Not contributing to aggression

[zombiepixel]

So how to I stop Trogdor from thinking that he is winning with aggression?

I don't try to hold him unless I need to, but even when i'm just cleaning or feeding him he gets aggressive, hisses, and lunges at me.

I'm sure he thinks his aggression is fending me off and it seems like he is getting more and more aggressive as he grows.

 

[chambabysitter1]

Awww, sounds like your little boy is becoming a little man.

Honestly though, you are in the majority. Don't sweat it too much, just buy some gloves and enjoy the show.

 

[Vampire.queen]

It will be OK, after some time, don't worry. All chams are like this once they grow into the big guys
By the way, at this time my Yoda started hating my mom and it never changed- everytime she got closer to his enclosure, he started to be angry and he hissed at her, LOL. I have no idea how he recognised her and why he chose her, but he really hated her till the rest of his life. To say nothing of the fact that she was scared of him and never touched him or anything like that
So be aware of who you let look at you chammy this time

 

[dodolah]

Once Trogdor gets older, he might start to mellow down a bit.
Maybe it's time to get a thick gloves for you to wear. He probably would react even stronger when you wear the gloves. But, at least, when he bites it won't hurt you.

I have this stupid theory of my own (feel free to disregard if you like).. that sometimes an overly aggressive chameleon might have something bugging him healthwise.
But, of course, it could be just completely hormonal.

How is his fecal lately? have you ever have it checked? if not, now might be a good time. It doesn't hurt to eliminate this possibility.

 

[zombiepixel]

I'm going to get another fecal done, my girlfriend is a vet tech so stuff like that she can do for free.

Is this normal for veileds or just chameleons in general? I'm beginning to notice that all pictures of veileds consist of a fired up chameleon that isn't being handled.

 

[jojackson]

So how to I stop Trogdor from thinking that he is winning with aggression?

I don't try to hold him unless I need to, but even when i'm just cleaning or feeding him he gets aggressive, hisses, and lunges at me.

I'm sure he thinks his aggression is fending me off and it seems like he is getting more and more aggressive as he grows.

Mate, its a lizard, not a dog, there is no 'winning', no phsycological battle going on outside your imagination.
Your third statement is right on the money, 'fending you off' is exactly what it is. Your an intruder to his territory, plain and simple. You cant stop it, its millions of years of instincts at work.
Unless you wear a chameleon suit with female receptive colors, then get used to it!
Really there's nothing you can do, this one is simply strongly defensive, it may or not mellow. Chams are an 'observe only' species for the most part anyway. Appreciate this natural and fascinating behaviour.

Barring that, get another male and hope for a more placid speciman.
You do need to clean and feed so there is little you can do in that regard, you cant train a lizard. Dont be too concerned at 'contributing' to his agro,
your not making it worse, and they dont make ritalin for chams!

 

[Fearaffect]

Mate, its a lizard, not a dog, there is no 'winning', no phsycological battle going on outside your imagination.
Your third statement is right on the money, 'fending you off' is exactly what it is. Your an intruder to his territory, plain and simple. You cant stop it, its millions of years of instincts at work.
Unless you wear a chameleon suit with female receptive colors, then get used to it!
Really there's nothing you can do, this one is simply strongly defensive, it may or not mellow. Chams are an 'observe only' species for the most part anyway. Appreciate this natural and fascinating behaviour.

Barring that, get another male and hope for a more placid speciman.
You do need to clean and feed so there is little you can do in that regard, you cant train a lizard. Dont be too concerned at 'contributing' to his agro,
your not making it worse, and they dont make ritalin for chams!

Its not a lizard dammit!!! its a member of the family!!!

 

[jojackson]

Right! just like a police dog is not a dog, its a police officer! " Snr Constable Woofy is a longstanding member of the force with bla bla bla....."

 

[Vampire.queen]

LOL, even a family member can be fired-up all the time and like his solitude

 

[jojackson]

I suspect so, get him an ipod and some upbeat music, that'll cheer him up!

Maybe a subscription to 'Chamboy' magazine'

 

[Fearaffect]

Maybe a subscription to 'Chamboy' magazine'

Hey, u know, that would sell big time here!!!

