Free ranging, and wild behaviour

[Psychobunny]

Had an interesting phone conversation with Bruce, of Chameleon Paradise fame about allowing chams to come out of their cages and free range.

We were talking about their general behaviour, both while inside their cage, and out.

He brought up the observation that chams tend to revert to their natural "wild" instincts when let out. In other words, they behave like a wild cham.
This would explain why it is often difficult to get them on my hand to take them back to their cages.
I always thought they gaped and puffed up because they didnt want to go home!!

But if being on the free range has stirred their natural cham wild selves, then they are gaping and puffing up in responce to being "caught"!!??

Anyone have any thoughts about this?

 

[pigglett79]

I haven't ever had my boys go wild while out in the free range. They are still their typical calm selves. George even reaches out to grab me as I walk by. When I go to collect them they readily let me pick them up and take them back home.

 

[Olimpia]

Me neither, if anything I've found in 100% of the cases of free ranging my own chameleons that even the meanest, most defensive animals relax significantly. I think not being cornered in a cage makes them feel much less vulnerable. So in a free range they will see me interacting with them and the free range but because they have the option of walking away I think they learn much faster that I'm not there to force them into anything. So they learn to approach me with confidence, and eat from my hand, etc.

Just because every single one of my animals has mellowed out (even my WCs) on a free range doesn't make it a rule, by any means, but I think that if you free range chameleons but still interact with them (hand-feeding, photographing, moving them in and out of outdoor cages, whatever) then you can develop more trust.

So I don't know, my experience has been the opposite! But they DO display more interesting behavior free ranging, I'll definitely attest to that. They're much more active and show a full spectrum of behavior when they have a lot of room to roam.

 

[rhachic]

i'm a new keeper myself and was wondering about their behaviors if allowed to free range. It's interesting that many seem to have adapted well to their keepers to the point that they are still calm and interested in humans outdoors!

 

[Cait0420]

My little guys LOVE their free range trees! They are often reluctant to come back to their cage, but are still not gaping or showing stress colors, they just don't wanna let go of their branch

 

[Psychobunny]

I haven't ever had my boys go wild while out in the free range. They are still their typical calm selves. George even reaches out to grab me as I walk by. When I go to collect them they readily let me pick them up and take them back home.

Wow! I have never had a cham actually take well to being put home from the free range.
Maybe it depends on how well the free range makes them think they are in the wild!!?? But of course, they are all CB, so have never known the wild

 

[pigglett79]

I can say my experience is similar to Olympia's. Even the panther we adopted who is timid in his cage becomes more comfortable when out free ranging or in his outdoor cage. He will more readily interact with me and allow me to move him to where he needs to be. This one actually tends to poop and eat mainly when he is outside. My other two boys are happiest in their free range and mainly eat when out on their trees. They will beg at the cage door all day until I let them out (I work from home and my office is in their bedroom).

My jackson is interesting, I put a vine for him to walk out on to his trees as he is less interested in being handled, and he will stop half way across the vine to be fed. He will wait there and stare at me until I come feed him. Once he has had his fill he will continue to his trees. And if he isn’t hungry he will just go to the trees and not stop.

My other panther George will walk down from his trees and on to my computer to get my attention while I am working.

I love free ranging them because like Olympia said, I see such different and interesting behavior from them.

 

[croastbeast]

I think it greatly depends on the degrees of "free range". These are naturally prey items, remember. In a free range situation with relative obscurity, not a lot of background activity, etc etc etc, I would guess theyd stay calmer and more passive. Add wildlife, traffic, noises, birds, WHATEVER to the mix, this animals gonna be on alarm.

 

[Psychobunny]

I must be doing something wrong then.
All my guyz beg to be let out, the free range is up high, suspended from the ceiling.
Once on the free range, they want to stay there. They are very clam until I try to gently get them on my hand to move them.
It's like they know I am putting them back into their cages, and they dont want to go!!
They try to get away from me, no bitting or anything, they just turn around and go in another direction, shooting the stink eye back at me

 

[fuzzhc]

Why do you think that some panthers will only fire up when out free ranging?

 

[Lathis]

My Jax is fine being picked up when out in his free range, but the second he realizes you are taking him back home... it's the only time he ever "huffs"! If he would behave himself, I'd set up a permanent free range, but he cannot be trusted to stay out of trouble (esp. the liquor cabinet, ha!). I find he is generally friendlier, calmer, more active, and eats more steadily when he has regular free range time.