to handle or not to handle?
- Thread starter nydiaz
- Start date
SuperRad
New Member
Too much handling can cause unnecesary stress. It is best to avoid handling all together, It is fine when you are cleaning the enclosure or taking him out to take a shower.
Generally i take my ch ameleons out about once every two weeks and will not handle them longer th an a couple of minutes. Just because i want to hold them and can't resist it.
And that's only my female. my male will not let me touch him since he is older now.
Generally i take my ch ameleons out about once every two weeks and will not handle them longer th an a couple of minutes. Just because i want to hold them and can't resist it.
And that's only my female. my male will not let me touch him since he is older now.
Nicodemayo
Avid Member
i would ease into it, slowly sticking your hand in and see how he responds. Remember, instinct is telling them your a predator, so quick jolting movements wont help. Some chams seem to be more tame even from birth. If he freaks out i'd back off for a couple days and try again. But dont over do it because for most chams, its a very stressful experience.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
I am of the absolute minimum school of thought.
These are animals that do not even enjoy each others company, let alone a big, scary human.
Regardless of what anyone says, they are most comfortable and happy when left alone ... high above you in their safe, well planted territory.
Some handling will obviously be necessary. ie: trip to the vet, moved to another enclosure, etc. These rare occasions are also the time to do a close "once over" and check for anything unusual, feel the strength of their grip, check eyes, toes, etc.
They are so fascinating to observe, I don't understand wanting to interrupt that for the sake of handling the animal.
-Brad
These are animals that do not even enjoy each others company, let alone a big, scary human.
Regardless of what anyone says, they are most comfortable and happy when left alone ... high above you in their safe, well planted territory.
Some handling will obviously be necessary. ie: trip to the vet, moved to another enclosure, etc. These rare occasions are also the time to do a close "once over" and check for anything unusual, feel the strength of their grip, check eyes, toes, etc.
They are so fascinating to observe, I don't understand wanting to interrupt that for the sake of handling the animal.
-Brad
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
I used to advise customers that if they wanted a lizard to handle buy a bearded dragon. Chameleons by their very nature are cautious and careful, being on your shoulder out in the open is not what they want.
I only handle my chams when I need to move them or give them an up close health check.
I only handle my chams when I need to move them or give them an up close health check.
pohchunyee
Avid Member
I handle my chameleon on daily basis.... they are tame as you can imagine... spare me lots of scars.
No handling = chameleon freak out at people all the time
Minimum handling = freak out sometimes
Once they used to handling = never freak out never stress, climb onto you hand (given that you DON'T pick the up, let them climb willingly.)
Just my personal experience...might not works on others (don't bombarding me with these comment!!)
No handling = chameleon freak out at people all the time
Minimum handling = freak out sometimes
Once they used to handling = never freak out never stress, climb onto you hand (given that you DON'T pick the up, let them climb willingly.)
Just my personal experience...might not works on others (don't bombarding me with these comment!!)
grubbsgrub
New Member
I only handle my female veiled when I need to clean her cage or take her to the vet or so. She doesn't seem stress any at all when I'm around. I also try to only watch her when shes out in the open. If shes hiding I leave her alone.
summoner12
Avid Member
I handle my two veileds quite a bit. They don't seem to mind... but that might be because when I do handle them I am putting them outside in the sun to bask.
kelzi
New Member
I used to handle my veiled cham alot, like walking around with him attached to me while being around my family then he would just reach out and grab onto someone else and hang onto them for a while, we were all just mobile trees for him lol. But as he got older he didn't really want to be handled much anymore, he'd do the basic hissing and swaying.
So, I would say that you should handle if they are wanting it and don't resist it. OTher than that, I don't see why not.
So, I would say that you should handle if they are wanting it and don't resist it. OTher than that, I don't see why not.
Glittergloomgirl
New Member
Hmmm well I have the opposite problem, my male chameleons the second I open their doors go to run up my arms and like to sit on my head lol, The females I let them be but sometimes when Im in cleaning they will walk up my arms too. They will do what they want, so let them choose.
