laying down not sick

[chamfriendly]

I added pictures to my album. My apologies, I've tried but can't upload pics on threads with my phone. Anyway we took Tiki to the vet. She keeps lay down in my daughters hand. My daughter said she rotates sides while she gets a good rub. Never read that first thought, she's sick. She checked out fine and healthy. I'm still worried something is wrong. I've read chams lay like this when they're sick. Tiki was furious over her vet trip as well. She was actually hissing and snapping at the tech and Dr! Scared the crap out of me. She's my daughter's Cham so I don't hold her much plus at first she scared me a little. Glad my daughter came with us because she blew up and went all demonic in color. I wasn't about to touch her.

 

[ridgebax1]

Follow this link: https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Fill out the form as completely as possible. This will help the experienced keepers to assess your set up and husbandry practices to see if anything may be off. Also if you could post a picture of her, especially laying down as you say she does in your daughter's hand it would help immensely.

 

[Carlton]

I added pictures to my album. My apologies, I've tried but can't upload pics on threads with my phone. Anyway we took Tiki to the vet. She keeps lay down in my daughters hand. My daughter said she rotates sides while she gets a good rub. Never read that first thought, she's sick. She checked out fine and healthy. I'm still worried something is wrong. I've read chams lay like this when they're sick. Tiki was furious over her vet trip as well. She was actually hissing and snapping at the tech and Dr! Scared the crap out of me. She's my daughter's Cham so I don't hold her much plus at first she scared me a little. Glad my daughter came with us because she blew up and went all demonic in color. I wasn't about to touch her.

I looked at your album. She looks healthy to me. It could be this was an exaggerated defensive display...flattening her body to look bigger, and leaning over to expose her flattened profile to the threat (whoever was watching her). When she lays this way does she show her upset color?

If she was that aggressive at the vets and if she's eating, drinking, moving around normally I think it was just her display to "leave me alone".

 

[jajeanpierre]

I looked at your album, too. That looks like avoidance behavior or defensive posturing, certainly not enjoyment of a belly rub. Chameleons are not dogs. My wild caughts, and I mean WILD caughts, will do the same thing to avoid handling.

 

[chamfriendly]

She stays her light green aqua color when laying down. I've taken pics of her in her cage which upsets her. She doesn't like my phone. She'll climb on my daughter's hand do her thing climbing up and down her arms. When she gets rubbed she comes down to her hand. I understand the displays of threat mentioned. She has done that when I've tried to sneak a picture. I'll look for one of the pics and post in the album.

 

[chamfriendly]

Oh and she turns a lighter green where rubbed. Thank you for your help. My daughter reads replies too. She'll need to stop.

 

[jajeanpierre]

She stays her light green aqua color when laying down. I've taken pics of her in her cage which upsets her. She doesn't like my phone. She'll climb on my daughter's hand do her thing climbing up and down her arms. When she gets rubbed she comes down to her hand. I understand the displays of threat mentioned. She has done that when I've tried to sneak a picture. I'll look for one of the pics and post in the album.

Don't rely on color. My wild caught quad had an abscess on his back lanced, drained, flushed and had to have pressure applied for quite awhile to stop bleeding, all without any sort of an anesthetic, while being held by two people as the vet worked on him. He stayed his normal greens.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Oh and she turns a lighter green where rubbed. Thank you for your help. My daughter reads replies too. She'll need to stop.

Your daughter will need to stop reading the replies or change how she handles her chameleon?

 

[chamfriendly]

Change how she's handling her. This behavior worries me. Mainly because I thought she was ill. Our cham is handled with care. I don't want anyone to think we're fast or rough. That's not the case at all.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Change how she's handling her. This behavior worries me. Mainly because I thought she was ill. Our cham is handled with care. I don't want anyone to think we're fast or rough. That's not the case at all.

She looks healthy to me also. Maybe you have a Cham that actually likes to be handled and does enjoy a good rub. I'm sure many people will disagree with this but every chameleon is different. Some are more social then others. Just keep an eye on her when she's being handled and watch for signs of stress. If she's eating and drinking and your vet said she was fine and healthy then why change?

 

[jajeanpierre]

She looks healthy to me also. Maybe you have a Cham that actually likes to be handled and does enjoy a good rub. I'm sure many people will disagree with this but every chameleon is different. Some are more social then others. Just keep an eye on her when she's being handled and watch for signs of stress. If she's eating and drinking and your vet said she was fine and healthy then why change?

Yes, she looks healthy from her pictures. Her pictures don't look to me as if she is enjoying any part of it. She looks to be struggling (twisted spine) and puffed up. She is holding on to her handler's fingers and laying sideways. That's exactly the position I would expect to see her in as she avoids being touched.

I find your reply worrisome because you ignore the natural biology of a chameleon. There is nothing in a chameleon's natural history to suggest they would like to be rubbed or are in any way social. They form no social bonds--not with their young, their mates nor their siblings. They live solitary lives. Their mating behavior doesn't seem to include any sort of allogrooming. Wishing them to be more like a social mammal does not make it so.

You suggest the OP continue and watch for signs of stress. The OP has already mentioned the chameleon blanches during these events, a sure sign of stress.

Stress is not a feeling or an emotion. It is a physiological cascade of many hormones that will suppress the immune system. Stress is the response to a hostile environment. It takes hours for an animal'ss blood chemistry to return to its normal pre-stressed state. All animals are healthy until they are sick. Chronic stress sets up an organism to have a suppressed immune system.

 

[chamfriendly]

She looks healthy to me also. Maybe you have a Cham that actually likes to be handled and does enjoy a good rub. I'm sure many people will disagree with this but every chameleon is different. Some are more social then others. Just keep an eye on her when she's being handled and watch for signs of stress. If she's eating and drinking and your vet said she was fine and healthy then why change?

Thank you! I actually don't think she exhibits common behavior we've read about chams. We see common anger/stress behaviors but that's only if she sees my phone and during out vet visit. The vet was opening her mouth hands all over her. She was furious. When we first saw her in the store she came right up to the front of the tank following us. We asked the employee about her. She said she loves to come out. After posting here getting some feedback I thought it was due to her cage environment at the store. She has a good set up with us. She's eating and drinking well. Even eating her plants which BTW is adorable. She does have her times (usually evenings ) she's busy doing her own thing but day she likes coming out.