kamikaze Panthers - handling issue

[Olimpia]

Let me begin by saying that I am aware chams shouldn't be held, and I completely respect that. I don't handle them ever, but sometimes you just have to in order to get them to the vet, clean their cage, and move them around. And my Jackson's is the best, because he will get on my hand relatively on his own and will not show stress colors or gape and hiss. He's ok with me holding him for short periods of time to get him to an outside cage or something like that.

But my panthers... I don't know what to do with them! Cerberus, the older one of the two (7 months), is relatively fine with me. He'll eat from my hand sometimes and is generally ok most of the time, as long as he's in the cage. But now he's started to get super angry with me and will bite every time I try to coax him out of his cage, regardless of what I try (moving really slowly, getting my hand under him so he can climb up, distracting him with my other one...) so I've had to start using sticks to get him in and out of his cage. Which is fine, I guess, I don't feel a need to cuddle with him or anything but I'm the tiniest bit disappointed that he hates me so much.

And then Cobalt, my little 4 month old is the worst of them all I think. He's too little to be aggressive yet, I think, but he gets so terrified of me when he's on my hand that he just leaps off! And since I try to hold the chams above my face level, it's a high jump for such a small creature, regardless of how well chams have evolved to fall. So then he's falling off my hand, and I'm catching him in mid air, and that only freaks him out more so then by the time I get him back to his cage he's had the worst experience of his life! And I'm not a n00b at this or anything, I have all sorts of experience handling exotic animals and birds of prey so it's not like I flail and jump around when I'm holding them, but I don't know what to do with him.

So I guess my question is, any advice?
What kind of stuff can I try to make Cobalt (since I think Cerberus is just always going to be one of those mean chameleons) less kamikaze? I just want the experience to be less terrifying for him, with the realistic expectation that he's probably never going to sit on my shoulder contently or anything.

 

[pssh]

Get a small plant and coax him onto it. Just take the whole thing out.

As for the older one, I bet he's not as aggressive after he's out. I take Pan out with a stick, then hold him once he's out. His nails hurt though You can try using a favorite treat to hand feed and once they're chewing it, they're usually Pretty distracted. Slip your hand under him quickly, and lift! I can even get Pan out this way if I really need to.

 

[laurie]

Why do you hold them above head level? Just wondered as my group would feel insecure that way. Maybe I do it wrong but none of mine are ever above chest high once they leave the cage. That way if they try to jump you just let them jump on you, not the floor. I have a quad that lovessss to jump. She used to scare he to death, now I am ready for Jet to take off like a "jet".

You could hold Pickle up in the air by his tail and he would not care as long as someone holds him - just a little spoiled.

 

[renzo0684]

Bagera does the same thing he just trys to walk right off me.... What I do I have a shoe box with a towel in it when I take Bagera out I put him in the box and close the lid. I almost dropped him once and about pooped my pants, so I decided no more holding him. I use this method even when I move him from his cage to take him outside.

 

[Olimpia]

Pssh, believe it or not, he's still evil when he's out! I remembered that video from Scrameleons about the aggressive cham and thought that if I brought him out on a branch I could them get him on my hand without issue, but he will still lunge and bite and gape as wide as he can.

Laurie, I don't know I think it's because since they feel more comfortable at face level or above in their cages, it's something I've tried doing with my Panthers to see if it helped? It's made no difference with them, but I think my Jackson's likes being more at eye level. Either way, they always leap away from me to get as far away as possible!

I'm not sure what else to do. Like I said, Cerberus is ok handfeeding, just not being held, so I don't think handfeeding is the way to go with these guys.

 

[jessica]

May be it is a phase?

Just an idea because, my male panthers all went through a nasty mean phase. Now 1 will come out and sit on my shoulder and one wants nothing to do with coming out unless I use a certain stick to take him outside .

May be they will grow out of it?

 

[cricketkilla]

Here's how I got my 5 1/2 month nosy faly use to being handled, and it only took a month and a half for him to be really comfortable about it. I started by offering him butterworms by hand every time I put my hand in the cage to do something, IMO this helps them make the association that butterworms are good, the hand brings the butterworms, so the hand must be good. After he started taking the worms, sometime 15 min. +, I would put my index finger between his front arms between him and the vine he was on. At first, he would use my finger to aid in getting away. Each time he climbed on my hand to run away, I wouldn't move my hand until he had climbed off of it. Eventually When he climbed on my hand, I slowly lifted and took him out of his cage and let him go to his free range and would give him another worm. Now I don't have to even use a worm, because he associates my hand with good things like food and free ranging. From what I have observed, The key is to make any transition a positive event by offering food, free range time, etc. Just keep in mind that every chameleon has a different personality, so it is important to be patient and move at the pace of a chameleon.

 

[Kibu]

I honestly don't agree w/ the no handling thing, I hold mine three times a week, and they r comfortable around me. They NEVER gape or hiss, in fact they show dismissive behavior around me. When I hold them they don't stress at all and r completely comfortable. I think if they don't have any human contact it will stress them out waaaay more when u have to bring them in a car or something.

 

[NosyBeT360]

My Nosy Be Male likes to kamakaze sometimes as well when I'm walking with him. The method I've used to get him to stop jumping was to allow him on my shirt(belly ot chest area) rather than my hand initially. I would sit and do HW, play video games or do whatever and allow him to climb all over me. He wqs nervpus at first when i would move my hands to quickly, after doing this a few times he has stopped becoming nervous by my hands and began feeling safe with me. Sometimes he will climb off of me butthat allows you to pick him back up and get him used to your handling while being at a safer height!!

Just don't be discouraged! I was so upset the first time Leon jumped from my hand I thought I'd never handle him again.. but then it was sunny out one day and I decided I got to get him used to me enough to be able to take him outside!! These days he just sits still on my hand as we walk outside. Outside he seems very nervous and does cling to me very much, It's such a change

 

[Olimpia]

Man this thread is old! Two years guys

I guess an update. Cerberus remained pretty aggressive but definitely improved with age and Cobalt stopped doing his leaps of faith and also stayed aggressive but improved.

Every panther or other chameleon I've had since has been considerably better. Perhaps those two just had that mean streak but everyone else, though shy, has been much easier to get used to handling. Now I regularly handle nearly all my chameleons. My panthers are complete and utter puppy-dogs, sweet as can be.

I also agree that if you can manage it, a chameleon that tolerates humans is going to live more stress-free than a chameleon that is terrified by the very sight of you. Automatically trips to the vet or moves are that much easier for everyone involved.

 

[NosyBeT360]

Lol guess I shoulda read the original post date!