Hand feeding a Chameleon

[SolidSnake1]

When hand feeding a Chameleon, is there a technique to it?

1.Should you use tongs?
2.Bare fingers and how far away from the animal should you hold the food?
3.Hold it higher than the animals head or lower than the animals head?

 

[SilverWolf]

1. Doesn't matter
2. Doesn't matter
3. Doesn't matter

lol jk. You can use tongs if you are uncomfortable holding the food. But it doesn't matter too much as long as the tongs are filthy or super sharp where it would harm the chameleon's tongue. I have used both tongs and my bare fingers. I tend to prefer using my bare hands because I think it would help the chameleon associate your hands and not tongs with the food.

You should be about as close as twice the body length (head to tail) of the chameleon. A little closer, like 5 inches away even isn't bad, just make sure you don't get too close. And also, don't get too far.

As for holding it up or down, it really doesn't matter because they use them in all directions when getting food. I'd have to say though, I imagine it would make it a bit easier on the chameleon if it was just straight ahead of them, or below them. If you are holding it up higher than the chameleon, that isn't a problem though.

 

[jannb]

I hold the feeder and move it around until it catches their attention, then just hold it still and they focus in and shoot.

 

[inlinefourpower]

I have a male veiled chameleon who now exclusively eats from my hand. It's a pain, really : P

At first he wasn't quite so cool with it, though I just remember offering him crickets, I don't think I ever food deprived him to get him more interested in the project. He started by eating a cricket or maybe two from my hand (I'd hold them by a back leg in front of him), then eventually a switch flipped and he started cowing down and eating until he was full. Now even if I hold a cup of crickets in front of him he's not interested, then if I take the same cricket out and show it to him he eats it...

So, your questions, I'd skip the tongs if you're trying to make your chameleon more tame, otherwise it's user preference. I have no elevation tricks in terms of holding the crickets in front of him, though I guess they tend to be a little below him because he's usually high in his cage and I don't want to hold them above him and tempt him to shoot towards lights. As for the range, I guess it tends to be maybe 5 inches? Sometimes he isn't paying attention or something so I take the cricket and actually touch his mouth with it. Then he looks and I draw back and he's interested.

 

[Galaxy]

My young panther gets really super defensive if I try to do ANYTHING with tongs in his cage. Even coaxing him to accept them with food is a no-go. He haaaaaates them. (but they make it so much easier to pick up shed skin from the leaves.)
But, I usually just hand feed him if he's in an open-ish area near the top of his cage, holding the bug below him on my flattened out hand with my fingers together so he doesn't feel like I'm trying to grab him or mistake a finger for food.