Help please! Nervous red-bar chameleon; can't tame. happy but won't come out of cage!

ZdenoCharazard

New Member
Hey everyone really need some help and insight
I know there not social animals and keep too themselves but I need to be able to handle him.

I got him 4 days ago, and was holding him at the store was very bright walked ontop of my head lol climbed all over me

They gave me a small cardboard box with a towel in the bottom I only live a 10 minute drive from the reptile store.

My cage is perfect, moving on; I open the box I wish I had recorded it lol!
His head is in the corner of the box completely cornered itself.
Dark green and brow, really dark. Looked really upset and angry but I needed to get him in his cage.

There was no way of putting my hand infront of him. I came from the side extremely slow and waited but he wouldn't move. Then very slowly tried too scoop him up.
I did and he turned his whole head around bit my thumb and tried too book it off my hand near killing itself. I kid you not. I stayed come.

Since then I've dusted crickets with vitamins and calcium. He's a beast. Eating a ton. I've opened the cage a couple times left my hand a couple inches from him and he doesn't move and if I move closer he books it into a bush. He's beautiful but I really want to be able to handle him

He seems really moody and very nervous. But is always beautiful colors never dark. I could use some tips should I be trying to handle him everyday

He's roughly 3.5 months maybe 4 here are a bunch of pictures. I appreciate any reply thanks guys!!
 

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I would leave him to settle for a few days just feed and water him. Then you can start to hand feed him that way he will associate your hand with something good. I would take it slow though to build up trust and not to stress him out too much.
 
you should just leave him alone for a couple days. Are you hand misting? You don't want to scoop are pick a chameleon up. If they want to be handled they will walk onto your hand. You kind of have to let them be in control for awhile before they trust you.
 
Thanks guys :)

I only had too scoop him up because he was deep in a box cornered because I got him from the store. This is 4 days ago I've just left my hand at the top of the cage he seems comfortable doesn't change colors.
Stays a couple inches from my hand

If I move towards him he turns around and books it lol.

I hate feeding him crickets I have no problem holding bugs but I hate the sound and just them lol. Alternatives??

Thanks!!
 
you should just leave him alone for a couple days. Are you hand misting? You don't want to scoop are pick a chameleon up. If they want to be handled they will walk onto your hand. You kind of have to let them be in control for awhile before they trust you.

No I have a misting system and hand mist as well with live plants and driftwood in the enclosure. Thanks :)
 
He is beautiful! I can only give you my experience, but after having had a panther who never warmed up to handling, with my new guy I wanted to be able to take him outside or to the vet without losing a thumb. I waited a week before I tried anything, then I tried hand feeding using treats like butterworms or super worms. After he was comfortable with hand feeding I started leaving the cage door open when I was in the room while periodically holding my hand out like a branch. After two weeks he finally took a few tentative steps. Now he launches himself at me like a missile every time I open the cage door! I never pick him up though, I always let him come to me.
 
Thanks for the advice :) really appreciate it and yeah he's really pretty.
I hope I'll be able to have some kind of consitent contact with him
The worms sound way better the crickets are so annoying lol and he doesn't eat them fast enough I only put 5-6 in at a time
Thanks again :)
 
ive had my veiled for 3 weeks now he was super shy allways ducking for cover and pretending to be a leaf when i approached after 2 weeks i persuaded him to take waxworms from the palm of my hand but would still run if i got too close, i brought a ficus a few days ago placed it outside his cage and used a bendy vine for him to make his way out and just left the door open and what do you know hes allways out watching me and doesnt seem bothered in the slightest anymore hes not fussed about being handled and will make his own way back when he needs to warm up but its a massive improvement,, hand feeding patience and a small free range and he will soon come out of his shell
 
My panther used to run even if I was just putting a cup full of crickets in his cage - His cage needed a good cleaning so I put him in a laundry hamper I had gotten for an outside cage -I have a couple of vines (not heavy coverage as I was making two and my pet store ran out)
Anyway to make a long story short I put him in the cage with a bunch of blue bottle flies outside- I've been doing this now for two weekends with him hanging out closer and closer to where I hang out and he has gotten way better - I'm only handling him back and forth from inside to out at this point but I have way farther to go than you do (believe me I think he hates me) but if you can find some flies in Canada ( I know you have them - I used to live in Cabbage Town but I haven't the slightest idea where you buy ones that haven't been sprayed with pestisides) it might be worth a try mixing in with the hand feeding to help him get used to being around people.
 
My old chan use to love coming out, if you opened her cage she would literally jump on your head, arm or any thing and sit on your shoulder. So friendly it was unreal. But my make I have is a whole different story, he doesn't wanna know -_-
 
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