Dumb question but do chameleons ever like to be pet or handled? Want to build trust...

Franquixote

Franquixote

Established Member
I know the answer is that they prefer not to be touched at all, but when my panther (5 months or so old) is sleepy he lets me rub his head a little and I was wondering if anyone knows if they ever actually like being scratched or rubbed on their head or dorsal. I have had other lizards that seemed to like it and I really want to build trust and be able to handle him a little.
He certainly tolerates it without fuss, but can any of you long time keepers comment on any handling that they seem to truly enjoy rather than just tolerate? I always make sure my hands are free from lotion or dirt. He generally doesn't gape at me unless I am trying to pry him off the screen top.
Any advice on what type of handling they like?
 
I find that my panther and veiled do not like to be rubbed or patted at all. I honestly let them do their own thing, I personally feel personality plays a huge role on how well they will tolerate handling. My veiled will walk right on to my hand and use me like a jungle gym most days but other days he is like "no thanks" I try to take all of my cues from them. My panther has never gaped or even attempted to, but he will not willing climb on my hand either, he takes food from me with no problems but is not as "open" with me as my veiled.
 
This is a very controversial topic! Seems like people go for blood when this topic is braught up! Some chameleons do others don't. The kind of chameleon also seem to affect it. I am from the camp that feels that handeling is ok but that it should be gradual till the chameleon is used to it. And once again, some chameleons supposedly never get used to it (my chameleons are all ok with handeling.) I raise every chameleon I breed to be used to touching!
 
Handling and rubbing are two different things.

I've seen some chams that don't mind the handling.

None like to be rubbed or touched. They either just put up with you or gape at you. as humans we want to think our animals enjoy us as much as we enjoy them. The truth is simpler, they don't like us. They tolerate us...sometimes
 
I agree with all of the above posts. I certainly do not recommend handling when obvious signs like puffing up, hissing, or a gaping mouth at you appear. You also don't want your cham to be running away from you constantly or hissing if you walk by its enclosure, so take it easy and don't force handling with your chameleon.
 
Franquixote said:
I know the answer is that they prefer not to be touched at all, but when my panther (5 months or so old) is sleepy he lets me rub his head a little and I was wondering if anyone knows if they ever actually like being scratched or rubbed on their head or dorsal. I have had other lizards that seemed to like it and I really want to build trust and be able to handle him a little.
He certainly tolerates it without fuss, but can any of you long time keepers comment on any handling that they seem to truly enjoy rather than just tolerate? I always make sure my hands are free from lotion or dirt. He generally doesn't gape at me unless I am trying to pry him off the screen top.
Any advice on what type of handling they like?
Click to expand...
Think about it this way...chams are not social creatures that groom or touch each other in order to show affection or strengthen social bonds. Humans are. We "like" being touched. A cham probably thinks its going to be eaten if its touched or held (being held by the body to be petted). They probably don't understand what or why you are doing it. No emotional vocabulary for it. Now if you let your cham hold YOU so you can take it someplace nice in your house, move it somewhere so you can clean the cage, etc. that is more of an accepted thing it can expect from this large hairy creature that intrudes into its territory. I feel as long as you respect what your cham is telling you about its likes and dislikes its OK. A cham that gets upset when touched should be left alone.

Sure, some chams don't mind handling, most of us have had one or more who are fine with it. Others won't thaw no matter what you do. My first melleri was almost social. She didn't seem to mind being stroked under her chin or her feet rubbed occasionally, but she let me know when enough was enough. I don't think she really enjoyed the touch, just didn't mind. Now my wc verrucosus would head for the hills if I tried to handle him. Just the way he was wired. My wc deremensis was a devious little turkey. He would sit politely on my hand for a while until some sort of internal alarm clock went off. Then he would suddenly puff up, get his spots, gape, glare, rock, curl his tail, and bite whatever piece of me he could reach. Either that or throw himself onto a hard floor. I think he did it on purpose...liked to see the humans panic.

Don't take it personally.
 
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Regarding not being social animals, the same could be said about most reptiles, but I have had iguanas, for example, that most certainly appreciated being scratched on the top of their head. I imagine there are nerve endings that respond to touch the same way ours do and it's tough for them to scratch their heads.
Other reptiles I've had do the same thing, kind of close their eyes and get still when you give them a gentle scratch on the head.
The panther chameleon is a strange creature, it's smart for a reptile that's for sure. I think I will continue with the same routine, right before lights out I give him a little scratch and he immediately conks out for the night. I've also noticed that he gapes less now when I try to pry him off the screen on the top.
He still won't take prey from my hands though which is kinda annoying, the second I let the bug crawl on a branch he grabs it but never from my hand.
 
I'm sure chameleons find rubbing on anything or something rubbing on them serves a purpose when they are shedding or they have an eye irritation or such...that doesn't mean they enjoy it in a way that they would want it anytime or come and "ask" for it...it serves a purpose.

I've had chameleons that willingly come out on my hand and will walk around on me.
I've had ones that when put on someone else will puff up and scramble to get back on me...their safe tree.
I've had one that even after 5 years with me would not let me pick him up without biting me and would even go so far as to chase after my hand to bite me.
I've had one that would poop on me every time I picked him up (as long as he had some poop to "give").
I had one that always puffed up and hissed at a certain friend of mine and yet was fine with me....which made me wonder if I re-homed them all would any of them recognize me and come out onto me if I went to visit them a year or so later!

I think many of them figure out that we aren't going to hurt them and that we feed them but I don't think they have any real "love" for us.

I think there is some intelligence there because I have had several figure out how to open the doors to the cage...both sliding glass doors and ones with a plastic latch that has to be turned to open.

