Helping an aggressive cham

[fleetwoodchams]

I recently purchased a 7 mo. old ambilobe male which I knew was not the friendliest. That's not why I am posting. I tried all the hand feed, leave him alone for a while so on and so forth common sense suggestions to get him not to fear me. Every time he would try to hide not even look at the food and try to gape/bite if I got near with my hand. So I decided to try something different.
I went to the local hardware store and bought khaki green close fitting gloves last nite.



I put them on and gently eased my covered hand towards him, knowing that even if he did bite now I would not feel it. Lo and behold he let me touch him. Did not gape or try to bite.

I know it's not the greatest photo but I had to do this with one hand and not scare him with the camera and remember yesterday he was untouchable and all he wanted to do was bite me.
Hope this help with your wild guys. Note I did not squeeze him or needed to be rough to keep him in my hand he just didn't fear my hand anymore

 

[Digitaltripp]

That's wonderful news! I have a 4mo ambilobe that will not let me get close. I'll give this a try, if waiting doesn't work

 

[MelissaB]

That's great they you thought outside the box and found a solution. I'll have to try that with my little guy, sometime. He's coming around, with food incentives, but I wonder if green gloves would put him more at ease.

 

[fleetwoodchams]

That's wonderful news! I have a 4mo ambilobe that will not let me get close. I'll give this a try, if waiting doesn't work

Yes, can't hurt right. I don't know if the color was closer to the green ( get green if you can not red or orange) of plants or he's just plain afraid of hands and he's OK when he can't see skin, but it is a big step towards handling him without the gloves.

Let me know if it works for you.

 

[fleetwoodchams]

I've graduated to no gloves today. He held still didn't try to bite and although he didn't stay on my hand long did let me hold him with bare hands Nice!
"The ole glove trick huh"

 

[Hakai]

Cool post. I have some glove experience too. My year old ambilobe still hates me despite all efforts suggested. When I wear my green or purple gloves he allows my hand to get a lot closer. When I wear my black finger less gloves. He won't let me touch him unless I put my hand in a fist, covering the exposed fingers, and nudge him. So I guess we can conclude that aggressive chams do not like human skin.

 

[TruBlu]

thanks for this suggestion.. I have a 5 mo tamatave male that absolutely hates me.. I will give this a try

 

[fleetwoodchams]

Cool post. I have some glove experience too. My year old ambilobe still hates me despite all efforts suggested. When I wear my green or purple gloves he allows my hand to get a lot closer. When I wear my black finger less gloves. He won't let me touch him unless I put my hand in a fist, covering the exposed fingers, and nudge him. So I guess we can conclude that aggressive chams do not like human skin.

Thats so interesting. I would assume the same thing. He is letting me touch him now with bare hand but he just would not have it until I tried the glove thing. Maybe they had a bad experience with hands before we got them or just know flesh color is not a cham or plant color. Go figure they are quirky little creatures aren't they.

 

[fleetwoodchams]

Cool post. I have some glove experience too. My year old ambilobe still hates me despite all efforts suggested. When I wear my green or purple gloves he allows my hand to get a lot closer. When I wear my black finger less gloves. He won't let me touch him unless I put my hand in a fist, covering the exposed fingers, and nudge him. So I guess we can conclude that aggressive chams do not like human skin.

Update on Ki my used to be- agressive Cham

He will allow me to pick him up with the gloved hand.
Will not allow bare hands. Still refuses to accept skin.
I can handle him as long as I have those gloves on. I put him outside in the free range area this way and also if I need to move him to clean.
I tried all the offering food by hand etc. Nothing worked but these.

The gloves literally are the only way I can even get close to this cham. I don't know how I would have done it without them because he is quite large now. And bit me once which was pretty painful.
He is 11 mo old now and has chilled some what but I'm pretty sure he will never be a social cham. That's OK though.
He's got amazing color and lineage and likes the ladies so it's not all that bad.
Hope this thread has helped others that have an agresssive or mean cham.
I still really think when he was young before I got him he had some bad experience with hands or the opposite never had any experience with hands at all until I got him at 6 mo old.
Thanks
Here's Ki

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

Yeah his colors are amazing. There is still hope tho, my panther was great as a baby and then turned evil, but only until he was 14 months. Then he really chilled out. He still is a little skittish but he is not mean and would never bite.

 

[fleetwoodchams]

Yeah his colors are amazing. There is still hope tho, my panther was great as a baby and then turned evil, but only until he was 14 months. Then he really chilled out. He still is a little skittish but he is not mean and would never bite.

Oh that is good to know.
Because I really like him.
Any tips we haven't explored? Or just keep trying and wait?