So I was just holding my 4 month old Male Nosy Be. He seemed a but bugged out by me but not too bad, then all of the sudden he leaped from my hand like a frog and fell 4 feet to the hardwood floor!! I am freaking out right now, I checked his legs and everything and he seems perfectly fine. Has anyone had this happen? I didn't even no they could jump like that! After I picked him up I squatted and and held him for awhile about 1 1/2 feet from the floor and the little booger jumped again! Obviously he went right back in the cage. I have never had a chameleon this terrified of me. I certainly figured my presence in the room from feeding and misting would have got him accustomed to me by now.
Holy jumping Chameleons!!!
- Thread starter lojack13
- Start date
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yes, it happens, and not just with chams who are new to you. They can just decide they don't want to be social at the moment and do whatever they can to get away. Generally, a fall of 4 feet off a hand onto a hard floor won't hurt one as they can inflate themselves with air to cushion the impact. After all, chams in the wild do fall out of huge trees sometimes. Bad luck might result in an injury once in a while.
HolyToledo
New Member
Keep an eye on him for about a week for changes in how he moves around in and out of his cage. Chams are known for hiding injuries and illness.
Mine had a broken leg that he hid from us (including the vet-but we didn't do x-rays). He just wasn't acting quite right and didn't show signs of the break for 3 or 4 days!
Sneaky little devils.
Mine had a broken leg that he hid from us (including the vet-but we didn't do x-rays). He just wasn't acting quite right and didn't show signs of the break for 3 or 4 days!
Sneaky little devils.
drcrossfire
Avid Member
a few of mine have done the "frantic jump" to the floor when you start handling them the first few times...
they all were fine. Yes-- you should keep your eye on them anyways~ but I wouldn't be worried. They are natural "fallers"
they all were fine. Yes-- you should keep your eye on them anyways~ but I wouldn't be worried. They are natural "fallers"
UrbanChameleon
New Member
I was cleaning my Veileds cage once, and all of the sudden I felt something really sharp on my pajama pants. I looked down and my Chameleon had jumped from a vine in his 4 ft tall cage.. onto my pants. Haha! I didn't even see him do it! I just felt his sharp claws digging into my skin. It scared the crap out of me.
darryl99
Member
My male veiled did this on the weekend. I wanted to move him to his outdoor enclosure while I was changing his plants. He was running along the top screen of his cage trying to avoid me and in his desperation jumped 3 feet to the bottom of his cage!? Although worried for him it did seem a little comical afterward.
LOL! Thanks for all the responses everyone! Cartlon mentioned above that they "puff" themselves up to cushion their impact. This explains why, when I picked him up, he was all puffed up full of air. LOL! That in itself freaked me out I thought maybe he sucked in a lung full of air couldn't expel it at first. I let him walk around my hand and his limbs seem perfectly fine. He has been getting around the cage just fine too for the past few hours. Of course, as mentioned, I will definitely keep a close eye on any labored movements or eating changes. Hopefully the little dude starts getting use to me before too long. I think next time I get him out of his cage I will spread a comforter out on the floor in case he decides to skydive again. LOL!
HolyToledo
New Member
Hey, not trying to freak anybody out.
In the wild, I guess that is one of their defenses. And, then, they fall from trees clear to the ground.
So not very many of them break, especially not like mine did. But they can hide that stuff really well and TT walked around and acted pretty much normal for a few days. Like I said, I could just tell there was something not quite right... Just wanted you to be aware of worst-case. Hopefully, everything is fine with your little dare-devil.
In the wild, I guess that is one of their defenses. And, then, they fall from trees clear to the ground.
So not very many of them break, especially not like mine did. But they can hide that stuff really well and TT walked around and acted pretty much normal for a few days. Like I said, I could just tell there was something not quite right... Just wanted you to be aware of worst-case. Hopefully, everything is fine with your little dare-devil.
Hey, not trying to freak anybody out.
In the wild, I guess that is one of their defenses. And, then, they fall from trees clear to the ground.
So not very many of them break, especially not like mine did. But they can hide that stuff really well and TT walked around and acted pretty much normal for a few days. Like I said, I could just tell there was something not quite right... Just wanted you to be aware of worst-case. Hopefully, everything is fine with your little dare-devil.
No freaking out taken. I'm a realist. I know they are really good at hiding stuff so he will be under really close observation.
lysinlight87
New Member
Love it. My little guy hasn't jumped yet, he's run up my neck & into my hair though.
