Cutest thing ever!!!!

[Tyaeda]

Everyone says that chameleons don't like to be handled, and never actually learn to "like" their owners as much as they just associate them to food.

Thinking this was true, I still took Mr.Pink outside to bask in the real sun, because it's good for him, and he seems to like it. We don't have an outdoor enclosure for him yet, so for now he sits on our hand and soaks in the sun.

We don't have a lot of traffic near my house, but Mr.Pink doesn't know what to make of these huge objects when they go by. Usually he just keeps an eye on cars, and will try to get away once they pass, but the other day, he did the cutest thing ever!

The other day, like many others, I took Mr.Pink outside. Suddenly a black car pulled into my neighbors driveway and it scared him. Instead of staying still, he tried to hide by leaning up against my hand and lying down in it.

My heart melted! He was like a little kid hiding behind his mother's leg. I know he was scared, but it was SOOOO CUTE! He showed me that not only we he not afraid of us, but that he trusted us with his safety too!

Anyone else have stories like this?

 

[natureboy86]

That's awesome. It's obvious he feels safe in your hands! Lucky you

 

[jannb]

That's sweet. Wish you could have got a picture.

 

[FlChamMom]

The last time I took Zeke to the vet the tech was holding him when he literally shot out of her hands to get to my arm. He climbed up to my shoulder and she said "I guess someone wants Mama". I do think in time they can also associate safety with their humans.

 

[Jupiter]

Yeah when I've taken Aesop to the vet he tends to want to get back to me, and there were a few times when I was giving him his eye drops and he would rub his eyes on my hand, which I feel shows trust in a similar way as the hiding.

 

[natureboy86]

Gosh you guys are making me tear up haha

 

[junglefries]

likes handling

I have some who tolerate it and a couple who love to be handled. Of course, i have those who hate me. i have a male blue bar who paces when he sees me to come out. I have a female veil who comes to the cage door and hangs on at the top, so that when i open it, she can step onto my hand. even while gravid (due to lay yesterday), the same behavior. She is so fat i expect the cage to tip over when she comes to the door. She will sit with me all day if i let her & never tries to leave my hand or forearm. She is so not the veil stereotype. I expected her to be at least a little nervous while gravid, but nothing. It must be karma tipping the scales for the nasty veils i have.

 

[LLGabriel]

Awww this is so sweet! He loves you! My little Ambilobe male does the same thing. He absolutely loves it outside but when a car goes by, he leans in for " the cuddle " lol.. Only lasts about 10-15 seconds but still. It's nice to believe he feels safer with me. He used to just tolerate me. Now, when I go to his enclosure.. He's all about being with me!

 

[Tyaeda]

The last time I took Zeke to the vet the tech was holding him when he literally shot out of her hands to get to my arm. He climbed up to my shoulder and she said "I guess someone wants Mama". I do think in time they can also associate safety with their humans.

Yeah when I've taken Aesop to the vet he tends to want to get back to me, and there were a few times when I was giving him his eye drops and he would rub his eyes on my hand, which I feel shows trust in a similar way as the hiding.

Mr.Pink gravitated towards me at the vet too, but I think it had a lot to do with how rough the vet was being with him. I had to give him eye drops as well (that didn't do anything) but he would rub his eyes on my hand too. He didn't like us so much then... but we have his trust back as long as I don't wear really bright colours when I'm around him.

 

[chameleonowner32]

I think everyone shares a speciak bond at some point. HHe is showing it now. I consider mine kid's, i think of them before i buy myself somethin.

 

[LLGabriel]

I think everyone shares a speciak bond at some point. HHe is showing it now. I consider mine kid's, i think of them before i buy myself somethin.

Haha totally agree with this.

 

[Carlton]

The last time I took Zeke to the vet the tech was holding him when he literally shot out of her hands to get to my arm. He climbed up to my shoulder and she said "I guess someone wants Mama". I do think in time they can also associate safety with their humans.

Or maybe its simply that YOU are a familiar and known, safe, but funny looking mobile TREE. Chams are suspicious of strange places and change. They have very specific spatial memories. My free range chams would establish routes to someplace and use them over and over. I guess they figured that exact pathway was safe because they didn't die along the way the first time. I had a melleri who did a daily patrol through my house always marching almost the same exact path. If something new blocked her way she didn't always go around right away...had to think it over, make those tentative foot tappings and retreats before taking the plunge. When she was in her pathway she'd speed up, tail straight as a ruler, steaming along, eyes riveted on her destination.

