Clingy Chameleon

[Herocleasin]

Archie is truly a test of patience. I love him and all but he sure is a test of patience. I get him out about once every 2 days, I try to aim for at least an hour of him getting out of his enclosure but it always extends to like 3. Whenever I open the cage he rushes to my hand, and whenever I try to get him back on from the outside he is stubborn. Then when I finally get him on my hand (by luring him with food), he doesn't want to get back into his cage.

 

[timw1]

Seems like he doesn't like his enclosure.

 

[NDO]

Seems like he doesn't like his enclosure.

Or he just likes his owner

 

[Remkon]

Or he just likes his owner

Yea, somehow I tend to side with @timw1.

Its pretty rare for a chameleon to actually like a person. They don't nurture their young or protect their clutch and the only interasction they have with other chameleons are competing over territory and females and mating. They have no need for social skills like the capacity of liking or loving someone like us humans do. Their limited brain will likely not even have this feature as it would be useless to them.

Chameleons tolerate people at best, they use us for the benefits we bring like food, sunlight, protection and posdibly the heat of our bodies when handled. But in most cases they will want to leave the enclosure to be with a human only if the human is the lesser of the evils, we just interpate it emotionally, like how a human would act.

 

[ispeedonthe405]

Wanting out is not abnormal for a hormonal male. He's stricken with wanderlust because he's looking for the other kind. When Hilts was in that phase I made him a free range to keep him from stressing out.

Chameleons can also become 'programmed' by repetitive patterns. It's not really you he wants; he recognizes that you'll take him somewhere he wants to be.

 

[Angelwolf]

It's not really you he wants; he recognizes that you'll take him somewhere he wants to be.

I tend to agree here. But with that being said, I believe there is something to be said for a chameleon's ability to recognize a familiar person who he/she trusts. I have seen this a number of times now with my chams.