Hand Feeding!

I will be a second soon to be chameleon mommy, Always had trouble trying to hand feed my little guy, wanted to know if anyone had any suggestions on whats the easiest way or any tips ?? Thanks !!
 
Hiya! Here's some tips!

I hand feed my Veiled Chameleon every morning and afternoon. You probably know it helps with handling and taming. At first I just threw one cricket at a time into Enzo's cage, and wait for him to see it. Then i slowly progressed by putting a cricket on a leaf close to him, then I would put a cricket in a small bowl in my hand and he would shoot his tongue out. After that he started to recognize my hand and I put a cricket on my fingernail and he would go after it. Then he began to eat from my hand. Now I can put a cricket on my nose and he eats it from there! It just takes patience. My chameleon is also very very aggressive because I did not get him from a breeder and the people who had him never handled him. Luckily he is still very young.
If your chameleon is aggressive, I suggest to take him/her out and feed him only outside of the cage so he/she knows that your hand means food and food it good!
I really hope this helps!!!! :D
 
I use feeding tongs to "hand feed" everyday. She sees the cricket or worm at the end of the tongs and always shoots for it. At first she was nervous but after holding still long enough and giving her time and a clear view of the food she took it. I have never tried holding the feeders directly but I'm guessing she'd still take it. I can also hold her feeding cup for her and let her eat out of it as i hold it. I only do this with a few crickets, letting her free range feed off the others, BC I believe its important she uses her ability to hunt. Hope this helps.
 
I would use a feeder that does not move around your hand too much so you are more stable. I had good luch with silks and wax worms even caci worms. The mealworms are good too depending on how energetic they are once you take them out of the fridge.
 
my female veiled just kinda came around...i let her settle in her cage for about a week and one day i just held a cricket close to her and she couldnt resist snagging him now she expects me to feed her when she sees me...she comes down front and sits there..still wont let me pick her up though...
 
We have to hand feed Picasso because he has no tongue, we just hold a cricket in our fingers and when he see's it if hungry he will open his mouth and we have to kind of stick the prey in there, sometimes he will bite down on our fingers but will always let up......if it gets stuck to the roof of his mouth we will stick a small probe into his mouth and push it down his throat some.
 
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