ChromaChameleons
New Member
"I am of the absolute minimum school of thought."
Is that a freudian self-depricating comment?
Great Sunday morning humour....thx Brad
LOL... sounds like something I would have said...LMAO
Is that a freudian self-depricating comment?
Great Sunday morning humour....thx Brad
LOL... sounds like something I would have said...LMAO
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Hey .... you know what I meant!
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday morning .... glad I could brighten it up for you.
-Brad
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday morning .... glad I could brighten it up for you.
-Brad
RhettusMaximus
New Member
handling
I kind of just think that it depends on the cham. I never handle my female because she won't tolerate it at all. My ambilobe panther cham is shy but tolerates being handled, and my male veiled actually seems to enjoy being handled now and again. He's a very curious little guy. You'll know pretty early on which cham will tolerate being held and which ones won't.
I kind of just think that it depends on the cham. I never handle my female because she won't tolerate it at all. My ambilobe panther cham is shy but tolerates being handled, and my male veiled actually seems to enjoy being handled now and again. He's a very curious little guy. You'll know pretty early on which cham will tolerate being held and which ones won't.
Zoey
New Member
Its weird how one day they may want to come out and be handled and other they want nothing to do with it.
The person we got my Male from, would take him our of his cage every day for about an hour.
When we bought him, we left him alone for about a week to make him comfortable in his new surroundings. And when we try and hold him now, he walks as fast as he can grabing plants and vines, trying his harderst to get away!
The person we got my Male from, would take him our of his cage every day for about an hour.
When we bought him, we left him alone for about a week to make him comfortable in his new surroundings. And when we try and hold him now, he walks as fast as he can grabing plants and vines, trying his harderst to get away!
tryme
New Member
mine hates me now lol seriously i put my hand near him and he done his nut hissing and trying to bite me im really upset now because when i got him first of all he was walking all over me but not near my face(obviously scared of my face etc lol) he ate from my hand once but ever since i tried to get him out he doesnt want nothing to do with me its upsetting i thought i was going to be one of the lucky ones with a cham that liked to be handled im so sh*t scared of him now :| is there any way i can make him more tame and tolerate me because i will need to get him out at some point
im so sh*t scared of him now :| is there any way i can make him more tame and tolerate me because i will need to get him out at some point
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summoner12
Avid Member
mine hates me now lol seriously i put my hand near him and he done his nut hissing and trying to bite me im really upset now because when i got him first of all he was walking all over me but not near my face(obviously scared of my face etc lol) he ate from my hand once but ever since i tried to get him out he doesnt want nothing to do with me its upsetting i thought i was going to be one of the lucky ones with a cham that liked to be handled
My chams don't mind being handled.. its getting them out of the cage that is hard sometimes. I find 'chasing' them out is best. I put my left hand behind them and slowly make him walk in the direction of my right hand. Most of the time they are fixated on my left hand behind them they don't even notice they walked out onto my other hand.
summoner12
Avid Member
How old is your guy? The bigger they get the more it hurts. Right now I wouldn't want to be bit by my boys because their teeth are getting pretty sharp and they can fit my finger in their mouth. If you just slowly move your hand at them they will turn toward your hand... back your hand off a bit and they will start to move away from your hand... then move closer... just repeat the process. Be slow with it until he ends up on your hand.
Because I don't like to get bit I use this method. For me this works best on my younger male with my bare hands. He HATES gloves. I know his bite will hurt a lot if my hand is bare because he bit me with gloves on and the clamping force kinda hurt. My older guy Fred is kind of funny. He will stand on his hind legs with his front arms tucked, turn yellow and just sorta stare at my hand. He will sometimes go onto my hand and sometimes he will just do a back flip and fall to the bottom of his cage. I don't like to take Fred out unless I have to because of this. I usually wait for a good opportunity to remove him. I sometimes catch him on the door or low in his cage and that is when I will remove him. I can't handle him for too long bare handed because his grip is so strong.
