Handling?

[Ryan Jarosek]

Now I am on Team Cain as well!

 

[draetish]

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.

Can you explain why you put my quote to this reply? Not sure what you mean?

 

[jessica]

I'm with Sandra, Cain, and Ryan on this.

I only handle my Chameleons if necessary cleaning, weighing, vet visit etc..

My chameleons don't mind me being in the room and will even eat from my hand, and greet their fly containers.

I feel there is other ways to interact with your chameleon so they become fimiliar with you with out stressing them out.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

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.

Mine walks on my hand almost every time. Could it be cramped hmmmm only if it was a dinosour. It free ranges on a madrone tree 6' tall 8'long has her own room 24hr filtered fresh water system. I think mine likes the attention. Someone that works with a horse easly catches their horse someone that don't work with their horse looks like a shmuck running around a feild to catch their horse.

Did you know a baby deer can have a heart attack if cought in wild. Ever seen a baby deer in a petting zoo? I have. "y is a deer in zoo diffrent from deer in wild"?

 

[Miss Lily]

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.

Hehe! The hats were added by computer editing - I have no little hats big enough for Tommy's huge casque! Tommy is very 'people friendly' and lets you know when he wants out - He climbs down his cage and makes his stick bang on the side of the cage, lol! Then he sits there looking at you until you open the door and let him out! Amy, on the other hand, is a little differennt - I followed Brock's suggestions and have had some success with getting Amy out. I doubt she will ever be like Lily was but she has her moments!

Just today she was sat at the front of her cage and I opened the door and held out my hand. After a while she climbed on, wlaked up my arm, behind my neck, back down the other arm and back into her cage! It was so funny! It does depend on the individual chameleon though - there is a big male at the shop I get livefood from and he wants to come out everytime someone enters the shop and looks at him! He is related to Tommy and quite possibly they are both related to Lily. I have been told by the shop owner that even as a baby, Tommy was always chilled out and relaxed and he is just the same now - in fact he is totally loveable! With Amy, well, if looks could kill, lol, I'd have been 6 foot under a long time ago!

 

[ZippiesPal]

Extreme conditions

of any kind are a hazard to any creature.

If a person has a cham and they live in a ruckus house with kids and dogs and a lot of things going on, and they handle the chameleon every day with the kids, that is a bad situation. They should get a cat, and look at movies of chameleons instead.

To say that a pet chameloen should never be handled is rediculous. To say that such handling is some form of cruelty is laughable. I fly in the face of this thinking.

I have a question that I will start a new thread with.

 

[Cainschams]

Can you explain why you put my quote to this reply? Not sure what you mean?

Sure. You quoted Brock saying something like, you agree, its time to be real. I quoted you and deleted the first part of your post just leaving "its time to be real". I said, "Yeah, it is." and then went on to post my opinion on what I think being real is. It was not meant to be offensive toward you. As I said it is my opinion but used your post sort of as a starter for mine.

DJ. Just because you give a chameleon all the room you think it wants does not mean you are giving it everything it needs. Maybe it still wants to come out of its range in search of the holy grail that you are not supplying it.

"Y" is a deer in a zoo different than one in the wild, I dont know. I am not Ace Ventura.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

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.

By the sounds of things I see you as a good cham trainer. Sounds like u need to keep doing what ur doing feeding him like that teaches him ur the food god. Have u tried putting ur hand on the cage opening and inching him up your hand the same way u got him to the opening.

 

[hallenhe]

I respect both teams, but am probably closer to Team Brock. No, I'm not going to grab my chameleon and tote it around willy-nilly BUT - 1) if he's going to go outside and get natural sunlight, he needs to be transported somehow, which involves him climbing on me and being brought out. We do this daily when the weather's warm enough. 2) My cham is free range. I have had numerous occasions of paying no particular attention to him and suddenly finding there's a chameleon on me, which I have to assume is his own choice, and not displacement behavior. If nothing else, humans are generally warmer than ambient, and an animal that's built to thermoregulate may very well be able to learn and remember this fact and take advantage of it.
My two cents; take it or leave it.

 

[DJ Richey Rich]

Hehe! The hats were added by computer editing - I have no little hats big enough for Tommy's huge casque! Tommy is very 'people friendly' and lets you know when he wants out - He climbs down his cage and makes his stick bang on the side of the cage, lol! Then he sits there looking at you until you open the door and let him out! Amy, on the other hand, is a little differennt - I followed Brock's suggestions and have had some success with getting Amy out. I doubt she will ever be like Lily was but she has her moments!

Just today she was sat at the front of her cage and I opened the door and held out my hand. After a while she climbed on, wlaked up my arm, behind my neck, back down the other arm and back into her cage! It was so funny! It does depend on the individual chameleon though - there is a big male at the shop I get livefood from and he wants to come out everytime someone enters the shop and looks at him! He is related to Tommy and quite possibly they are both related to Lily. I have been told by the shop owner that even as a baby, Tommy was always chilled out and relaxed and he is just the same now - in fact he is totally loveable! With Amy, well, if looks could kill, lol, I'd have been 6 foot under a long time ago!

LOL wait till your cham makes its way to the center of ur back and ur the only one at home with no way of reaching it. I even put my back up against her tree hopping she would clime on a branch and nothing she just chilled on my back.

 

[Miss Lily]

LOL wait till your cham makes its way to the center of ur back and ur the only one at home with no way of reaching it. I even put my back up against her tree hopping she would clime on a branch and nothing she just chilled on my back.

Had that several times! Tommy is the master of that, lol! Earlier today I ended up perched on the edge of the sofa with a cushion behind me so he could climb off me! I find it worse when he tries to give me multiple facial piercings and there's no-one home to prise him off me! Ouch!

 

[draetish]

I respect both teams, but am probably closer to Team Brock. No, I'm not going to grab my chameleon and tote it around willy-nilly BUT - 1) if he's going to go outside and get natural sunlight, he needs to be transported somehow, which involves him climbing on me and being brought out. We do this daily when the weather's warm enough. 2) My cham is free range. I have had numerous occasions of paying no particular attention to him and suddenly finding there's a chameleon on me, which I have to assume is his own choice, and not displacement behavior. If nothing else, humans are generally warmer than ambient, and an animal that's built to thermoregulate may very well be able to learn and remember this fact and take advantage of it.
My two cents; take it or leave it.

This sums it up for me and I agree. Maybe not all of us can really explain what we mean and then it gets taken wrong.