How friendly is YOUR chameleon?

[bamachams2012]

I constantly worry about handling my chams because I have been told they stress easily, but they were so cute I had to one day, and since then thay climb up their trees to my finger and latch on! some even act like they are waiting around for me to pick them up. Romeo, my male Flap Neck is my favorite. He kind of climbs to my shoulder, looks me over, then climbs to my head and chills there for as long as I let him

 

[Daguerreotype13]

I have a mix of personalities in my house.

My male BBAmbilobe, Rojo is the nicest cham i've ever had the pleasure of owning, or even meeting for that matter. Whenever I enter the room, once he spots me he crawls over to the screen door hoping i'll open it and when I do, he crawls right out onto my hand, nestles in nice and close, and hangs out on me.

My female BBAmbilobe, Snow is a b*tch. Whenever I approach her cage, she watches me closely. And whenever I open her door, whether it's to feed her, spray down her cage, clean up or whatever, she starts getting puffy and hisses, intent on striking my hand if I come too close to her.

 

[LucasD]

Mine has a bipolar disorder. If I try to reach in his cage and take him out, he's Satan. Sometimes I open the cage though, and he'll climb right on to my head or hand.

 

[dreamforthedead]

my first veiled mia is really friendly with me anyone else she will get hissy with she especially dislikes my mother and has bitten her twice but with me she's like a sweet angel, I free range her and she often climbs off her tree and comes over to me for cuddles, she loves chilling on my shoulder while im getting on with day to day things like last night she decided she wanted to come and see me before lights out when I was eating dinner so I had to eat my food while balancing a chameleon on my shoulder. lool my guy on the other hand hates me and everyone else with a passion, he's never bit but I know he tries his hardest to get me I can't do much with him, even food does nothing as he won't even take from my hand even after a year of trying. even thou he doesn't like me I still love him thou even if I have to count my fingers after I've been near him. grumpy is still sweet in his own naughty way.

 

[RhinoAndDaisy]

i have a 3yr old male *Rhino* and a 6month old female *Daisy* and rhino will walk all over my head and my dog and stay lime green and yellow not making a noise as little daisy is a fool! she turns black/dark blue with a white stripe down her body and blows herself up, hissing and throwing herself at me! i have only had her for a week and i was expecting some aggression but she is completely mental!

 

[ryanra22]

My little guy (4.5 months) is still pretty scared of me although we have made some progress! He's eaten from my hand a few times and doesn't run every time he sees me anymore!

I've only had him for 3 weeks now so I'm staying patient and positive (or trying to!) that hell eventually warmup to me

 

[Olimpia]

Both of my panthers now are both dolls. I let the male roam the house if I'm home doing work or something and he loves stretching his legs and investigating. I've taken him to reptile shows and university events and he is super calm at all public events, he doesn't seem to mind being the center of attention. My female is also super friendly, and comes running to me when she thinks she may be getting food. Both are fantastic chameleons.

 

[ChameleonFan1989]

My Panther is a sweetheart, had him since last august and he's never been aggressive towards me or hissed. The only person he's hissed at is my mum LOL Think though honestly he just associates me with food and water as I'm the only one who feeds and waters him.

 

[jaglon53]

I personally could care less about handling my chams and never try to but every once in a while I get a cham who wants to be handled. I recently purchased an ambilobe that once I open the door he will consistently try to climb on me and evEn eats out of my hand while on my shoulder.

 

[Cadance]

The general consensus is that you're not supposed to handle chameleons often. However, I have heard from some people that their chameleons are friendly with them, and have heard from others that they can't handle them. At all.

This is a fun discussion thread, not a thread asking if I should handle my chameleon. How friendly is your chameleon?

We just got a Jackson Chameleon 3 days ago his name is Ambush The first day he was very stressed along with the second because we where told to get the wrong cage so we had to get a whole new one. But for everything that he has been threw all the changes he has been Very nice he will puff up to look big but that is about it (thank goodness) He will go to a darker color but he has not hissed or tried to bite which I am glad for. This morning however when I opened his door to his cage and climbed on the screen hurried to the door climbed up on the top of the door all while staying a nice green color after I was done doing everything in his cage I put my hand at the end of the door it took him a min but he climbed up on my hand and up my arm and never changed a darker color which I think is a great thing!! It looks like we are moving in the right direction he still isn't used to our kids so I put him away when they came scream threw the room but so far he seems like he is going to be a very friendly Chameleon.

