Behavioral trouble. Seriously need help.

Goldenarcher1328

Goldenarcher1328

New Member
Well my female veiled chameleon is being highly aggressive and is going even as far as to attempt to shoot her tongue at my face. She makes constant lunges at me and will try to bite me at every chance she gets.

The only real time i handle her is when she gets fed, i take her out, and she eats off my hand. I'm starting to think i'm going to have to back off of this because she is so aggressive.

Any ideas? She's a veiled chameleon, about 6-7 months old. She eats well, and is great health wise, just highly aggressive to the point where no one really should be near her.


Any tips???

Thanks so much.
 
She's just like my male veiled. He is a strictly 'look, don't touch' pet and lunges and bites if I even open the cage to dump food in his feeder cup and never get near him. No matter what methods used to get him used to me he won't. I've come to terms with it.
 
There's not much to help you with honestly. You have a very pissed off lizard is all. Many chams are not friendly, if anything they just learn to tolerate us. Even my Male Mt. Meru is named "Mr Pissy". You go anywhere near him and he gapes, flares up, and does the little fake lunge at you. Ignore it, don't do anything to make it hate you more.

Over time, and only over time, it may calm down as it gets older but don't expect it to "love" you.
 
Do you have a container in her cage for her to dig in to show you when she's ready to lay eggs?
Is this a sudden change in behavior?
 
She has been like this since minuet one. Very very angry little girl. She is in a reptile room but the cham cages are hidden from eachother's view with a sheet. I'm sure she knows that he is there because when i take one or the other out, well its impossible for them not to be insight on the other cage. One problem i have, its a hanging cage that doesn't support weight very well, how would i put a laying bin in that for her? She is always green or dark. No blues or oranges that i have heard being typically associated with gravid females.

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/explorarium.php this is what she's in, the largest size available.
 

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Going to bump this up to the top. Can anyone tell me if she may have eggs? I added a 5.5 gallon tank in there half way with eco earth, and a branch leading in and out.

I'm out and about today and am semi nervous about her having eggs. Its way too soon, i'd rather not have this happen for a while. but if she does, i wanna make things safe for her.
 
She doesn't look especially hostile in the video, but maybe she was worse when you took her out. I'm used to being hissed and snapped at, so a little reach with the mouth doesn't seem bad to me.

Where is the laying bin? While she doesn't show any obvious signs, many here have reported that their females never showed gravid coloration, so you really cannot use that as a guide. You have to have a place for her always.

She's actually right about the normal age for a first clutch.

Can I ask why the light in the middle of the cage? Is there another basking bulb at the top? Maybe I'm crazy, but I think the primary basking light should be at or very near the top. That way they can "loom" at the top, as they prefer, while basking in the warmth that they need.
 
Elizadolots said:
She doesn't look especially hostile in the video, but maybe she was worse when you took her out. I'm used to being hissed and snapped at, so a little reach with the mouth doesn't seem bad to me.

Where is the laying bin? While she doesn't show any obvious signs, many here have reported that their females never showed gravid coloration, so you really cannot use that as a guide. You have to have a place for her always.

She's actually right about the normal age for a first clutch.

Can I ask why the light in the middle of the cage? Is there another basking bulb at the top? Maybe I'm crazy, but I think the primary basking light should be at or very near the top. That way they can "loom" at the top, as they prefer, while basking in the warmth that they need.
Click to expand...


there is a basking lamp at the top, and a smaller uva at the mid height because the thing kept falling off the ceiling.

Is she really about the right age! What age would you recommend breeding at?
 
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Well, "right" as in, it's very common for them to have a first clutch at 6 to 7 months. I usually think in terms of avoiding eggs as every clutch takes a toll on her health, but if you are looking to breed her, your thought processes are probably different. I sort of instinctively feel that she should be at least a year old, but maybe it's okay to breed them before that. I think someone with breeding experience would be better suited to answer that question.
 
Elizadolots said:
Well, "right" as in, it's very common for them to have a first clutch at 6 to 7 months. I usually think in terms of avoiding eggs as every clutch takes a toll on her health, but if you are looking to breed her, your thought processes are probably different. I sort of instinctively feel that she should be at least a year old, but maybe it's okay to breed them before that. I think someone with breeding experience would be better suited to answer that question.
Click to expand...


Yes she is going to be a breeder, but i was hoping to wait for atleast another 3 months.
 
Nastyness

I have a juvenile ambilobe. He has always been friendly. Crawls on our hands, arms, heads. Can be had fed. But as he gets older, I guess the testosterone is starting to flow. Now, when I come near him, he does his I am big pissed off cham dance. I can still rub his throat to calm him down. And he is never bit either of us intentionally. I have noticed as he becomes more of a man, and he claims territory, he is a little more aggressive with us. Hope its just a teenage phase.... :)
 
If she has an infertile clutch, it doesn't mean she can't then have a fertile clutch later. It just seems to me that a fertile clutch is going to be harder on the female. ( I might be wrong on that.)
 
shooting at your face could simply me she thinks your eyeballs are possible food. I had a female panther would eat anything that might maybe perhaps be food, anytime anywhere - fingers, fingernails, stones, leaves, branches, earrings, buttons on my shirt,... and it did NOT feel good to have her tongue hit my eyeball.

Aggressive is not a behavioural problem. You want a pet to play/interact with, chameleon isnt the best possible choice.

Important to have a laying bin available for when she needs to lay eggs.

All lights should shine down from the top, including the uv
 
sandrachameleon said:
shooting at your face could simply me she thinks your eyeballs are possible food. I had a female panther would eat anything that might maybe perhaps be food, anytime anywhere - fingers, fingernails, stones, leaves, branches, earrings, buttons on my shirt,... and it did NOT feel good to have her tongue hit my eyeball.

Aggressive is not a behavioural problem. You want a pet to play/interact with, chameleon isnt the best possible choice.

Important to have a laying bin available for when she needs to lay eggs.

All lights should shine down from the top, including the uv
Click to expand...



Haha, i love that she may just be trying to eat something, but its 5+ strikes i get everytime i hold her that seems rather agressive to me.

Also, i'm not lookin to play around with her, i have dogs, tegu's and nephews/nieces for that lol.

The Uva Light i am working on moving
 
michaels2408 said:
I have a juvenile ambilobe. He has always been friendly. Crawls on our hands, arms, heads. Can be had fed. But as he gets older, I guess the testosterone is starting to flow. Now, when I come near him, he does his I am big pissed off cham dance. I can still rub his throat to calm him down. And he is never bit either of us intentionally. I have noticed as he becomes more of a man, and he claims territory, he is a little more aggressive with us. Hope its just a teenage phase.... :)
Click to expand...

My male is a little on the slow and easy going side haha, he's our special chameleon. Total goofball. Its a personality thing.

Just noticed your new to the forums! Welcome to the forums!! I'm Dan, and my Girlfriend Lauren (andallthatjazz) is on here somewhere. Feel free to contact us or find us on facebook if you need anything. goodluck with your new adventure!
 
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