Handling

[cushcameleon]

I know it can be very stressful for chameleons to be handled, but I also know there are owners on this site who have chameleons that literally walk right onto their hands. So my question is, how do you reduce the natural fear that chameleons have of humans so that they actually desire to be held occasionally? I have already developed some of my own methods, which have worked very well and have drastically reduced the amount of fear my cham has of me. For example, I will leave the door open to the cage for several hours (as long as I am next to it to supervise him) and while I do the chameleon will sometimes climb all the way to the edge of the cage and watch me work at my desk. I also place my hands in the cage and hold them there for several minutes, and my chameleon has got so used to them that he does not crawl away or stare them down, in fact my chameleon even allows me to place my hands very close to his body. He is also starting to become less frightened when I touch him and is begginning to crawl away from me less and less. I think he is really starting to like me . But my last step is to hold him without having to force him to climb on my hand. So to those of you owners who have done this successfully, what techniques did you use?

 

[jojackson]

Homer is like that too so far. No tecknique really, just handling reg since very young, gentle always, one hand infront, slight tap with a finger on his tail. dont even have to do that now, he heads for the opening immediately.

I do reach over when cleaning etc and gentle stroke his flanks with the back of my finger (never above him though, all reptiles hate that, pred/fear thing). I think they realise your not a threat after a while and trust you.

 

[Syn]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-much-handling-too-23982/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/parents-guide-rasing-friendly-23981/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-much-handling-too-23982/

Might want to read those first.

 

[jojackson]

I dont beleive any reptile ever 'desires' to be held, no matter what folk say, but they TOLERATE it after some time in captivity.

 

[Syn]

Great word choice.

 

[cushcameleon]

Based off everything I have read, I agree completely Jojackson

 

[chequepoint]

I think it completely has to do with the fear level of the animal.
My first cham Ziggy has been terrified of me from the moment he came out of the box. I can work in the cage, etc. but trying to handle him at all is a surefire way to get bit.

My second cham also is very fearful.. she doesn't get aggressive but just turns pure black and cowers if my hands are in the cage at all.

I just got a baby sambava who doesn't seem scared of me at all, at 3 months old. He doesn't want held, but will get right on my hand, eat from my hand, etc.

It just seems like their individual personalities.

 

[Loz]

I think it completely has to do with the fear level of the animal.
My first cham Ziggy has been terrified of me from the moment he came out of the box. I can work in the cage, etc. but trying to handle him at all is a surefire way to get bit.

My second cham also is very fearful.. she doesn't get aggressive but just turns pure black and cowers if my hands are in the cage at all.

I just got a baby sambava who doesn't seem scared of me at all, at 3 months old. He doesn't want held, but will get right on my hand, eat from my hand, etc.

It just seems like their individual personalities.

I agree as I never tryed to get my cham Casper to tolerate handling as I believed from others experiences that handling would cause unnecessary stress.

However, ever since he was a baby whenever I open his cage to give food, mist or anything else he runs up my arm and I struggle to get him to get him to go back home (though when he's at home in general he is perfecly content). When he does this he does not show any signs of stress nor has he ever shown any aggression towards me.

I believe he must just have a calm and curious nature. But with chams in general I think that if they are not comfortable being handled then they should be left well alone unless handling is totally necessary.

 

[Miss Lily]

You haven't met Lily! She's the most laid back and docile chameleon ever! She'll walk out up my arm when she wants to. It is always on her terms - if she wants to come out (I don't have much choice cos she legs it!) its fine, but if she chooses to stay in I respect that. Just yesterday she sat on my shoulder for ages looking out of the conservatory window!

 

[hallenhe]

Thaxter will come across the room occasionally (he has the run of the living room) and climb up onto me (or anybody else) without invitation or asking leave, and he climbs onto my hands very readily. I first accustomed him to doing so by holding a treat where he could see it, but had to climb onto my hand/arm to reach it, and that seemed to work very well. I know there's a lot of debate about handling, and I'd certainly second the people who say it's better not to if the cham is scared/bothered by it, but I've also seen people I respect who have had very long-lived, healthy chams and have attributed that in part to the animal's low stress level and apparent comfort with handling.
(Tongue in cheek) Do you suppose a wild cham in Madagascar will ever stroll up to a lemur and climb aboard?

 

[laurie]

I know it can be very stressful for chameleons to be handled, but I also know there are owners on this site who have chameleons that literally walk right onto their hands. So my question is, how do you reduce the natural fear that chameleons have of humans so that they actually desire to be held occasionally? I have already developed some of my own methods, which have worked very well and have drastically reduced the amount of fear my cham has of me. For example, I will leave the door open to the cage for several hours (as long as I am next to it to supervise him) and while I do the chameleon will sometimes climb all the way to the edge of the cage and watch me work at my desk. I also place my hands in the cage and hold them there for several minutes, and my chameleon has got so used to them that he does not crawl away or stare them down, in fact my chameleon even allows me to place my hands very close to his body. He is also starting to become less frightened when I touch him and is begginning to crawl away from me less and less. I think he is really starting to like me . But my last step is to hold him without having to force him to climb on my hand. So to those of you owners who have done this successfully, what techniques did you use?

I used something different - dumb luck. I didn't know chams should not be held, so I held mine. I still have panthers who walk out to visit every time I show up. On the other hand, I have a nosey be that I haven't had long and he is held only if completely necessary. That is only maybe once every 2 to 3 weeks to ensure there are no problems I am missing from outside his cage. My veiled are never held by choice. I leave them alone and only look from the outside.

In answer to your question, even with chams who walk onto my hand I now try to not teach them to be that "friendly" as the pro's don't feel it is in the chams best interest. I am all about my chams health and well being.

 

[chequepoint]

The thing with handling is that I don't see a problem with it, as long as it doesn't stress the chameleon. The issue is, that most novice keepers can't recognize those stress signs.
aka.. "Well he's upset at first, but once i get him out he calms down, he'll even go to sleep in my hand" which is the chameleon just going into complete overload then shut down.