Learning hand feeding at older age

[Progrmor]

My baby cham is 3 months old and will not under any circumstances feed from my hand, not even come close when I got a nice dusted cricket in my hand. I have tried use some sort of nipper but that scares her too.

Should I just keep cup feed her and wait till she gets older and braver?

 

[MelissaB]

I'd try holding a lid or container with a feeder on it, and see if she'll do it that way. My jackson will hand feed, but only if it's a superworm. He LOVES those. He used to handfeed for a hornworm, but now turns his nose up at them. He'll also take them off a tupperware lid, because I'm too chicken to hold them. LOL
My panther likes to eat a few out of the cup I use to dump crickets into his feeder cup. I'd start out that way, and when you find a prey item she can't resist, try getting her to take it from your hand.

 

[Progrmor]

I'd try holding a lid or container with a feeder on it, and see if she'll do it that way. My jackson will hand feed, but only if it's a superworm. He LOVES those. He used to handfeed for a hornworm, but now turns his nose up at them. He'll also take them off a tupperware lid, because I'm too chicken to hold them. LOL
My panther likes to eat a few out of the cup I use to dump crickets into his feeder cup. I'd start out that way, and when you find a prey item she can't resist, try getting her to take it from your hand.

Mealworms is mines favourite, I have pulled of ONE hand feed but no more than that. I have litterly been standing with a cup with mealworms in the opening of her cage for like 30 mins and she wouldn´t get close. Even tried shoving the damn thing up her nose but she only turn around.

Should I try not feed her for a few days and try then? Like she MUST eat from my hand to get food?

 

[MelissaB]

No, I wouldn't try withholding food, she's still pretty young. I'd just try being patient and let her learn to trust you. There's no rush, she's not going anywhere.
I'd try to feed her her favorite thing once a day. Maybe only give her mealworms out of a cup in your hand, but keep giving her the regular feeders the way she's used to. Approach her slowly and try to hold your hand very still. I hold the cup about 4 inches away from my little guy, from below not above him. He was a little timid the 1st few tries, but now he heads straight for it every morning. I tilt it so he can see the bugs, and that they start crawling up, but can't get out.

 

[Ahyriah]

What also worked for me is if you wait a little bit later in the day to do the feeding because by then they really want their breakfast! So instead of feeding at 9am I waited until 11am. That got Kuzco to go right for them And at first it was only 1 at a time like he was hungry enough to eat one noticed my hand and said forget about!

 

[pssh]

Some babies will not for the life of me hand feed. Usually they get at least a little more comfortable with you as they get older, and it will likely get easier to get her to hand feed. (Hey, if a giant was poking food around near my face and home, I wouldn't eat it either!)

Yeah, don't withdraw food like you could for an older animal. At the most, maybe just a few hours and see if that helps. If not, just keep trying. I also used a very soft chopstick (no splinters obviously) and cut it lengthwise about 1". Then you can stick a cricket leg through the split, and hold it up to the chameleon. Sometimes the ones that wont eat from tongs/tweezers will eat with a chopstick. Probably because it looks more natural. If she seems hesitant, try making your hand non-visible for a while. Eventually you can try showing more of your hand or moving your hand closer to the food/up the stick, etc.

 

[ridgebax1]

That stick method is a good idea. I think I might try something like that for Clouseau. I don't particularly care that he won't hand feed but he won't cup feed either and I like to know that he is eating all his bugs and they are not hiding. I also want him to recognize other bugs as feeders so far he won't. I put a tiny silkworm on a branch in his cage and it was like the two were in some sort of standoff! The worm would raise itself up and Clouseau just acted like a statue!

 

[Progrmor]

Some babies will not for the life of me hand feed. Usually they get at least a little more comfortable with you as they get older, and it will likely get easier to get her to hand feed. (Hey, if a giant was poking food around near my face and home, I wouldn't eat it either!)

Yeah, don't withdraw food like you could for an older animal. At the most, maybe just a few hours and see if that helps. If not, just keep trying. I also used a very soft chopstick (no splinters obviously) and cut it lengthwise about 1". Then you can stick a cricket leg through the split, and hold it up to the chameleon. Sometimes the ones that wont eat from tongs/tweezers will eat with a chopstick. Probably because it looks more natural. If she seems hesitant, try making your hand non-visible for a while. Eventually you can try showing more of your hand or moving your hand closer to the food/up the stick, etc.

that sound interesting. Could you post a pic ? Since english is not my major language I have trouble understanding exactly what you mean

 

[pssh]

I don't have one anymore, but I'll look and see if I can find a chopstick around my house to take a picture.