Handling?

[skully23]

I haven't handled Charlie, my male veiled, for awhile. The last I held him was last weekened when I wanted to try to get him use to it. Its really a hard effort to get him out with out being snapped at or him dropping. What he does if I ever try to get him is curve toward my hand and throw his upper half as if he is going to bite me or even warning me

Just a few minutes ago I got an idea. I took his feeding container that I hold up to him...I held it in the cage and When he seen them he started moving faster toward the crickets. I inched back everytime he got closer until I actually had him on the outside of his door stretching for them. Soon as he was done, he starred at me and I slowly put the container down. I then slowly moved my hand toward him and when I got closer and touched him.....he took off into the cage...

I really want to get him atleast to 2-3 times a week handling. or even just being handled.
I would really like to know some ideas and strategies for getting them use to your hand.

I know you guys are going to say that handling is bad...I really don't care as far as its alot less stress compared to the wild. I'm not planning on holding him everyday either but I want a less pissy chameleon so when he is adult my finger wont be ripped off for just trying to clean his cage or move him to his outside freerange... Please give me some ideas to pratice with him. I am for now on going to make him come out of the door to eat his crickets..I'm not going to spoil him any longer.

Thanks and sorry if its long.

 

[sandrachameleon]

There's no need to actually handle him 2-3 times a week. Serves no good purpose for the chameleon.

Seems like he will come out of the cage willingly if bribed with food. Next time instead of trying to grab him with your hand, let him walk out onto a stick or branch that you are holding at some distance from yourself. This removes the potential for being bit.

 

[pssh]

There is absolutely no need to handle him that much. You are just going to stress him out. Once a week is good. Use a stick if he doesn't come out for food. Don't set the container down next time. Use your other arm as a branch and bring the feeding container closer to your body until he is on your arm.

 

[skully23]

There is absolutely no need to handle him that much. You are just going to stress him out. Once a week is good. Use a stick if he doesn't come out for food. Don't set the container down next time. Use your other arm as a branch and bring the feeding container closer to your body until he is on your arm.

ooo didn't think of that one lol. btw i wont have time to handle that many times a week. I was just giving estimate of what i thought. The last time i used a stick he dropped and caught himself lower in the cage...bad stick must have looked like a snake?

 

[Carlton]

I really want to get him atleast to 2-3 times a week handling. or even just being handled.
I would really like to know some ideas and strategies for getting them use to your hand.

I know you guys are going to say that handling is bad...I really don't care as far as its alot less stress compared to the wild.

Less stressful than the wild? Well, not really possible. In the wild he probably wouldn't be subjected to a human insisting on picking him up at all. Chams are not rocket scientists and don't do much if any analytical thinking.

Anyway, the best way to get him to accept your presence (NOT necessarily being handled, however!) is to hand feed him favorite treats and keep your activity around his cage to some type of schedule. Chams appreciate routine and predictability. He will eventually learn that you are not going to eat him or boot him off his turf, but just might be a source of goodies. If he decides to be pissy you aren't really going to change that. I don't remember his age...if he's still a juvenile he MIGHT mellow out with age as his hormones level out. Might not. If you really need to get him out of the cage you can coax him onto a stick by nudging his hind feet and tail. Remember that most gaping and lunging are bluffs and don't necessarily result in actual bites. Even if he does bite you it won't be major. If you absolutely must pick him up and he really fights it, turn his lights off so he cools off and gets less reactive and gently coax him to grab your hand.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Hi

I disagree with most people's point of view on this, and I highly recommend handling as much as you can/want so long as you aren't interfering with their thermorugulation. Handling for long periods of time when they need to go bask might cause digestive issues, and they need access to heat to support their metabolism and immune system.

In my opinion, a chameleon that is handled will have LESS stress in its life than a chameleon that isn't handled. When you have a chameleon that isn't freaked out by the sight of you, you have a chameleon that is at peace and on a daily basis will have less stress. When you have a chameleon that is freaked out by the sight of you, you're inflicting stress on it every day and it will constantly be in 'watch out' or 'on guard' mode.

Here are some instructions I sent to another member which she had success with. Keep in mind that every animal has its own identity and some are just mean, same as any other living creature.

Anyways as for handling, go slow. It should take a couple of months before she is really comfortable being handled, but it's important to be diligent at working on it every day or every two days. If you go a while without handling, she will return to being hissy and stressed.

Think of it as conditioning, kinda like working out, you start slow with light weights and work your way up, but if you don't go to the gym every week, you lose that progress and have to start over.

The best thing to do is get her to associate you with food, that makes everything a heck of a lot easier. Most reptiles will associate you with food after years of putting food in their vivarium, but hand feeding speeds up the process of trust.

I'd suggest hand feeding her every day for two weeks. On week three, start luring her out of her cage by sticking one arm in, and trailing the waxworm up your arm so she has to climb your arm to get to it. Keep your arm still for as long as you can, the key here is to go SLOW. A sudden movement is seen as an aggressive movement in the eyes of most animals.

