Do chameleons like to be handled
- Thread starter TyShawn
- Start date
chamtrainer
Avid Member
Some do some don't. I know a person whos animals are very very easy to handle. Just PM me and i will tell you. 
pssh
Avid Member
Not normally. They generally do not tolerate handling and it causes stress. Stress kills. There are a few exceptions where the chameleon actually chooses to climb out of the cage and onto the keeper. If you are looking for a more tolerant chameleon, buy an adult whose personality is already established.
Elizadolots
New Member
I think you have to assume NO. If you're willing to have a pet that doesn't want to be handled, then proceed. You might be one of those who get a friendly chameleon that is happy to be handled. That would be fun. But if you expect a pet that will want to be petted....reconsider the species you want to purchase.
Jeweledchameleons
Avid Member
Chams do not understand "petting" or being held
They're not mammals.
What they like is what being held does for them.
like going outside out of their cages and into the sunlight.
Getting fresh drink of water or an insect.
They can understand that easy enough.
So if being held by their owner is connected with good things
They "They like being held and outside of the cage"
it doesn't become a stressful thing.
One of my animals used to get very restless during breeding season
He always wanted "OUT" of the cage.
Handling him was like him ssaying.... "OMG what a relief THANKS for opening that door
OOOOOH What's that? I Want to see... go over here and show me.
No, I'll walk... Thanks"
"Hey where's that other guy... the one I talk smack too?
Oh there he is <changes colors/displays> I'm rick james bitch"
So yes they can love being handled...
but it also from their standpoint a means to get out of the cage.
Caveat, it's all in how you do things.
grabbing the animal from the top and yanking them from the cage
isn't how to handle them at all. IF that's what you do, then it's best not to touch them.
[edited and added too to illustrate the "rick james" motivation]
They're not mammals.
What they like is what being held does for them.
like going outside out of their cages and into the sunlight.
Getting fresh drink of water or an insect.
They can understand that easy enough.
So if being held by their owner is connected with good things
They "They like being held and outside of the cage"
it doesn't become a stressful thing.
One of my animals used to get very restless during breeding season
He always wanted "OUT" of the cage.
Handling him was like him ssaying.... "OMG what a relief THANKS for opening that door
OOOOOH What's that? I Want to see... go over here and show me.
No, I'll walk... Thanks"
"Hey where's that other guy... the one I talk smack too?
Oh there he is <changes colors/displays> I'm rick james bitch"
So yes they can love being handled...
but it also from their standpoint a means to get out of the cage.
Caveat, it's all in how you do things.
grabbing the animal from the top and yanking them from the cage
isn't how to handle them at all. IF that's what you do, then it's best not to touch them.
[edited and added too to illustrate the "rick james" motivation]
Last edited:
jaglon53
Member
Depends on cham
Also depends on species I have had much more success with Panther chams then Veileds. Not to say I havent had a Panther with a bad attitude but I have had most Veileds almost jump out of the cage at me when I was adding food to his cup to bite me. You shouldnt handle any species regularly but if you are looking for the possibility for an understanding symbiotic relationship get a Male panther(ambilobe,ambanja,sambava,nosy be) cham. Rarer locales (nosy faly, nosy mitsio, ankaramy,) im my experience tend to not be nice either. Another choice if were choicing based on personality would be a female Veiled cham I have had some really good experiences with them. Either way every cham has there own personality but I find for the first month do not attempt picking your cham up at all. Just consistently let ur cham see you putting food in and as much as you want to pick it up DONT! At about a month youll notice your cham doesnt get that freaked when you come into there realm anymore. Now you can make an attempt using a branch cox your cham onto the branch then onto your hand. Youll notice once on your hand the attempts at biting you wont happen. You can also attempt to hand feed at this point I find superworms to work best. Have a super crawl up the screen and your cham wont be able to resist. Do this for about two days then put the super in your hand flat. Your gonna have to manuever it or it will crawl right off. Your cham will now most likely snatch it right out of your hand. I used this method here on my most recent Male Ambanja and if you ask Chuck from HEROICCHAMELEONS he would tell you this cham was a menace!! We named him Tsunami cause of colors and strong(bite your finger off) personality. This guy now when I enter the room waits for me to open the door and runs through his plants to get at me but not to bite but to climb on my hand. He would sit on my shoulder all day if I let him. I actually thought something was wrong when he started doing this but everyone on the forum just assumed he wanted to use me as his car! lol GOOD LUCK HOPE THIS HELPS!!
