side so she knows he's not trying to hurt her then he just slids his hand under her front legs and she climbs right on. We have a veiled as well and she definitely does not like hands in her cage but loves it when you take her out haha
 
carol and cricket are both right. i have veileds and panthers and oustalates. imo veileds like to be left alone. but i do take my veileds out if they want to or not so they can go outside for some sunshine. though i do need to wear gloves cause both bite hard. they seem to know when i got protection on and not. and tend to go after my bare hand. screameleons has an good video of how to pick up an angry cham. they only time i stop or don't try to pick up my veileds is if they back into a corner i just don't bother them. my panthers on the other hand are different my pandora always wants to be and hang out with me all the time. my oustalate just goes with the flow. but carol has the best idea but if you use the stick method go slow with it not fast cause that can really freak the little guys out. good luck bro.
 
carol5208 said:
it really depends on your chameleon. Some are just more approachable than others. They all have their own unique personalities. You can try hand feeding to get him used to you and not associate your hand with something big and bad. Also you can try coaxing him out with a stick and getting him to crawl on that and then try sitting down with the cham on the stick. Lastly you could try opening the cage door and see if he will climb out. Place a large tall potted plant in front of the door and see if he will climb onto that. Just try and keep working with him. Unless he totally freaks out, then I would keep trying. If you don't, you are never gonna be able to handle him. If you give up then don't expect to one day just reach in and he is going to miraculously crawl on your hand. Most likely that is not going to happen. Trust will come slowly. It will not happen over night, but it can happen over time. Good luck!!!!.
Click to expand...

thanks man i got a better perspective on how to handle my cham and ways to make him warm up to me first....haha sorry I'm just really fascinated about chameleons, I just discovered how frickin awesome they are! thanks for the info :D
 
allencg101 said:
carol and cricket are both right. i have veileds and panthers and oustalates. imo veileds like to be left alone. but i do take my veileds out if they want to or not so they can go outside for some sunshine. though i do need to wear gloves cause both bite hard. they seem to know when i got protection on and not. and tend to go after my bare hand. screameleons has an good video of how to pick up an angry cham. they only time i stop or don't try to pick up my veileds is if they back into a corner i just don't bother them. my panthers on the other hand are different my pandora always wants to be and hang out with me all the time. my oustalate just goes with the flow. but carol has the best idea but if you use the stick method go slow with it not fast cause that can really freak the little guys out. good luck bro.
Click to expand...

Thanks dude,
really haha you guys all give great information
 
ChamChiefin said:
thanks man i got a better perspective on how to handle my cham and ways to make him warm up to me first....haha sorry I'm just really fascinated about chameleons, I just discovered how frickin awesome they are! thanks for the info :D
Click to expand...
Your first Chameleon? Male or female? and how old? Handling is a simple 3 card trick - it's all about the chameleons 'personality', your experience, and patience.
Some will always be aggressive, some will always run - they need to be handled on occasion though and the more they enjoy it the better for all concerned so have fun!


p.s. I quoted you and then noticed you already wrote 'him' so you can ignore that question, :)
 
Last edited:
On the topic of the Chameleon "Enjoying" handling, is there any obvious signs to the Chameleon enjoying it? My little guy tends to sit still when I put my hand in and usually climbs on once I slip my hand under his chin (Sometimes he turns around and does a runner). When actually on my hand he tends to sit for a small period, then becomes active for a short period (Moves from hand to hand), sits again etc.

Is this generally a sign of tolerance? My hopes are steady that he'll grow into a handleable Cham but he still has some size to gain, and when he's gained that size, he may find my hand a worthy combatant.

Chameleons definitely seem most docile in young age. I've never seen one get angry unless you give it a spook (Coming from behind or while they're asleep).
 
mine i just open her enclosure and put my hand out near the door sometimes she will 'hold my hand' for ages but she has never freaked out when its time to be moved , the only time she's been a little hissy is when she's been poorly recently and now we're not touching her at all and letting her heal after her op , when her scar hes healed then we will see how she goes
 
Psychodrake said:
On the topic of the Chameleon "Enjoying" handling, is there any obvious signs to the Chameleon enjoying it? My little guy tends to sit still when I put my hand in and usually climbs on once I slip my hand under his chin (Sometimes he turns around and does a runner). When actually on my hand he tends to sit for a small period, then becomes active for a short period (Moves from hand to hand), sits again etc.

Is this generally a sign of tolerance? My hopes are steady that he'll grow into a handleable Cham but he still has some size to gain, and when he's gained that size, he may find my hand a worthy combatant.

