friendy? =(

[horror13]

I've had my veiled chameleon for about 8 weeks.... i'm guessing hes about 4 months old now...... how can I make my veiled chameleon more friendly? ive hand fed him a couple in a day for awhile but he still doesnt show any trust. He wont come out of his cage at all....anyone have any techniques to make him more friendlier.?

 

[pssh]

I hope you didn't expect him to become friendly because most chams aren't. There are a few exceptions where some chams like coming out but the majority of chams do not like people or being handled.

You can't really make them more friendly, they have to choose to be friendly. Hand feeding doesn't hurt though. Just don't force anything.

 

[Nixehface]

Your hand is probably still very frightening for him at 4 months..
Over time he will learn to tolerate you but he would prefer to be left alone than be handled (There are some exceptions though from a few posters on the forum)

 

[Chigimonky]

I agree, you cant "make" one more friendly, but there are some things you can do to increase the odds that he will one day calm down and get used to you. I have 2 panthers and 1 rudis, my first panther was 5 months old when I got him and was very scared of me and my wife for months. I over worried as do many new keepers that I got a mean one and that he would eventually get sick from being stressed out all the time. Well I just did what the breeder told me and DIDNT HANDLE HIM. I thought that by handling him he would realize that I wasnt going to eat him, but I listened to the breeder and now he is a big handsome guy that hand feeds, and comes out when he wants to. If I open the cage door he will often climb out onto the top of the door and wait for me to come put my hand up and shuttle him over to the window where he likes to sit and watch the grass grow.

So I dont think you can train them to like being held, they dont work like that. They just have to come to a point where they realize that you are this big elevator that takes them somewhere they want to be, or a walking bug dispenser. By just holding a chameleon there is no incentive for him, just fear and wondering why this huge thing picked him up. The other panther is only about 4 months and Im taking the same approach and he hand feeds just fine, and the Rudis is a chummy guy that has always been fine crawling on a human tree (i think most Rudis are good natured like that).

So..
1. Leave him alone for a while
2. Try hand feeding off and on for him to get used to it, and do it when hes hungry
3. Put his cage in view of somewhere he might want to go, like a window
4. Then after a month or so try coaxing him onto your hand a little with a grub but dont take him out, just a hand or two is good at first.

Eventually he will associate you with good things and "use" you for his purposes. But if he doesnt then you just have a more solitary cham and that is just his nature. Hope that helps!

 

[skully23]

I started hand feeding then bribbing onto my hand. I don't take Charlie out much but now he hisses and what not when my hand is in his cage to do things. I use to think the things I were doing would change him but I guess Chigimonky is right. I do cup feed by holding the container up to Charlie which I hope shows him that I have the food and he should keep the trust of that. Start cup feeding and/or hand feeding now or it wont turn out so well.

I hope mine comes around to coming out and not hissing. Do not fear but yours may turn out the same.

 

[Chameleon Estevez]

friendly

my cham is occasionally friendly, hand feed him some juicy wax worms that'll
work. mine is so grabby that there are times I just cant get him out of the habitat. Other times he charges right out the door of the cage onto my arm and up onto my head. I think they like a high vantage point so they can get a good look around and assess dangers or threats.