Any Suggestions??

[Ems]

I have had my veiled chameleon for about 3 months now, and when I first got her she was always a lovely bright green/yellow colour and I used to be able to put my hand into the tank and she would come out and really enjoyed climbing on all over me.

However, about a month ago I was feeding her a mealworm on my hand and her tongue missed and stuck to my hand instead which made me jump a little and ever since then for about a week or 2 she wouldn't let me near her. She would puff up and go a very dark colour, she snapped and hissed a couple of times as well and wouldn't take any mealworms from my hand. After a couple of weeks though she started to take the food from my hand again slowly and has gradually got quicker. But she still goes a very dark brown colour and still won't let me get her out. The last couple of weeks she has been walking around the bottom of her tank on the floor and pawing at the glass as if she wants to come out - so i presume she misses coming out but just wont let me get her out. The last couple of times I have fed her mealworms in the palm of my hand she has aimed for my fingers instead.

Can anyone give me any help and advice on this please?

 

[Ash]

How old is she?

If she's hanging around the bottom it could mean she is gravid. Search through the forum there is a few more posts at the moment going on about what to do.

This is all I can think of, but I'm no expert!

Ash

 

[Ren]

My male has been doing the same with me, he wont let me get him out or anything, so last night I got some gloves on and anticipated getting bit..I didn't want to but I knew it would happen so i put the gloves on and reached in and he looked at me like he was mad and i grabbed him, gently and he didn't puff up didn't hiss and didn't bite me..... so I spent a little time with him and pet him on his back and stuff and tried to make him feel as if to say hey I'm not gonna hurt or eat you! and I put him back in the enclosure, i will do this again over the next few days and hopefully he will be back to where he was before, i guess its a trust thing with them... Also it sounds as if you may need to rethink your enclosure as well.... go to the enclosures part of the forums and read up on chameleon "needs" in the enclosures section and you can ever check out the pics of some of the others folks setups in here... maybe this will help him to be at ease a bit more as well...

 

[turrgon]

first of all, if your cham is hanging around the bottom and trying to dig, it sounds like shes looking for a place for her eggs.

as for getting her used to you again, try feeding her crouching below (height = safety in chameleon logic) with your arm stretched way out so your as far from her as you can get, but still close enough for her to get the food. id use a waxworm or something she loves. get it close to her so she wont miss again, maybe even close enough so she can just grab it with her jaws.

or just let her be. if she used to let you near her and liked climbing on you thats her personality. when she missed her food her tongue got pulled, which maybe hurt or just startled her. in either case it wont change her behavior forever, and her personality will revert back, shes just being cautious.

 

[Shunt1]

I spent a little time with him and pet him on his back and stuff and tried to make him feel as if to say hey I'm not gonna hurt or eat you!

First off, I am the person that got everyone all upset because I introduced my cham to our cats. HOWEVER, I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING!

When I tell people to hold their finger in front of their cham, just a little higher than their nose, and hold absolutly steady for five minutes, I am telling you EXACTLY THAT!

If your Cham wants to climb your finger, it must ALWAYS BE HIS CHOICE!

Never reach into his cage and grab him. Never force your Cham to do anything. Everything that he does with you, must always be his choice.

I can not express how important this is with any critter. Once they have learned to trust you, it is amazing what they will do.

But most important of all - you must EARN that trust!

 

[Skiddles]

First off, I am the person that got everyone all upset because I introduced my cham to our cats. HOWEVER, I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING!

When I tell people to hold their finger in front of their cham, just a little higher than their nose, and hold absolutly steady for five minutes, I am telling you EXACTLY THAT!

If your Cham wants to climb your finger, it must ALWAYS BE HIS CHOICE!

Never reach into his cage and grab him. Never force your Cham to do anything. Everything that he does with you, must always be his choice.

I can not express how important this is with any critter. Once they have learned to trust you, it is amazing what they will do.

But most important of all - you must EARN that trust!

I agree with what your saying I believe that all reptiles should be handled like this. These animals are not dogs or cats that are used to humans. Leaving your hand in the cage in a position that is not threating to a reptile should eventually over time establish trust with the reptile. I get really upset when my friends come over to my house and move extra fast around my lizards always wanting to stick hands in and grab them or touch them. I always yell and them and tell them to get away they are scaring him / her.

I always approach my lizards SLOWLY. I do this thing were i'll clap my hand with just my fingers ( picture grasping a pole) when I approach my lizards every single time. I say Hi! (insert lizard name here). When I get to the cage I get on my knees so my head is at the level with them so I don't tower over them and they feel treatened. I then make very slow movements with my hands and I always place my hand into the cage in the same area.

I think this helps a lot I have never been hissed at, lundged at or ran away from once from my lizards.

It should be the lizards choice to come out for some fresh air unless I need to clean the cage. In those situations I do everything the same but i bring my small cage with me and show the lizard the cage through the glass before. My female leopard gecko that I have had a long time knows exsactly what is happeneing. Sometimes she will not get onto my hand when she knows she has to get into that little cage but, she will eventually get on with a little coaxing. I then place her in the cage and let her watch me clean her cage out. She gets excited when she sees me put new sand in she will claw at her small cage and want out. Once I am done and place her back into her cage she goes nuts and runs around all over the cage smelling everything. I think she enjoys it when I give her cage fresh sand every month.


As for your chameleon and the cat that I read in a previous post here only you know your lizards better then anyone else. If you feel comfortable and your lizard felt comfortable along with the cat I don't really see a problem as long as you are there to make sure no one gets hurt. I've seen way more weird animal interactions then that such as babies riding on pythons and cats who have birds as friends.

Cant we all just get along