Hand feeding, yes or no?
- Thread starter fubekka
- Start date
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sure, if they will let you. It is a good way to get your chameleon to trust you that you are not some big bad thing that is gonna eat them up! I have hand fed mine right from the start. He is very tame, but not saying that hand feedinig tames a chameleon but I think it helps them to be less scared of you.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
There are pros and cons.
There is a potential for injury (for example if your finger moves at the wrong moment) and bacteria transmission in hand-feeding. It might also cause the chameleon to associate your fingers with food, to the extent that it tries to bite or shoot your fingernails, etc.
On the other hand, it can help a positive association with you, rather than seeing you as a big frightening predator. It also gives some people a sense of connection to the animal, and/or a "cool" factor.
I personally rarely hand feed. I dont see sufficient benefit, and the animals eat fine without my fingers in there.
There is a potential for injury (for example if your finger moves at the wrong moment) and bacteria transmission in hand-feeding. It might also cause the chameleon to associate your fingers with food, to the extent that it tries to bite or shoot your fingernails, etc.
On the other hand, it can help a positive association with you, rather than seeing you as a big frightening predator. It also gives some people a sense of connection to the animal, and/or a "cool" factor.
I personally rarely hand feed. I dont see sufficient benefit, and the animals eat fine without my fingers in there.
