chameleon friendship with its owner ?:)

[AllFallDown]

I think the difference is that all animals which demonstrate affectionate behaviour and emotional attachment are those which require social and familial connections for survival of individuals and their genetic legacy. Very few reptiles have natural social or familial bonds, so the capacity just has not evolved.

But as you say, we do not know what is going on in their heads, and just because certain traits haven't developed because they don't confer survival advantages, doesn't mean that a rare few individuals wouldn't have a capacity for bonding.

Did you change your User name or am I sleep deprived?

 

[Playdo]

Personally I don't feel that a chameleon can exactly want to be "friends" with their owner, but that they do indeed show their appreciation. My chameleon Luna was a rescue from a pet store that took terrible care of her, I opened the cage door to see which one to rescue and she made a break for it, she wanted out, badly! Seeing how she was under the most stress I bought her. She was hissing and everything but once I took her home to a much bigger cage with a constant supply of water and a daily intake of food, she began to really appreciate me, when I bring my camera to take pictures she goes her most beautiful vibrant colors and looks right into the lens, once i've taken the pictures she continues with her own thing.

 

[Trillian]

I changed, and you're sleep deprived!

 

[Calladora]

Chameleons do not bond with their owners, but they are smart enough to recognize where the food comes from. If you are the only source of food it has ever known then it will probably wait for you to feed it, but I doubt it would starve to death waiting. For my chams, I just dump crickets in the cage and they go to town over the course of the day. If I hold a worm for them they'll eat it from there, but they will eat from anywhere really. Oscar will let anyone feed him. Buster is more hesitant of people he's not familiar with. George won't eat from anyone's hand if you offered him a million bugs.

 

[kwengkynator]

The smaller the chameleon the lesser chances of what is normally termed as "friendship" to develop. Their small brains are capable of associating you for something safe and something that gives him/her nourishment. Their eyes are great and thus can recognize you amongst other individuals but that as far as it goes.

 

[jamest0o0]

This post is from 2012, before the world ended

 

[Cammy36]

No, it is not friends with anyone. Chameleons are not people - they dont make friends.



Agreed.

My husband gives my chameleon her food but will not evan go near him but she climb all over me! She follows me around her inside and outside hibiscus filled enclosure she luvs t.v!. she will place herself at the top of my shirt w/ her head sticking out and I put the captions on and volume low and watches a movie or show... she luvs my phone too !

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

can a pet chameleon "want their owner". like have a friendship with it. i heard somewhere that one would not eat because it was not its owner that was feeding it? if so , it is the same with all chams?


-------
jacksons female- poppy

Short answer...no. they associate you with food or a tree to explore and that's it,also if they dont like their enclosure because of bad husbandry then they will want out. For example, if your chameleon is sick and staying with a vet while you cry at home, it never thinks of you or misses you. That's just the sad truth

 

[PoseidonTheChameleon]

Oh this is a very old post