 

[patrickfraser]

I have 2 veileds that are both very friendly. Granted they are young, but I think being handled regularly from very young builds a strong bond and trust. Maybe they'll turn into teenage hellraisers, but I don't think so unless I give them a reason to hate me.

 

[Chadbot]

Unless I've got food on offer when I open the door it's dirty looks, puffs, and nips for me from Tesla. Though to be honest I was expecting that from a veiled when I got him.


Does anyone change their shirt before they try working with their cham? I seem to have better responses from him when wearing light greens and pink hues than if I'm in my black work shirts.

 

[HerbsForMyChameleon]

My old veiled, Rango, gets pissssed directly when I walk in the room but he will hand feed right from me xD and my ambilobe male, Judah, has never gaped or hissed at me and alwayss hand feeds. Hes my favorit! And the ambilobe female, Mary Jane, get her grumpy moods but shes has good days too(the days when im not shoving worms in her mouth and dropping drops in her eyes or handing her over to the vet lol)

 

[boondyke69]

friendly?

My Veiled, Simone acts like i am some giant from another planet when i reach into her cage for any reason. She acts like she will die if I try to take her out, but once she is out she can be very sweet. i took her to a pet expo & she was wonderful with people, climbing to see some & no stressing. She like to go for car rides & climbs out of the transport cage & up to the top of the hanger, looking out & around. Sometimes at home she will hiss when it is time to go back into her "room" & if she is in her jungle, she will try to get away rather than get picked up.

My Montane, Dwayne is the sweetest thing. He has only hissed tewice since his arrival & most days when I get home he is pawing at the door of his room to come out. He is hand fed & come right up for food, snatching it without hesitation. Many evenings he wants to be out & ride around on me. He will even try to get me to open the door when it's lights out time. he will then nestle down onto my hand & fall asleep... so cute.

 

[tbarthelmess]

I have had my senegal, Franky, for 2 1/2 months and he is very sweet. He even lets my children (3,5,7 & 9 yrs.) hold him, he climbs all over them, but especially loves to sit on their heads- they think it is awesome to have a cham on their head!
In fact, when he bit me for the first time at a recent vet visit- I was shocked and surprised. In his defense- it was a very stressful vet visit. I don't know how much longer he will be with me, he has terrible parasite worms- but I will be so upset if I get another chameleon that hisses and bites and doesn't like attention.

 

[wdissident]

I have a year old vieled. Doesnt like me.. Hisses and bites when I come around. A little dissappointing but o well

 

[schrums pitts]

I just bought my first chameleon ever from a lady on craigslist! She said she handled her daily,when I went to get her she reached in there and got her handed her to Ne and she was fine! When I got home and put her in her cage she was fine as well eating and everything now when I try to get her out she hizzes and tries to bite me! Am I doing something wrong?

 

[SuperMeg]

Our 10 month old veiled Carlos is amazingly friendly! He prefers to be out on me and my bf more than in his enclosure. As soon as you make eye contact with him, his arms are stretched out begging to be picked up. He never gets stressed out and it is nearly impossibly to get him to go back in his house! When you try to put him in he runs right up your arm. We now free range him quite a bit during the day and he loves going exploring and following us around the house. When he is free ranging you only have to hold your hand out and he will come to you. I couldn't be happier with how he is turning out!

 

[crocky]

All of my guys are friendly and handled daily. They get moved around daily from one tree to another and inside to outside and back. I have a few that would much rather be on me than any tree. I have videos of some of them on youtube. When I had Luie & Camille's babies, I think they liked to be held too. Look at the babies at 6 weeks old in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MzulorMdTE

That is the cutest video Jann!! They were trampling on each other to get up your arm....LOL. Too cute. I loved the pouting the little one did that you picked up and put at the end of the line for breaking....hehe

As for Waldo....
I am still working on my guy, but it will come. He had a fall about 2 weeks ago when I was trying to get him out so it is a slow road to regaining his trust. But that is ok, I have time

 

[Rush2112]

I just bought my first chameleon ever from a lady on craigslist! She said she handled her daily,when I went to get her she reached in there and got her handed her to Ne and she was fine! When I got home and put her in her cage she was fine as well eating and everything now when I try to get her out she hizzes and tries to bite me! Am I doing something wrong?

May be from the new surroundings. Give her some time and hopefully she will come around.

My Nosy Be male is pretty friendly and doesn't seem bothered by anything except maybe hornworms