Do that for one or two weeks, or until she appears to be calm walking on your arm, and she accepts being moved around. After she does that regularly without a problem, you should be able to start handling her. When you are handling her for the first few months, it's a great idea to have some worms handy...something they like to eat usually takes all their stress away...comfort food lol.

Never use jerky movements, never move fast, never put your hand over her head (this is like a bird coming down to grab her off a branch), and don't force it on her. They can't be trained like a dog, but they can develop trust and comfort with humans.

Here is a good regimen if you are unlucky enough to have an aggressive chameleon:

week 1-2 hand feed as many worms as you can every day.

week 3-4 coax her up your arm with a worm, keep worms handy so you can feed her while she's on you.

Alternatively for week 3-4 you can lure her out of her cage and let her walk around the floor a bit, or climb things, but you need to be there and just remain still, no quick movements that would stress her out. I'd do this if she still doesn't like being handled by this point.

week 5-7 handle her gently, near her cage (their cage is their comfort zone, ever notice how they usually sleep in the same spot), you can put up her on your shoulder and feed her worms from there, and walk around with her on your shoulder. If she is afraid of being close to your face (instinct is to feel threatened when around a face, or when eyes are looking at them), then keep her on your arms.

She shouldn't mind being handled by this point. If she's still aggressive, start over. It can be a slow process, but as long as you aren't REALLY stressing her out, it's worth it.

You can modify all that depending on how she responds to it, but make sure not to wear bright colors, and no sudden jerky movements, and no music on with a loud base.

Let me know the results! Once she's tame, post your results and exactly what you did so other people can learn as well.

-Brock

 

[skully23]

uh my veiled is a "male"


I will try your advice in some way. I did not mention that the only way I let him take his phoenix worms is by holding my hand flat out under him and letting the worm move. He snaps at it quickly. yummm

In some sense I don't believe he is exactly pissy or aggressive. I see it as thats what he may grow into because the way he acts.

btw trust me..no bright colors in my closet.

 

[Thompson]

I only handle mine when I'm cleaning their cage or when I take them out for some sunshine. I've read a thread on here that one persons chameleon dropped dead one day because of stress. I wouldn't take a chance stressing my cham out and having that happen. IMO don't handle much, just 1 a week just as pssh said.

 

[draetish]

Hi

I disagree with most people's point of view on this, and I highly recommend handling as much as you can/want so long as you aren't interfering with their thermorugulation. Handling for long periods of time when they need to go bask might cause digestive issues, and they need access to heat to support their metabolism and immune system.

In my opinion, a chameleon that is handled will have LESS stress in its life than a chameleon that isn't handled. When you have a chameleon that isn't freaked out by the sight of you, you have a chameleon that is at peace and on a daily basis will have less stress. When you have a chameleon that is freaked out by the sight of you, you're inflicting stress on it every day and it will constantly be in 'watch out' or 'on guard' mode.

Here are some instructions I sent to another member which she had success with. Keep in mind that every animal has its own identity and some are just mean, same as any other living creature.

Anyways as for handling, go slow. It should take a couple of months before she is really comfortable being handled, but it's important to be diligent at working on it every day or every two days. If you go a while without handling, she will return to being hissy and stressed.

Think of it as conditioning, kinda like working out, you start slow with light weights and work your way up, but if you don't go to the gym every week, you lose that progress and have to start over.

The best thing to do is get her to associate you with food, that makes everything a heck of a lot easier. Most reptiles will associate you with food after years of putting food in their vivarium, but hand feeding speeds up the process of trust.

I'd suggest hand feeding her every day for two weeks. On week three, start luring her out of her cage by sticking one arm in, and trailing the waxworm up your arm so she has to climb your arm to get to it. Keep your arm still for as long as you can, the key here is to go SLOW. A sudden movement is seen as an aggressive movement in the eyes of most animals.

Do that for one or two weeks, or until she appears to be calm walking on your arm, and she accepts being moved around. After she does that regularly without a problem, you should be able to start handling her. When you are handling her for the first few months, it's a great idea to have some worms handy...something they like to eat usually takes all their stress away...comfort food lol.

Never use jerky movements, never move fast, never put your hand over her head (this is like a bird coming down to grab her off a branch), and don't force it on her. They can't be trained like a dog, but they can develop trust and comfort with humans.

Here is a good regimen if you are unlucky enough to have an aggressive chameleon:

week 1-2 hand feed as many worms as you can every day.

week 3-4 coax her up your arm with a worm, keep worms handy so you can feed her while she's on you.

Alternatively for week 3-4 you can lure her out of her cage and let her walk around the floor a bit, or climb things, but you need to be there and just remain still, no quick movements that would stress her out. I'd do this if she still doesn't like being handled by this point.

week 5-7 handle her gently, near her cage (their cage is their comfort zone, ever notice how they usually sleep in the same spot), you can put up her on your shoulder and feed her worms from there, and walk around with her on your shoulder. If she is afraid of being close to your face (instinct is to feel threatened when around a face, or when eyes are looking at them), then keep her on your arms.

