How much handling is too much .

[gohagan7535]

Hello all! First wanted to say thank you for all the help that this forum has given me. You guys really know your stuff. I was wanting to know how often you should hold your cham. I have an Ambanja Panther Cham named Kobie and he is four months old. Will holding him make him more tame?

 

[codiwatkins]

Ive kinda been wondering the same thing??? Im new to all this too. I read all kinds of things about how often to hold them....some say only when you are cleaning out the cage......I have been taking my ambi panther outside on a everyday basis to hangout on my porch on his plants. Which means i have been handeling him on a regular basis. He doesnt seemed to be stressed and is still eating and drinking. I would imagine it would be fine as long as you dont seem to make them mad when you take them out and you make sure that your hands are clean..........BUT like I said I am also new to all of this and I would def wait for a few seniors to answer you before you start holding him ALOT. ( My cham is around a year old, so I dont know ANYTHING about baby chams yet!)

 

[RSGriff]

They dont need to be handled according to everything I have read. I like to take mine outside to get some natural sun on nice days, so I handle mine a few times a week. He dosn't like being caught, and that stresses him, but once he is on my arm he calms down and is fine again.

 

[Syn]

I only handle mine for a checkup and to clean the cage.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

In my opinion, anything beyond necessary moving to clean enclosures or taking the chameleon to it's outdoor enclosure ... checking the animal over for possible problems (every couple of months) is too much.
Chameleons here go for months at a time without being handled. They hand feed and are used to the people here. No one is too stressed while cages are being cleaned, etc.
No handling at all would be ideal for the health of the animal, but some is necessary ... maybe 6 to 8 times a year.

-Brad

 

[dragongoddess]

I agree with Syn. I only handle my guys once a week when I move them to the outside enclosures, allowing me to clean the permenant cages. Even thats too much as far as they are conserned, but the cages need cleaning and I like them to get some natural light.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

To answer the question of 'when is too much, too much?' the answer depends on the chameleon, but if you have a chameleon that doesn't mind being handled (eats while handled, is active and moving while being handled, explores while in your presence) then your chameleon could very well live on your shoulder for its whole life.

If your cham stays still, turns dark, tries to avoid being seen by you, and is inactive until you look away so it can make an escape, then I'd say just handle your chameleon when neccessary.

Some chams won't take to handling, some chams will. You can increase your odds by hand feeding a very young chameleon so they associate you with food, and then work on handling in in 10 minute increments every few days from there.

 

[nick barta]

In my opinion, anything beyond necessary moving to clean enclosures or taking the chameleon to it's outdoor enclosure ... checking the animal over for possible problems (every couple of months) is too much.
Chameleons here go for months at a time without being handled. They hand feed and are used to the people here. No one is too stressed while cages are being cleaned, etc.
No handling at all would be ideal for the health of the animal, but some is necessary ... maybe 6 to 8 times a year.

-Brad

In my area, Washington State, we don't have the ability to put our Chams out in the outside enclosures, and leave them overnight most of the year, as some keepers might be able to do in the southern states. I was wondering if the sun exposure is of greater benifit than than the stress of moving them outside, and back in that same evening. This last week they all were moved 3trips out and 3 trips back, for our 3 sunny days.
I think natural sunlight is very benificial, and am continuing my use of every sunny day, but when moving my herd outside to sun and back inside at night, I wonder if it would be better to leave them in the indoor enclosures. Whatcha think?

Nick

 

[Brad Ramsey]

I think the natural sunlight is excellent for them, but to be absolutely honest .. I rarely take any chameleons outside.

-Brad

 

[mangospe127]

handling

I know they literature says that chameleons are solitary creatures and get stressed when handled, however, each critter is an individual. I have had veileds one of which loved hanging out on my shoulder or head...he would even come to the enclosure door to be handled.

The same goes for my juvenile panther (8-9mos) he doesn't mind being handled. Living in Arizona, the sun is bountiful so I take my clan out to sun i natural sunlight in the morning for a few hours before the heat of the day sets in. They love it and it's much better for them than UVA/ tube lighting.

In my 3 year experience I've noticed that if I handle my chams early on they get used to your presence and do not mind being handled.

I generally take them out 2-3 times a week.


I am sure I will get some criticism from senior members but thats my honest observation.

Take from my post what you will...just thought I'd add my opinion.

Happy Chaming! It's addictive! Looking at getting a pair of pygmy chams!

 

[luevelvet]

I think's all up to the individual animal. Some don't seem to mind being held while other's do. We've noticed that since free ranging our mellers, hes much more tolerant and doesn't stress out nearly as much as when he was caged. Thats not to say that we handle him because we enjoy it. we never "play" with him. They're simply not that sort of "pet". So play it by ear. If you need to move him outside once a week, well, see how he reacts to be handled for those brief moments and see how he reacts to being outside. If he stresses outside, and stresses when being taken outside, then I wouldn't bother. The negatives certianly outweigh the benefits in this case. But, if your animal is like our mellers, well, the benefits are far greater than the 30 seconds of stress it is to bring him to place where he simply doesn't look happier than when he's in the sun soaking it all in while I'm spraying him down for an afternoon drink.

Luis