Strange Behavior - sorry for the long post

[Graanto]

I have a 4-5 month old veiled. I have had him for a little over a month and i noticed something kind of odd. When ever i walk into the room he tries to hide behind some plants. To me... i think this is normal behavior for a young chameleon in a relativly new enviroment. when i take him out of his cage so i can clean or what not he doesnt really like being held and tries to walk off my hand to try and hide or get up high. again normal response imo.

Now this is where i think it is really strange. If i cup my hands around him, he seems to calm down and just sit. colors seem fine, and you can feel his breathing relax and his body stops tensing.

Now im not trying to stress him out or anything. I really only take him out to clean, and after the cleaning i hold him for a few minuets to look at his eye turrets and leg joints to make sure he is healthy. but the cupping really seems to calm him down.

Why does this happen? I would think he would freak out even more. anyone have any thoughts?

 

[camimom]

all of that is normal, to him, you are a big bad scary thing thats gonna eat him.

the cupping is probbaly because he feels concealed from you, and your hands are warm.

 

[Graanto]

So would cupping him be an ok thing to do on a regular basis when holding/examining him? or do i just hold him like i would my other cham and eventually he will figure out im not trying to hurt him. (this seemed to be the case with my first cham reggie who is about 9 months old now.)

 

[camimom]

thats up to you.

i woudl try to hand feed him, show him your hands bring good things.
do it with his favorite bug

 

[Graanto]

I completely agree that hand feeding would be the best solution. It worked great with my first cham, but this guy right now is so skiddish he dosent want anything to do with me. Friday im putting him in his new big boy enclosure which will give him alot more places to hide and stuff and allow him to get higher than me, which will hopefully make him feel more comfortable and maybe he will let me hand feed him than.

at least thats what happened with my first cham reggie. i have only been hand feeding reggie for two or three weeks ( i have had him since september or so) and now when i go to feen them in the morning reggie will follow me around and climb all over my hand looking for a tasty hornworm . it makes me laugh every time.