tips for handling

[CDON]

Hi I just got my 4+ month old male panther chameleon on Tuesday. He is doing great but when I put my hand in his cage for any reason he puffs up and gapes at me and runs away. I know he is scared but are there any tips to get him to not freak out so I can handle him without him freaking out and getting stressed

Thanks

 

[Lazy Boy]

First he needs a few week to get use to his new home so try not to hold him. You could try to hand feed him but if he's puffs or gaps back out and try again later. Don't push him and don't move fast. Nice slow and easy. It could take months for him to trust you.

 

[ChamEden]

Hi.

Yes, most definitely just give him a little more time. I strongly suggest hand feeding the first feeder every day. Usually a single worm of some sort (waxworms, meals). This gets them to trust your hands a little more. Eventually work your way closer to him and attempt to pick him up. Come from the bottom up. So your hand is under him. Never pick him up from over him. It terrifies the poor guy. Be as interactive as possible with him so he learns to trust you. Eventually he'll just come right out of the cage onto your hands!

 

[ChamEden]

Again I strongly suggest interacting with him as much as possible. And keep the cage to his enclosure open. That way you can walk up to the cage and without shaking the entire enclosure and startle him.

 

[SilverWolf]

What I did with my jackson chameleon, was hold a cup of crickets. I showed it to him where he could see the crickets inside, and watched him eagerly walk towards it. I held out my other hand so that he had to walk on it to reach it, and that is exactly what he did. Then after that a bit, I tried hand feeding. He would never take it from my hand, ever. One time, I ran out of crickets. Rather than rushing out to get more right then and there, I realized one day without food definitely wouldn't hurt him. As long as he got plenty of water, he'd be fine. After all, in the wild they don't eat 4 - 6 crickets a day, dusted with vitamins on a schedule XD. So I didn't feed him for a day. The next day, being all the more hungry, he felt a bit more brave and decided to snatch the cricket right out of my hand. From there, I fed him the first cricket every day from my hand. Then I held out my hand so he had to walk on it like before, but rather than holding a cup I just held the cricket in my other hand. To this day, he will still walk onto my hand to reach a cricket on the other hand. Just patience, persistence, and definitely do not give up. He can definitely warm up to you.

 

[Psychobunny]

Here is a link to my taming blog, you may find it useful:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/psychobunny/746-taming-chameleon.html

 

[jm400]

Hi.

Eventually work your way closer to him and attempt to pick him up. Come from the bottom up. So your hand is under him. Never pick him up from over him. It terrifies the poor guy.

I would add/explain this because someone explained it to me and it made sense; you don't want to go and reach for them from the top because then they will see you as an attacker (a bird or whatever it may be) coming in at them and that is why they will be terrified. Instead go at their level so they are not timid by you and can trust you more.

 

[SolidSnake1]

My Velied is also still very scared, I have been trying to hand feed worms or Mango but he still freaks out.

 

[CDON]

ya my guy wont hand feed> I show him the worm and he just tries to hide but then get annoyed and puffs up and walks away