how to handle nasty chameleons

Well mine is only four months old... But he tries to kill me every day. If I need to take him out I just approach him slowly and talk to him nicely lol I tell him " SoBe be nice to mommy" it doesnt work but it makes me feel better. He actually bit me yesterday lol

Wear toned down colors and just approach them without fear... <3
 
i tried that but i think i will try gloves, hes 6.5 months old and he seems to have and attitude, but its only when i stick my hand near him. If my finger is outside the cage when he is by the screen and my finger is less than a inch away he doesnt care, so I know its a territory thing.
 
My cham was like that at the beginning. I dont handle him very much only when I need to clean out his cage or when he gets a treat by going outside on the bushes.

I used soft leather gardening gloves until he realized I was not going to hurt him and that he couldnt hurt me (he really had me fooled when I first got him..I was so scared of him) and that by me handling him meant he was usually going on a free range adventure that meant a lot of climbing, real sun and bugs to catch.

I did this for about a month and now he will just wander on to my hand or onto a branch and he is ok.....no stress at all.

The gloves did stress him out at first...he hissed and puffed up so I got him used to them by just laying them by his cage. Just be gentle and dont force things.

I am pretty lucky though I have a Panther with a very good nature :)
 
thanks for the advice, i will try getting a pair of gloves and see how he reacts. Panthers do seem a little less tempered and veileds are natorious for being meany uhh.. tails ( i guess since they dont where pants)
 
If I am going to handle Arnie, I approach him with a flat hand and don't present fingers. I come in from under him. I leave my hand there so he is watching that hand then start to stroke his tail or back, whatever I can reach. He likes his back stroked. After a minute or two I can then raise my flattened hand and tuck it under him, and the stroking hand over the top and he comes right off the branch. Sometimes he gets so relaxed with the stroking he almost falls off the branch. If I can't get him to relax and he stays stressed, I usually just wait and come back later.
 
i just my cage and let him climb out and he climbs to top of cage then onto the curtain rail then wehn i need to get him bak in i cnt pick him up if he staying still he just lunges for me and stresses.i have to get him to start walking then he lets me put my hand under him is weird but works:)
 
ken2414 said:
how do you guys handle your nasty chameleons?
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I try not to at all. They get taken out aprx. once a month for a overall cage cleaning and visual check up. Them getting that worked up is a pretty good sign they don't want to be handled, so I say leave them alone. Only handle them when needed.
 
I use a clean tea towel to cover him if I need to remove him - he usually bites the towel and hangs on so then I can coccoon him up and move wherever, usually to his outside cage. He's less territorial about this, so I can usually put the towel over my hand and push his bottom until he moves on to it to get him back.
 
coz leela is ill and i have to do physio on her, a have to pick her up under her arms, and believe me, she is nasty
 
I have an approx. 4 mo old veiled male and I've found that if I use a twig about the diameter of my little finger, with a little coaxing, he'll step on it and I can bring him out of his cage. I don't trust my hand being too close to him as he will gape and hiss! But I can move things around or straighten something in his cage and he's fine with that.
 
i don't its not worth ripping there nails are when they are clung to a vine or tree....i try to get them on a manageable plant and then take the whole plant out
 
Dankmeleon said:
i don't its not worth ripping there nails are when they are clung to a vine or tree....i try to get them on a manageable plant and then take the whole plant out
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Dank, I think she was saying that she offers her cham a stick that he can step onto and then she removes the stick from the cage. Can't see how that would rip his nails out.
 
bite em

lol ya they do bite dont they the little buggers, mines only a few months old so his bite doesnt hurt yet so i just keep moving foward till he finally stops his biting and starts his running them i keep moving foward till he gives in and gets on board my hand that is lol or... i just grab his fake vine while hes on it and take him out that way
 
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summoner12 said:
Dank, I think she was saying that she offers her cham a stick that he can step onto and then she removes the stick from the cage. Can't see how that would rip his nails out.
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the question was how to handle nasty chameleons, nasty chameleons cling to everything or try to bite you while clinging to everything, if you try to take them out why they are clung, this can rip nails off
 
YMMV but I've run into this with other keepers. Ours are all trained but even then they can open their mouth to show who's boss and then get on my hand or shoulder.

I've only been into this hobby for 6.5 years so many others may have more experience. This is what I do even when someone presents me with a "wild, vicious" cham.

First off I make sure I'm calm and move VERY slowly if they're in a cage. I slowly put my hand in a little at a time and then stop. If the Cham sees it and opens its mouth I stop until it closes it and then move a little closer. I repeat this for up to 5 - 6 minutes depending how the attitude of the animal.

Once I can get my hand close with their mouth closed I put it under their chin and then usually climb onto my hand. Once out of the cage and out of their territory they calm down.

My wife can actually make even the most aggressive Cham fall asleep in her hand.

What I love about these creatures is they DEMAND that we approach them calmly. It does take a minute or two longer than people would like in a hurried world but it shows them you're calm and mean them no harm.

It may take practice and maybe you'll get bit once or twice. Eventually they'll settle down. I also noticed when they feel the warmth of your hand opposed to a glove they feel more comfortable.

Coming out them with a stick is - just in my experience - is something that really freaks them out. I've pretty much tamed our new Panther and he'll ride around on my shoulder as we go for a walk. However, the other day I wanted him to come down from a small tree we have in our garden and used just that method. A long stick. WOW. It was the first time I ever saw him get aggressive. He lurched for the sticked and completely freaked out and believe me I was moving it slowly.
 
luckykarma said:
Coming out them with a stick is - just in my experience - is something that really freaks them out. I've pretty much tamed our new Panther and he'll ride around on my shoulder as we go for a walk. However, the other day I wanted him to come down from a small tree we have in our garden and used just that method. A long stick. WOW. It was the first time I ever saw him get aggressive. He lurched for the sticked and completely freaked out and believe me I was moving it slowly.
Click to expand...

This just goes to show that every cham is different. My boy Fred only likes to come out on a stick. This video shows him coming out onto a stick. This was maybe the third time he had come out on the stick. He now comes out as soon as he sees the stick.

 
That's cool. Although I would call that much more than a stick. Its great that it looks like a branch and you have him trained to "come" to it. I've seen people just shove a stick - think singe piece of wood - at the Cham.

I got our big Veil off a 2 story tree by angling a long piece of molding near him and thankfully he got on it.
 
Every cham is different. My female refuses to be nice to the food queen but my male is another story. He usually comes off without any trouble, as long as i go slow, and will go to sleep on my hand alot, if it is towards nite time. However there are times when even he lets me know he doesn't want to be bothered so i leave him alone. To them, especially if you haven't had them long and they are young, you are a predator. Remember chams are not a "hands on kinda pet". If you want one of those i highly suggest getting a bearded dragon, at least they like you. Whenever my chams make me feel like i am a wicked witch i pick up my velcro dragons and they make me feel loved. Veileds are usually more aggresive anyway. My first male bit me the first day i had him and i wouldn't hold him for a long time. I'm not sure who was scared more, me or him. But he has settled down nicely now.

Debby
 
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