Also depends on species I have had much more success with Panther chams then Veileds. Not to say I havent had a Panther with a bad attitude but I have had most Veileds almost jump out of the cage at me when I was adding food to his cup to bite me. You shouldnt handle any species regularly but if you are looking for the possibility for an understanding symbiotic relationship get a Male panther(ambilobe,ambanja,sambava,nosy be) cham. Rarer locales (nosy faly, nosy mitsio, ankaramy,) im my experience tend to not be nice either. Another choice if were choicing based on personality would be a female Veiled cham I have had some really good experiences with them. Either way every cham has there own personality but I find for the first month do not attempt picking your cham up at all. Just consistently let ur cham see you putting food in and as much as you want to pick it up DONT! At about a month youll notice your cham doesnt get that freaked when you come into there realm anymore. Now you can make an attempt using a branch cox your cham onto the branch then onto your hand. Youll notice once on your hand the attempts at biting you wont happen. You can also attempt to hand feed at this point I find superworms to work best. Have a super crawl up the screen and your cham wont be able to resist. Do this for about two days then put the super in your hand flat. Your gonna have to manuever it or it will crawl right off. Your cham will now most likely snatch it right out of your hand. I used this method here on my most recent Male Ambanja and if you ask Chuck from HEROICCHAMELEONS he would tell you this cham was a menace!! We named him Tsunami cause of colors and strong(bite your finger off) personality. This guy now when I enter the room waits for me to open the door and runs through his plants to get at me but not to bite but to climb on my hand. He would sit on my shoulder all day if I let him. I actually thought something was wrong when he started doing this but everyone on the forum just assumed he wanted to use me as his car! lol GOOD LUCK HOPE THIS HELPS!!
Julirs
New Member
I would certainly never suggest a female Veiled as a starter chameleon. Actually, every female Veiled that I have had over breeding age has wanted to kill me, so I don't get the nice factor there. The egg laying process is certainly one that can bring up many issues.
Excellent post morpheon! Tolerate is the word.
Excellent post morpheon! Tolerate is the word.
Jeweledchameleons
Avid Member
Merci Juli,
I am sad though because i wanted someone to answer my question!
The question itself is kinda "wrong"
A dog enjoys being played with, a cat being petted.
What we think of as enjoyment is a higher function
it's kinda hard to tell because such reptiles haven't had an evolved
a need to communicat in such a way
(I'm happy sunbathing serves no benefit to communicate in the wild)
chameleons (all reptiles) generally may not even recognise these things
in the same way we do.
Or if they do, they don't' communicate it interactively.
How can you tell?
That's the real question
But that doesn't mean that you can't have a good relationship with them
or have them enjoy your company, like being with you etc.
Those are all very possible for almost all the 5 cham species I've worked with.
I know that they're interested in what I do, when I come home and when they're
Last edited:
morpheon
New Member
That's pretty close to my initial question:
"How can you determine that a chosen chameleon enjoy (or like) something??"
Then, since you mentionned that it is possible to have them enjoy your company, i'd ask you your own question: how can you tell??
Well we have Panthers ,Veilds,turtles,and bearded dragons, Our bearded dragon is drawn to body heat and is the easyest to handle,2nd would be Franklin my male panther ,3rd would be our female Veiled.I find that being kind&talking to them with out handleing them the first couple of month pays off big time.When you do handle them dont force it
dreamforthedead
New Member
Well my female Yemen is a sweetheart, she's like a proper baby. In her head im sure she thinks all i've got to do in my time is let her out. It's just the luck of the draw what you get really but i would go with in your head that they don't like being handled and you might hit lucky and get a friendly one. But if you want a pet that you can "pet" then a chameleon aint the one unless like others have said get an adult that's personality is already known.
Metric
New Member
Most chameleons do not TOLERATE handling let alone enjoy it.
It would be rare to find a chameleon that tolerates or seeks to be handled.
If you want a chameleon for the sole purpose of handling it, I'd look into another species of reptile.
OR
Purchase an adult chameleon who has a calm disposition and enjoys handling, but I'd imagine that would be tough considering not many people would want to sell a chameleon with that temperament.
If you do purchase a young chameleon, assume that it will NOT tolerate handling. If your fine with that, it's all good news from there.
edit: Grammar
It would be rare to find a chameleon that tolerates or seeks to be handled.
If you want a chameleon for the sole purpose of handling it, I'd look into another species of reptile.
OR
Purchase an adult chameleon who has a calm disposition and enjoys handling, but I'd imagine that would be tough considering not many people would want to sell a chameleon with that temperament.
If you do purchase a young chameleon, assume that it will NOT tolerate handling. If your fine with that, it's all good news from there.
edit: Grammar
Lokithechameleon
New Member
My 4 month old chameleon begs me to open the cage! He will sit on the door till I open it the willingly crawls to my hand then crawls up to my head! he loves chilling up there lookin around and eating crickets
he loves chilling up there lookin around and eating crickets
Snootchie0210
New Member
I have an 8 month old Ambilobe. Very friendly. Crawls out to be everytime I open his enclosure. I handle him everyday but not for long periods of time though. I pretty much just let him crawl on me from his enclosure and walk him to his free range plant.
stephga
New Member
I assumed that my chameleon would not want to be held (a male veiled), and he still may change his mind someday. As of now, he rushes toward the door of his cage everytime he sees me, and I am unable to open his door to feed him or clean his plants, without him climbing onto me!!! I can't walk past his ficus without him reaching out for me. He is so happy out of the cage, but brown and ugly in the cage...
Similar threads
