balmybaldwin
New Member
My baby panther is now about 12 weeks old, and has been with me about 4 weeks, and is now settled in quite well, eating like a horse pooing and doing all the right lizardy things now
I have basically left him alone during this time and only go in his viv for a weekly clean (I spot clean as well) and to feed and mist. When I do this, he watches me carefully, and sometimes just watches and at other times runs of to hide or slumps (is this the right term?) behind a branch to hide from me.
My question is when (at what age) is it best to start taming him (or at least trying!)? and what are the best strategies?
At the moment he is still tiny (2"svl) and is currently in a small glass and screen viv with plenty of plants for him to climb and hide in. As a result, when I am in the room he tends to remain concealed if i spend much time at his end of the room, but is often found at the front or hanging from the roof as I enter the room.
My intention with the whole taming thing was to try to spend more time near his viv, but not in it so he gets used to me, and then to gradually try to tong and hand feed to get him to see me as a source of food. However attempts at tong feeding at the moment seem to make him just want to run away so I've stopped that for now and have gone back to loose bugs in his feeding bowl (that hangs in his ficus).
I am full aware that I may never have a nice or even tame cham, but to those that have managed this, what were your tactics and at what age did you start?
He tried to bite me the other day when i was cleaning, and i flinched away, would I be better to just let him bite me so he doesn't "win"?
is there any good reading out there on chameleon psychology?
I have basically left him alone during this time and only go in his viv for a weekly clean (I spot clean as well) and to feed and mist. When I do this, he watches me carefully, and sometimes just watches and at other times runs of to hide or slumps (is this the right term?) behind a branch to hide from me.
My question is when (at what age) is it best to start taming him (or at least trying!)? and what are the best strategies?
At the moment he is still tiny (2"svl) and is currently in a small glass and screen viv with plenty of plants for him to climb and hide in. As a result, when I am in the room he tends to remain concealed if i spend much time at his end of the room, but is often found at the front or hanging from the roof as I enter the room.
My intention with the whole taming thing was to try to spend more time near his viv, but not in it so he gets used to me, and then to gradually try to tong and hand feed to get him to see me as a source of food. However attempts at tong feeding at the moment seem to make him just want to run away so I've stopped that for now and have gone back to loose bugs in his feeding bowl (that hangs in his ficus).
I am full aware that I may never have a nice or even tame cham, but to those that have managed this, what were your tactics and at what age did you start?
He tried to bite me the other day when i was cleaning, and i flinched away, would I be better to just let him bite me so he doesn't "win"?
is there any good reading out there on chameleon psychology?