How to quick tame and pickup a Cham?

[broderp]

I don't want to capture him forcefully and stress him but I will need to eventually get him out so I can install his Mist King safely and go some general maintenance on his terrarium without him in the way or getting hurt.

So I read a lot and basically the consensus is to hand feed your Cham to build trust. Not sure I have that kind of time.

My Cham is small (just over 4 months old) and although was not scared when I received him - he climbed right out of his shipping cup and into my hand and crawled over me he has since been fairly shy. He's getting use to the camera always taking his picture and even has started eating and drinking in front of me. (man is he super fast! Blink and all you see is him chewing a cricket..)

I have been other wise giving him space and only intervening once when he appeared to be hanging by one hand from the top of the screen and struggling to get a grip after a slip. I cupped my hand under him real slow and when he lost his grip I had him. I placed him quickly back on a branch and he disappeared behind a plant.

Now, due to his size, I don't think they have worms small enough. I could put one in my hand and place it near him. But I think he's too small for the size worms I have. I can't hold a cricket in my palm for obvious reasons. Feeding tongs are also discouraged.

What can I do at this age? He's fairly small and I want him to start getting use to me and trusting. I feel the longer I wait to start his training, the worse it will be later.

I feel every time I need to handle him I stress him, it will be harder to get him to trust me later.

 

[JacksJill]

You can order small super worms. That's what I use, should be fine for a guy like yours. They will grow to be full sized so don't order too many.
Silks come in small sizes but it's harder to get them a specific size reliably. I raise my own in small batches from eggs so I always have small ones.
Small dubia can be hand fed you just need to flip them onto their back so their legs draw attention.
When you clean your cage transfer your lil guy to somewhere like a plant with sunlight from a window. He won't get uvb but he'll like the warmth. Or take him to an outdoor cage weather permitting. A good location change can be a reward. If you don't want to stress him by picking him up let him crawl out on to a plant and move that.

 

[Andee]

Hornworms are super easy to get small. Just order the eggs from greatlakes. But I do recommend being able to have something a bit larger than him to help eat them as they get larger. I don't put baby hornworms in the fridge until they are at least a week old.

 

[JaguarShark]

You are doing the right thing taking it slow - there is no quick way to tame him. Patience is the key.

His training has started, an important part is getting used to his new home. Like JacksJill said, use a plant or a stick in front of him to wait until he walks onto it himself. Then you can move that and he will get more used to the idea.

At 4 months old he is big enough to take medium sized mealworms, or waxworms too (do not give many, they are very fatty and chams can get very picky if you feed them often).

 

[broderp]

Thanks for all the replies. Very helpful. I will stay the course, and hope it gets better. I will however have to remove him (like it or not) when my mist king arrives. I can't see myself installing this with him in in.

 

[Andee]

I do definitely recommend getting a stick or something to help transfer him to a small tree or something just in case he doesn't warm up in time. it's usually the easiest way. <3 good luck hun

 

[jamest0o0]

I slowly offered my panther a cricket/dubia/worm by hand every day for like the first week of having him and he took to it pretty fast at 4months old. I know they're all different though, but from my little experience being patient and persistent worked perfectly.

Lately i have taken a vine, tied it to one of his branches and then across the room to some free range plants for a few hours a day. He immediately started exploring, then i started just gently lifting him out of his cage and setting him over there, now he actively runs up my arm when i put my hand in his cage to be taken over to his free range. At 6 months though mine is due for his cage upgrade, so that might be another reason he loves the free range, large plants and lots of space.