he is scared of her!!

[cacoonkitty]

Hi, i would like to breed my two unrelated mt merumontanus dwaf jackson chams ,they are both about 1 year old captive bred and in seperate 3 foot high live planted vivs and when i put the female into the males viv he sees her and hides!!! ...he pretends to be a twig and hides behind one of his ficus tree leaves or branches...sometims even going upside down !! she however doesnt even seem fussed with him and just climbes over him or does her own thing by exploring the new area , so i then take her out and put her back into her own enclosuer as i dont want to stess the male out anymore...what can i do to help him see her as a hot chick..as she soo is for a chameleon girl !!!! i thought males were ment to be a bit on the rampant side!!!?? she has all her horns and is nice and plump and girly ,is it perhaps too soon to breed them as he is a bit smaller than her ? do you think he is just not ready? help please!!!

 

[BocaJan]

If neither one is hissing or gaping, I would just let them hang out for a day. He may be shy and have to watch her for awhile. Once he is ready there will be no stopping him! VAVAVAVOOOOOOOOOMM

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

what can i do to help him see her as a hot chick

Have you tried some nice lingerie or lipstick? jk

My understanding of these little guys is that they can be difficult to breed. What you are describing is the usual symptoms. The good news is your female sounds receptive. Thats half the battle.

Have you tried holding the male outside of the females cage? See if you can get him to Bob. Also I would introduce the male to the females viv. The male is seeing the female as an intruder.

You may need to let them cohabitate for a few days or even a week. Watch them carefully. You may want to start exposing them to each other maybe by just allowing them to see each other from the cages. If you have been keeping them separate and they cannot see each other it may take some time for them to warm up.

Good luck with these little guys.

 

[cacoonkitty]

ok when i want to get them breeding i will start to let them see each other first and introduce them for a while , is it ok to put the male in the females enclosure tho ,as i was told to do it the other way around as he will be more dominant in his enclosure ?? she hates me and hates being disturbed and always gapes and hisses at me if i touch her at all so i dont hold her hardly ever unless i have too as i dont want to stress her at all, so putting the male in would be easier as he doest mind being handled , either way i dont mind as long as it wond upsett them, should i wait a few more months before i introduce them so he is a bit bigger and more mature and more settled as i havent had them for very long ?? as she is a little bigger than him and also 1 month older,what do you reckon guys??

 

[Jerm]

I have noticed that females tend to mature faster than males, and if they are the same age that might be the issue. Also, sometimes the males take a little competition to get them started. Some people let them see their own reflection in a morror so they think that their is another male in the area. If the male hides from the female and also hides when you show him his own reflection more than likely he isn't quite mature enough for breeding. Once they are ready they become competitive towards other males (or reflection). Sometimes it takes longer for CB males to show the instincts. You can leave them for awhile and see if the male comes around, but i wouldn't leave him in there for too long if he continues to hide, it is probably stressing him out. Once you seperate them, try reintroducing them after a couple of days. I also agree with putting the male into the females enclosure but i think that it is different for each chameleon, some work better one way and some the other. I can usually tell if they are going to breed just by holding the male right outside the females cage and watching their reactions.

 

[cacoonkitty]

ok thanks i will try that, i did ld the mirror near him and he just looked at it and sort of swayed but hardly at all..maby he IS to young..i will wait a few months and try again...meanwhile any more tips or info would be great...keep it comming guys.

 

[Jerm]

Watch for him to do a head "nod", where his head will almost twitch in a bobbing motion. Sometimes it is subtle at first.

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

Watch for him to do a head "nod", where his head will almost twitch in a bobbing motion. Sometimes it is subtle at first.

This, combined with the receptive female means its on! it can take as little as 15 minutes or a whole day give them some time.. usually when the male bobs its all system's go, like Ryan said you may have to cohabitate them for a bit..Jackson's are the funniest "bobers" around as well as the rocking females so funny to watch..

 

[cacoonkitty]

i do hope i can get them to breed at some point, he does head bob sometimes but just not at her or his reflection...not that i show him a mirror all the time as i dont want to upset him but....he does it when he gets angry at a cricket if its getting to close to him before he eats it!! silly sod! makes me laugh..she is such a grumpy git swaps between a nice creamy green to a mottled brow and whitedepending on her mood..she hides away alot amoungst her tree leaves ..very god at discse and he is always routing around and sunning himself under his heat bulb or getting cross with me when im doing routien cleaning...i had to take him out the other day and he bit me!! ....not that it hurt at all as he is so little but it was funny as i wasnt expecting it...he is quite happy to climb on my hand when he wants too you see!! i will try to re introduce them in a few months as he is getting bigger so will wait untill he looks a bit more manly...so should i leave them to co habit for a day or so and just introduce him to her ?? even tho they show stress colours when they see each other...especialy him!