 

[coldblooded]

and maybe a nice robe and change his lights to red lights and a nice ivory pipe

 

[ronnie]

and maybe a nice robe and change his lights to red lights and a nice ivory pipe

Just got the wackiest picture in my mind EWWW!!

 

[zombiepixel]

Mate, its a lizard, not a dog, there is no 'winning', no phsycological battle going on outside your imagination.
Your third statement is right on the money, 'fending you off' is exactly what it is. Your an intruder to his territory, plain and simple. You cant stop it, its millions of years of instincts at work.
Unless you wear a chameleon suit with female receptive colors, then get used to it!
Really there's nothing you can do, this one is simply strongly defensive, it may or not mellow. Chams are an 'observe only' species for the most part anyway. Appreciate this natural and fascinating behaviour.

Barring that, get another male and hope for a more placid speciman.
You do need to clean and feed so there is little you can do in that regard, you cant train a lizard. Dont be too concerned at 'contributing' to his agro,
your not making it worse, and they dont make ritalin for chams!

yeah I know he isn't trainable, but I don't think they don't have personalities and the ability to understand when something is a threat or not. Anyways, i'm not going to debate with a senior member about chameleon behavior, but I just don't believe they are 100% instinct, and If I could approach the situation differently to create a more mellow attitude that would be awesome, if I can't then so be it, it's why I ask .

He has come to understand that I feed him in the morning and I put the crickets in his cup, so when I get up in the morning he is actually looking around, hovering over the cup. That tells me that he associates the cup with food and then why couldn't he associate me as one of his homies, that he chills with, drinks 40oz's with, and talks about current affairs with?

 

[jojackson]

LOl yes he'll associate the cup with food, but again, recognition of food is instinctive.
He'll never think of you as ' one of his homies, that he chills with, drinks 40oz's with, and talks about current affairs with?' though, chams are solitary creatures except when seeking a female, they just dont 'hang with homies' mate.

At best he might eventually ignore you, cease seeing you as a threat anyway. How would you approach the situation differently exactly? I dont think its anything you do or dont do, its just him! Do you handle him at all?

 

[zombiepixel]

LOL, yeah the homie part was all sarcasm, I've handled him like 3 times since i've had him and they range from him being OK with me to really upset. I can hand feed him no problem, but if my hand doesn't have food he hates it.

If there isn't anything I can do then that's fine, he can be aggressive, I just didn't want to contribute to it.

 

[TOMMYBOY72]

Training

Mate, its a lizard, not a dog, there is no 'winning', no phsycological battle going on outside your imagination.
Your third statement is right on the money, 'fending you off' is exactly what it is. Your an intruder to his territory, plain and simple. You cant stop it, its millions of years of instincts at work.
Unless you wear a chameleon suit with female receptive colors, then get used to it!
Really there's nothing you can do, this one is simply strongly defensive, it may or not mellow. Chams are an 'observe only' species for the most part anyway. Appreciate this natural and fascinating behaviour.

Barring that, get another male and hope for a more placid speciman.
You do need to clean and feed so there is little you can do in that regard, you cant train a lizard. Dont be too concerned at 'contributing' to his agro,
your not making it worse, and they dont make ritalin for chams!

I trained Melvin to do pushups for worms!

 

[Kitro]

Look too see if there is anything vibrating his cage or perching spot. A fan, a subwoofer, ect.. Or a reflective surface he may be sighting. Anything that could put him on guard. We had a fish tank on the shelf next to our chammy and the air pump vibrated his cage and made him grumpy, moved it and now he's happy and friendly.

 

[Rune]

I trained Melvin to do pushups for worms!

Haha!!^ so true.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Calling the poor fella Trogdor might have contributed to his aggression.......
Just move really slowly, offer food, maybe try to persuade him to approach the door or even get onto your hand to get to his food......often there's nothing you can do with an aggressive cham, but it's worth a try.
If you haven't handled him at all then of course he hasn't had a chance to get used to it, so if you don't really mind then just leave him be and he'll be fine.........