I just had a quick question. My male veiled chameleon becomes lighter when held but makes a hissing sound. I know that means he is upset but should he not become darker under stress. I was not sure if some chameleons turn lighter under stress or if he is just trying to blend better.
Color Change
- Thread starter veiledfan
- Start date
veiledchamguy
Member
Typically they would turn dark if stressed out but all chameleons are different...You should check him out when he is sleeping
I would still turn off the light, and just get life a flash light or a smaller light in the room because if you leave the light on the temp while not change, at least I would think I dont know I am not a expert but My cham does get darker when stressed, and lighter when he is sleeping
cushcameleon
New Member
The street-term used for this condition is called "fired-up". He is in fact "pissed" and is trying to be macho by showing off his colors; another sure sign that he is pissed is the hissing (do be cautious of biting, thats normally the next step they take). It is completely normal for a chameleon to fire up when handled, in fact it is one of the best ways to get your chameleon prepped for a photo shoot. Another way of getting your chameleon to fire up is to make use of the sun. Chameleons can display some unreal colors in the natural sun. In fact, all of my chameleons show certain colors that I only see while they are in direct sunlight. Take your chameleon out for some time in the sun and watch how he reacts, you will be very impressed. Handling bothers most chameleons, unless he is walking straight onto your hand (which is mostly rare). In your case, it seems your chameleon most likely loathes being handled (just like my chameleons and most other chameleons).