 

[FlChamMom]

Or maybe its simply that YOU are a familiar and known, safe, but funny looking mobile TREE. Chams are suspicious of strange places and change. They have very specific spatial memories. My free range chams would establish routes to someplace and use them over and over. I guess they figured that exact pathway was safe because they didn't die along the way the first time. I had a melleri who did a daily patrol through my house always marching almost the same exact path. If something new blocked her way she didn't always go around right away...had to think it over, make those tentative foot tappings and retreats before taking the plunge. When she was in her pathway she'd speed up, tail straight as a ruler, steaming along, eyes riveted on her destination.

My educated logical brain hears you- the other side that asks him "are you being my good boy?" prefers to think he loves me... Placate my sickness.

 

[Jupiter]

^^^^Yeah that's totally how I am as well haha.

Or maybe its simply that YOU are a familiar and known, safe, but funny looking mobile TREE. Chams are suspicious of strange places and change. They have very specific spatial memories. My free range chams would establish routes to someplace and use them over and over. I guess they figured that exact pathway was safe because they didn't die along the way the first time. I had a melleri who did a daily patrol through my house always marching almost the same exact path. If something new blocked her way she didn't always go around right away...had to think it over, make those tentative foot tappings and retreats before taking the plunge. When she was in her pathway she'd speed up, tail straight as a ruler, steaming along, eyes riveted on her destination.

Hahahahaha

 

[Daddio53]

My little girl (Dwarf Fischers) was skittish until about a week and a half ago. My grandson (16) came by with my daughter. The cham has always been drawn to my daughter's voice, maybe because her former owner was a woman, but when my grandson walked by, my girl was following him back and forth and was crawling at the top corner of the enclosure and clawing to get out. So I opened the door and she bolted out and ran up onto his shoulder. Ever since, she just wants to get out and crawl all over me or up on some hanging planters. She has become very comfortable with coming to me and sometimes I would swear she doesn't want to be back in her enclosure ever again. I have a lot of hanging plants, and to her it must seem like a jungle. She is happy out of the enclosure, and seems to be more comfortable being held. This might sound weird, but she changes her color to a whitish tint when she wants out to be held.

 

[PrestonR]

My three to four months old vieled chameleon is highly aggressive. How did you all get yours to love to be held cause mine bites me when I try

 

[Tyaeda]

My three to four months old vieled chameleon is highly aggressive. How did you all get yours to love to be held cause mine bites me when I try

Hand feeding and practice! Wear dull colours and move slowly around your chameleon - no quick jerky movements that might scare him. Also wearing bright colours might set him off too.

If you hand feed exclusively like my husband and I do, your cham will quickly learn that you are where the food comes from.

Try not to stress him out. For example if you try to handle him every time you open his cage, your cham will learn that you are there a invade his space.


Try and make any visits to the cage positive. Even if it's not food time, and you have to go in his cage for something else, bring a mealworm or cricket for a treat

 

[markettradenews]

My Yem is a nutter. His house is in the living room next to the sofa and sometimes i have to make sure i dont make eye contact with him. If he notices me he makes a bee line for the bottom of the door and scratches to come out. He definitely does recognise me.

 

[Beautiful4Ever]

This is really cute!

 

[Psychobunny]

Or maybe its simply that YOU are a familiar and known, safe, but funny looking mobile TREE. Chams are suspicious of strange places and change. They have very specific spatial memories. My free range chams would establish routes to someplace and use them over and over. I guess they figured that exact pathway was safe because they didn't die along the way the first time. I had a melleri who did a daily patrol through my house always marching almost the same exact path. If something new blocked her way she didn't always go around right away...had to think it over, make those tentative foot tappings and retreats before taking the plunge. When she was in her pathway she'd speed up, tail straight as a ruler, steaming along, eyes riveted on her destination.

I couldnt have said it better myself Carlton

Chams has no real defense, like fangs, claws, nasty venum, etc.
They have to stay alive somehow in the wild!!

With that said, my chams seem to know I can protect them, and will litteraly
jump onto me suddenly for protection.

Once I let Smidget out on the free range and forgot that Smeagol was already
out. Sure enough, Smeagol went on the attack and Smidge ran to me and up my arm, not because I was the only way to go (there were other pathes he
could have taken) but he remembers something about me, that giant, pink and hairless monkey.
To him, seems like whenever the giant is around, food shows up, or something nice happens, get to go outside, tummy gets pet, etc.