do veild chameleons bite

[shaboogie]

everytime i try to pick up my cham he looks like hes gonna bite me so i juss dont ppl on here say 2 move slow but how slow can u move 2 pick him up hes able 2 see me oh yeah i also posted pics up i need help on his age he shedded twice once on the 1st of april and today and i got him at the end of feb!!thanks alot if u can help me

 

[carol5208]

yes they can bite and draw blood too!

 

[shaboogie]

damnnnn are u serious ok then so help me on this one which cham is a more person friendly chameleon?

 

[BocaJan]

I have learned to wiggle my fingers and approach him with one hand from the front, then grab him with the other hand from the back. Wear some gloves if you are afraid he will draw blood.

It seems like once you have him in your hands and out of his cage, he will calm down and look around to see what is going on. Mine will all climb about checking me out. I have fake trees they love to climb on. I always "reward" them with a worm or something they love to eat then it isn't so terrible to come out. Their cage is their home and they don't like big strange hands invading it. I had one that would come out if we put the tree up by the open door. Once in the tree he became much friendlier. Whatever you do, do it quickly and with assurance. If they do clamp down on you, they will probably let loose right away. Don't pull away because their sharp little teeth are like a serrated knife. It is better to wait until they unclamp. You then will only be left with the memory and maybe a few little owies instead of a big cut.

I have never experienced any damage from all my years working with veileds. The only time a male got nasty was when I wore leather gloves. He hated those gloves and would do anything he could to bite them. When I took them off he was much nicer to me. Go figure.

 

[carol5208]

damnnnn are u serious ok then so help me on this one which cham is a more person friendly chameleon?

there are friendly and mean ones in probably all the species, just like any other animal.

 

[DekuScrub]

lol.

is he running away as you approach? ive had veileds that even jump, but really they get over themselves once youve conditioned them a bit.

like someone said wiggling the fingers as a distraction and grabbing with the other hand may be a viable option to you. i wish i had a veiled so i could make a tutorial video. i keep hearing all these handling inquiries.

if you want a mild mannered chameleon thats relativly inexpensive concider a jacksons....but youve already got your hands full with that guy

 

[justjumpit621]

My veiled will act like he is going to bit and do "fake out" lunges, but I don't take him serious and he is fine and has never bitten me. My panther on the other hand, I WILL NEVER WAKE UP AGAIN! He is the sweetest thing until you try to wake him up, then he turns into the hulk! Drew a lot of blood and left a good sized mark.

 

[shaboogie]

ok

so jacksons cham is the best and friendly one 2 get i really dont wanna selll my cham but i spent over 500 dollars on him

 

[tago]

so jacksons cham is the best and friendly one 2 get i really dont wanna selll my cham but i spent over 500 dollars on him

500? Thats alot for a veiled where did u got him from? And how old is he?

 

[thephotoprincess]

so jacksons cham is the best and friendly one 2 get i really dont wanna selll my cham but i spent over 500 dollars on him

That's a lot of money for a veiled, even with the set up ...

We have 4 veileds. None of them bite. Part of that is their temperament and part of it is our willingness to spend time hand-feeding and getting them comfortable with us.

We also have a male Jackson's that doesn't bite but does gape at us and does not enjoy being handled. He does hand feed though.

Whatever chameleon you get, patience, hand-feeding and free range time are all very helpful. Especially patience.

 

[shaboogie]

no i didnt pat 500 for him i paid all together 500 for all of his stuff

 

[allencg101]

in all the chams i have owned veileds have got to be the meanest by far well the males at least. screameleons has a very good video on picking up and angry or an aggressive cham go check it out it helps me with my male el grumpo an el groucho!!! all my other chams except for my nosey be subzero are friendly as can be and either want on me or out of the cage to free range. but if your scared of getting bit use gloves. i once let el grumpo bite me to feel the power and honestly it scared the crap out of me and i had gloves on but nothing to be afraid of it will heal in time. but with the age you are saying he is he might just be going through the teen age years were they get an additude like no other. but try hand feeding to get him use to your hands and the more you let him free range the more he will get use to you. but like carol said all chams can be nice or mean. its just the pick of the draw!!!

 

[chamlover98]

I have 4 myself There was only one time it was biting me is when it had a rough overnight flight when I purchased him he was disoriented and P/o'd probably scared. But all my other ones they have not been mean or anything. But the one that did bite eventually became happy and free

 

[DekuScrub]

good call allen i remeber seeing that vid a while ago.

heres the link for you shaboogie.

http://screameleons.com/how-to-handle-your-chameleon-properly/

granted this individual is on a single perch, it can be pretty difficult if youve got a runner, in a cage that is heavily furnished. rather than having only one option as in the video portrayed. thats why i recommend using your other hand to block the potential escape route. half the time if they are runners they will climb onto the other hand if its stationary because its non threatening.

i honestly think you should keep trying with this guy instead of trading him off for a "less aggressive" species. proper handling is proper handling, regardless of the individuals demeanor. certainly i could pluck my male jacksons off of a branch from above because its easier. but i dont.

and whos to say the next chameleon wont have the same disposition. veileds are notorious for being aggressive, but as was mention by others already ANY species can act aggressively.

 

[laurie]

I personally would never reach in and grab a cham. I am thinking that would almost make sure he would never trust you. Buy a thin pair of leather gloves. Every time he wants to bite, let him. He will soon understand that biting isn't going to scare you away. Then when you put your hand in front of him and gently pick him up, teach him that coming out of the cage is good. Let him climb in a plant or walk on the bed or sofa, give him a treat. After he has been out gently put your hand in front of him, pick him up and let him crawl off your hand back into his cage. Since he is small his bite is a lot less than it will be later. You best be working with him now. Go invest in soft leather gloves. jmo

 

[shaboogie]

ok ok ty all so much but as for the video i understand what he was sayin but my henry is not that big!!!

 

[mychams]

My Veiled is too friendly, when i open up to mist he launches hisself at me and walks up my arm then sits on my head

 

[okiroo]

Yes most of the time it's a bluff but they will bite if they are agressive in nature or provoked too much.