That's enough thinking for now...
 
Hi
Im new to the form
But i wanted to add my resent discovery with my veiled cham "Wilson". (Almost 6 mo ths old, have had it since 4wks old)
--- when Wilson starts to get wrestles (pacing habitat) and wants out or is desperate to get out of his habitat (4ft tall, 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep) i find that taking him out and holding him in my (warm) hand and covering him up for a couple of seconds till he calms down, then opening up just so his face is able to peek out really really calms him, ive had him sit still (in his cover cave) for almost 20mins just me watching tv him watching me and sits very calmly in my hand, once i put him back in his home (i always give him a worm to thank him for letting me handle him) he stays much calmer.
Has anyone else tried this?
20171019_183823.jpg
 
Msbr2244 said:
Hi
Im new to the form
But i wanted to add my resent discovery with my veiled cham "Wilson". (Almost 6 mo ths old, have had it since 4wks old)
--- when Wilson starts to get wrestles (pacing habitat) and wants out or is desperate to get out of his habitat (4ft tall, 4 feet wide, 3 feet deep) i find that taking him out and holding him in my (warm) hand and covering him up for a couple of seconds till he calms down, then opening up just so his face is able to peek out really really calms him, ive had him sit still (in his cover cave) for almost 20mins just me watching tv him watching me and sits very calmly in my hand, once i put him back in his home (i always give him a worm to thank him for letting me handle him) he stays much calmer.
Has anyone else tried this?View attachment 193036
Click to expand...
that´s their vertion of playing dead when put in a situation where they can not escape. chameleons are Cold bloded so puting a blanket around him doesn´t warm him. it warm us because it prevents our heat to leave our body, and our heat comes from the food we consume. Lizard heat is from their emviroment. don´t do that to the animal.
 
leedragon said:
that´s their vertion of playing dead when put in a situation where they can not escape. chameleons are Cold bloded so puting a blanket around him doesn´t warm him. it warm us because it prevents our heat to leave our body, and our heat comes from the food we consume. Lizard heat is from their emviroment. don´t do that to the animal.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice my mistake, i thought i was helping him calm down because he gets so restless and paces his habitat back and forth, he somestimes does it till he figure 8s himself.
(Habitat 4ft h, 4ft w, 3ft d all screened all sides & top) lots of room to climb, lots of real plant coverage but he paces only the top branch, or sometimes he tries to scrach his way out of the screening on the sides.
Any idea as to what he's so upset about? Or why he would do this? (New behavior)
Or what i can do to help him?
 
Msbr2244 said:
Thank you for the advice my mistake, i thought i was helping him calm down because he gets so restless and paces his habitat back and forth, he somestimes does it till he figure 8s himself.
(Habitat 4ft h, 4ft w, 3ft d all screened all sides & top) lots of room to climb, lots of real plant coverage but he paces only the top branch, or sometimes he tries to scrach his way out of the screening on the sides.
Any idea as to what he's so upset about? Or why he would do this? (New behavior)
Or what i can do to help him?
Click to expand...
some chameleons roam more than other. Yemens tend have this mood Changes when they become juveniles. aslong as he is not hurting himself. like scratches and such from trying to get out their enclosure it should be okey.
 
Msbr2244 said:
Thank you for the advice my mistake, i thought i was helping him calm down because he gets so restless and paces his habitat back and forth, he somestimes does it till he figure 8s himself.
(Habitat 4ft h, 4ft w, 3ft d all screened all sides & top) lots of room to climb, lots of real plant coverage but he paces only the top branch, or sometimes he tries to scrach his way out of the screening on the sides.
Any idea as to what he's so upset about? Or why he would do this? (New behavior)
Or what i can do to help him?
Click to expand...
Male chameleons tend to be pretty mobile. I consider it as though they are patrolling their territory. Once sexually mature, this “pacing” can really pick up. With some, this leads to them actively looking to get out of their enclosure, no matter how large.
 
Msbr2244 said:
i thought i was helping him calm down because he gets so restless and paces his habitat back and forth, he somestimes does it till he figure 8s himself.
Click to expand...

Some chameleons roam, alot. Others are trying to find a place that has the right amount of lighting and comfortable temps.

Roaming can indicate an animal looking for a mate, being hungry and looking for food, or being in a crap set up and looking for a way out to find a comfortable place to bask or even more or less humidity for shedding.

Keeping a chameleon had nothing to do with human emotions but instead everything to do with creating an artificial habitat that resembles the animals native habitat and fulfills their requirements to be healthy. Being cold blooded, they depend on their environment to live, unlike a dog or a cat.

After reading your latest post, I am utterly convinced you have no real understanding of the animal you own. That is not a put down, nor an attempt to "make you go away" as a troll would say. Instead it is to help you realize that yourself. Once you do, you will do what is really needed by that animal so it can have a long life in your care.

If you need a pet to watch TV with, get a mammal.
 
I forgot to add that in your picture it seems that the animal's eyes are retracted a little, they do that if their eyes are coming into contact with something. The fuzzy towel is the reason. That or your animal is a little dehydrated in the picture
 
Msbr2244 said:
Thank you for the advice my mistake, i thought i was helping him calm down because he gets so restless and paces his habitat back and forth, he somestimes does it till he figure 8s himself.
(Habitat 4ft h, 4ft w, 3ft d all screened all sides & top) lots of room to climb, lots of real plant coverage but he paces only the top branch, or sometimes he tries to scrach his way out of the screening on the sides.
Any idea as to what he's so upset about? Or why he would do this? (New behavior)
Or what i can do to help him?
Click to expand...
no problem btw and kudos for being observing. with some tweaks on your husbandry. you chameleons will do just alright.
 
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