Who says?

[OrangeCrush]

Well I have been told by a few people that Cham are pretty cool pets but are stupid. Like their intelligence is not very high. I have been noticing something with my Cham. He has picked up on the idea the the cream cheese container gets filled with food. Every time I take the cup out and fill it then place it bck in his cage he automatically starts heading for the cup before I can even get it settled in. The cup is not clear so it not like he can see what's in e cup. He also does this when I take him outside in the morning. I have place the cup in the middle of his hibiscus and he still will head right for the cup. I honestly feed that he has learned that when I take the cup out or
Lace it somewhere it is time to eat. So who says that chameleons are nit smart?

 

[Melina]

i completely agree with you - chams are intelligent reptiles

 

[Trace]

Cup feeding is a learned behaviour, not intelligence.

The varanids and crocodilians have a little something upstairs; they can distinguish small numbers, they have learned to track and hunt together, they have specific calls for different situations.

In contrast chameleons eat and poop.

 

[Lizardlover]

Cup feeding is a learned behaviour, not intelligence.

The varanids and crocodilians have a little something upstairs; they can distinguish small numbers, they have learned to track and hunt together, they have specific calls for different situations.

In contrast chameleons eat and poop.

Agreed, its important not to get confused with true intelligence and learned behaviours.

 

[kinyonga]

One of my veiled chameleons would watch the white latch move against the dark cage frame when I opened the door to the cage. He did this for a few days...then one day I found him out of the cage....the latch had been turned to the open position from inside the cage. It happened several times (and then I put a piece of velcro on the outside so that even if he turned the latch he couldn't open the door). Would you say that was learned behavior?

Another (C.cham.) learned to open the sliding glass door on the cage. Could he really have just done it accidentally over and over?

Do you know that crows take a straight piece of wire and bend it into a hook on the end to fish things out of containers that are too small for their heads to get into?...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYZnsO2ZgWo
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0808_020808_crow.html
How about this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofjo26O0z_o&feature=related
Another...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RCcVJvZF0I&feature=related
Even more amazing....I saw this on TV...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO-s6rQFgFg

Octopus...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlh0cS2tf24&feature=relmfu

More...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2En6zyJPs3I

How about handedness...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRN-fHdGzUY&feature=related

Enough...if you want more there's lots on youtube!
http://boingboing.net/2008/08/26/crows-recognize-and.html

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

A few months after I first got Karma and while I put him inside my large cricket keeper to let him hunt some down for once, after looking for them he grabbed onto the edge of one of the carton things, and somehow manage to tip it over revealing the crickets, I don't know if it was an accident, it most likely was, but it looked like he meant to do it. Just like when I do something on accident and am like "Yeah, I so meant to do that...".

 

[Helios]

Well whatever way you look at it they really are impressive little guys...I don't really even care for reptiles but for some reason chams seem totally different to me, also have you seen a panther cham skull? they have to have something up there

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

@Helios, on the contrary have you seen a t-rex skull? The size of their brains were...?

 

[Helios]

@Helios, on the contrary have you seen a t-rex skull? The size of their brains were...?

Ha ha well you got me there darlin, but also look at the ratio of brain to skull it's a world of difference, I am not saying they would be able to get a cricket out of a glass jar or anything but I dont consider them stupid. But then again I know nothing about reptiles so my opinion isn't worth much

 

[OrangeCrush]

I feel that everyone has there own ways to reason with the Idea that chams are somewhat able to think. I like the one that opens his own cage, that's pretty clever. But anyway u look at it these reptiles are one of the most interesting creatures. My Cham seems to amaze me everyday.

 

[Psychodrake]

I think they're around or above the intelligence level of the average house hamster personally. I see my Chameleon do far more interesting things, always inquisitive and alert, not running around a wheel all day. They have some capacity to learn but I think being a more recent addition to the pet trade, we may not have entirely tested their intelligence.

 

[Chris Jury]

This sort of learned behavior requires very little intelligence. Chameleons aren't particularly intelligent animals, but neither do they need to be. The vast, vast majority of successful species are far less intelligent than even chameleons. Intelligence isn't inherently beneficial by any means--it can aid survival under certain circumstances, but most species have absolutely no need for it.