Chameleons definitely seem most docile in young age. I've never seen one get angry unless you give it a spook (Coming from behind or while they're asleep).
Click to expand...
Yes, you'd know about it if he wasn't tolerating it! Puffing up, changing to battle colours, hissing and lunging - when he hits his terrible teens you'll see some of that - they are more handleable when young, but when they grow up you seem to have to re-teach them to like you.......
 
Psychodrake said:
On the topic of the Chameleon "Enjoying" handling, is there any obvious signs to the Chameleon enjoying it? My little guy tends to sit still when I put my hand in and usually climbs on once I slip my hand under his chin (Sometimes he turns around and does a runner). When actually on my hand he tends to sit for a small period, then becomes active for a short period (Moves from hand to hand), sits again etc.

Is this generally a sign of tolerance? My hopes are steady that he'll grow into a handleable Cham but he still has some size to gain, and when he's gained that size, he may find my hand a worthy combatant.

Chameleons definitely seem most docile in young age. I've never seen one get angry unless you give it a spook (Coming from behind or while they're asleep).
Click to expand...

my younger veiled el groucho use to let me handle him all the time then he hit his big growth spurt and he wanted nothing to do with me any more:( everytime i go to mist or feed him he hides behind his branches or the leaves i have in his cage lol
 
DavidBuchan said:
Yes, you'd know about it if he wasn't tolerating it! Puffing up, changing to battle colours, hissing and lunging - when he hits his terrible teens you'll see some of that - they are more handleable when young, but when they grow up you seem to have to re-teach them to like you.......
Click to expand...

Mine has hit is terrible teens. hes about 5 months old and gets all puffy and hissy now when i try to take him out. when he was very little i could hold him all day if i wanted ( i didn tho) now, he gets annoyed when i take hm out, but hes fine when i get him onto my hand.
 
allencg101 said:
my younger veiled el groucho use to let me handle him all the time then he hit his big growth spurt and he wanted nothing to do with me any more:( everytime i go to mist or feed him he hides behind his branches or the leaves i have in his cage lol
Click to expand...
Yeah, mine too - I bribed him to come to me for the waxworms, and now he will tolerate me if I'm feeding and misting him enough - the first time he properly enjoyed a good mist shower was magic, lol
He's in a sulk right now, because I overdid the waxworms a little and he doesn't want to have crickets and locusts as a staple.........he's allowed to have fruit though, but no kind of worms for a while until he starts eating his crickets properly again.........
 
DavidBuchan said:
Yeah, mine too - I bribed him to come to me for the waxworms, and now he will tolerate me if I'm feeding and misting him enough - the first time he properly enjoyed a good mist shower was magic, lol
He's in a sulk right now, because I overdid the waxworms a little and he doesn't want to have crickets and locusts as a staple.........he's allowed to have fruit though, but no kind of worms for a while until he starts eating his crickets properly again.........
Click to expand...

haha, its like a child. no worms until you finish your crickets!
 
Well my panther is fine with me, I've had him for two months now and he's about 5 months or so. He hates when I mist his enclosure so he tends to run for cover but otherwise is very tolerable of me. This morning he was waiting for his cup with crickets and gaped at me as to tell me I was late to feed him. I laughed :D I'm sorry but I can't help but laugh when this tiny little creature gapes at me. Otherwise the only time he gets upset is when he sheds :)

Then there's my fischer and he LOVES me, he wants to be as close to me as possible and loves to be out of his enclosure and he's also a huge flirt :D
 
DavidBuchan said:
Your first Chameleon? Male or female? and how old? Handling is a simple 3 card trick - it's all about the chameleons 'personality', your experience, and patience.
Some will always be aggressive, some will always run - they need to be handled on occasion though and the more they enjoy it the better for all concerned so have fun!


p.s. I quoted you and then noticed you already wrote 'him' so you can ignore that question, :)
Click to expand...

Yes ha i finally took a gander at his spur and found that it was a male seeming that there was a spur to look at, The E-Chamz guy said that the chameleons that were in the screened vivarium were between 4-6 months maybe 7. I picked the biggest bugger out of the lot and the breeder said he should probably be between 6-7 months old. My guy has stopped biting me and he hisses occasionally on my hand. The thing that concerns me are his drastic color changes as i hold him along with the cops and robber chase i have with him to even get him out of his cage. Although I have been hand feeding him a lot now, would that possibly help him warm up?
 
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