She shouldn't mind being handled by this point. If she's still aggressive, start over. It can be a slow process, but as long as you aren't REALLY stressing her out, it's worth it.

You can modify all that depending on how she responds to it, but make sure not to wear bright colors, and no sudden jerky movements, and no music on with a loud base.

Let me know the results! Once she's tame, post your results and exactly what you did so other people can learn as well.

-Brock

Ditto on all the above. It's time to be real.

 

[skully23]

thanks

 

[Pumpkinface]

i'm 95% pro handling 3 or so times a week. they're too cool not to touch! it's good to let them wander about and hang on your shirt and such. they're walking breathing mood rings that can get ill from excessive stress. if you pay attention to your cham, you'll recognize its calm, angry, stressed and happy colors. i'm sure any of my friends on the forums that don't have "junior" under there nickname know what i mean. BUT some chams will just never ever ever like you or want to be touched. i'd respect that. in conclusion, its pretty obvious if you're doing something that you're cham don't like. such actions may affect its health.

 

[ZippiesPal]

I see a fair amount of photos and video

with people handling thier chams. Its part of what attracted me to begin with.
Dont get me wrong. These are not cuddly little kittens we can just play with and make tea. They are sensative, nearly defenceless creatures that we have moved from their natural place in the world. Having been Captive Bread, we are now their world. This means that they must interact with us.

Any creature, from dogs, cats to gorillas to chameleons has a natural fear of humans, and they will respond accordingly, unless taught (gently) otherwise. Even the family dog needs to be left alone, or it too will be stressed.

Since I have gotten Zippy, I have always spoken to him (I understand that they dont really have ears) and approached him with respect. In the beginning, I would simply grab him from above, and now I know that is abig mistake. I believe he has forgiven me for that.
Now I usualy just spray around him in his cage and occasionaly reach up and rub his fat little belly. If I want to hold him, I place a hand under him on one side and the other from the opposite side always approaching from below. He usualy walks a litttle and eventualy, all four feet are on my hand I gently bring him out. He really doesnt do much. He feels cool to the touch, and he just hangs out there on my hand, or wrist, looking around. After a few minutes, i put him back on a limb in his cage and all is well.

I have decided to feed him only crickets, except for once or twice a week when I take him out (for cuddling and a tea party), I will give him a mealworm to associate me with all that is good in life.

A well socialised animal will be easier for a vet to work with as well.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

Sometimes Gucci dosnt want to be held but i offer my hand every day 7 times out of 10 she will walk on it and enjoys the adventure she always gose from my hand to my shoulder and chills if i was scared of something the last place I would end up is near its mouth it is like any animal look at a mouse in wild u see them run from one place to another untouchable to a human in captive in time they will think of you as there buddy. look at some of the breeders and long term cham owners that do handel best picturs ever no sign of stress in there pics. I got to say it look at miss lilly her cham wears hats for her and looks very happy when its time to roam around. Just my opinion.

 

[sandrachameleon]

You certain do not need to over handle a chameleon for it not to be stressed by your presence.

 

[Pumpkinface]

i agree with you on that, sandra

 

[Texas Panther Man]

it all depends on the animals personality and how much they trust thsir caretaker. I had a blue & gold macaw that was very loving and tame. He loved to be petted and snuggle w you. Ive seen some blue & golds that I wouldnt get within ten ft of. And these birds weren't mistreated. Some chams have a chilled low key take life as it goes disposition just as some people are naturally more low key than others. My panther liked to hop rides to his free range area. My ex wifes male veiled was a nasty grumpy guy. He was beautiful and we respected his wishes. Don't force your animals to do anything and all will be ok. If they are treated properly most will eventually let you touch and handle them.

 

[Carlton]

Sometimes Gucci dosnt want to be held but i offer my hand every day 7 times out of 10 she will walk on it and enjoys the adventure she always gose from my hand to my shoulder and chills if i was scared of something the last place I would end up is near its mouth it is like any animal look at a mouse in wild u see them run from one place to another untouchable to a human in captive in time they will think of you as there buddy. look at some of the breeders and long term cham owners that do handel best picturs ever no sign of stress in there pics. I got to say it look at miss lilly her cham wears hats for her and looks very happy when its time to roam around. Just my opinion.

Could you do an old non-texting fogey a favor and break up your thoughts with some punctuation in your posts? I find them pretty hard to follow. I do want to listen to what you have to say. Thank you very very much!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

You certain do not need to over handle a chameleon for it not to be stressed by your presence.

i agree with you on that, sandra

I am joining team Sandra on this one.

 

[pssh]

So am I!

 

[Cainschams]

It's time to be real.

Yeah, it is. Handling a chameleon for any reason besides cleaning, a quick run down, shower, snapping a pic (which are all easily done in the same "sitting"), vet or any other GOOD reason is unnecessary handling. If it is for the humans pleasure it is unnecessary handling. Simple as that. Well, I guess it isnt that simple The chameleon does not want you to hold it. I also feel the ones that do want to come out would be happier on a free range or a huge cage outside and not humans head. Maybe they just feel cramped.