How to stop my cham trying to eat me?

[purple orchid]

I have a male veiled cham who's about a year old now. I've had him since a couple of months old. He has been hand fed from day one and is not scared of me being in the cage, in fact he's the exact opposite. He waits at the front when I come in the room and will follow me around with his mouth open ready to eat. Even if I open the tank with no food he will try to lick my hands, arm, face whatever is closest to him. He won't let me handle him and strikes at me and hisses. Any suggestions on how to deter him from trying to eat me? I would love to start letting him out now the weather is warmer but can't get near him to move him!
Thanks

 

[Carlton]

I have a male veiled cham who's about a year old now. I've had him since a couple of months old. He has been hand fed from day one and is not scared of me being in the cage, in fact he's the exact opposite. He waits at the front when I come in the room and will follow me around with his mouth open ready to eat. Even if I open the tank with no food he will try to lick my hands, arm, face whatever is closest to him. He won't let me handle him and strikes at me and hisses. Any suggestions on how to deter him from trying to eat me? I would love to start letting him out now the weather is warmer but can't get near him to move him!
Thanks

The first thing to realize is that he's not trying to eat you, he's defending his territory. Second thing is that most often this is a bluff display (but there are some chams who do actually bite). Third thing is, most chams calm down once they are carried away from their territory and they can learn that being taken to a nice warm sunny place is a good thing.

Does he still keep it up if you offer him food? One great way to get a cham used to your hands is to teach him that those hands mean treats.

Have you tried coaxing him onto a stick to get him out of the cage? Offer the stick to climb on, and use your other hand to nudge him from behind. If you are worried about his bite wear a glove (but often the glove incites more reaction than a familiar hand). I find if I am worried about the bite itself, I go ahead and LET the cham bite me once. It isn't really that serious, so you may not worry about it so much. And, the cham eventually learns that a bite or strike won't make you go away.

 

[deathdealer91]

The only thing i can think is to handle him a little everyday. this will get him used to you holding him so you can take him outside. Maybe somebody else will have more advice.

 

[ToniandGizmo]

The method that works best for me is to just use a long stick. Be careful and move VERY slowly. Sometimes they will try to walk right off the stick keep a hand underneath your cham (wrapped in a towel if you are afraid of being bitten). Most will eventually get used to it and get on the stick without much fuss. Others never do. Patience and routine should eventually pay off. Good luck.

 

[purple orchid]

Thanks. I will try the stick and lure technique. He's such a greedy boy, he doesn't know where to look first when I put his grub in. He's licked me a few times before I've had a chance to get the cricket pot open. I suppose he will eventually learn that I'm not edible! as for the biting, im just going to have to brave this one out and take a few snaps I think.

 

[oblgobl]

When you say he licks you do you mean he strikes you with his tongue like he does with prey?

Gaping at you when you come into the romm sounds to me like he's being aggressive not hungry. It's possible he'll never tolerate handling but there are things you can try.

You could try putting a plant just outside his enclouser and let him climb on it. They're territorial so getting him out of his enclouse might calm him down.
You could also buy some gardening gloves and just go in and try and coax him out. I'd only do this though if you really need to take him out as it might make him distrust you.

Most of the time once you get them out on your hand they do calm down but getting them out is the hard problem.
You could set up a little free range for him if you can. Try and take him out on a stick like people have recomended and put him on there. While he's on there feed him his favourite treats so he learns that coming out of his enclouser is a positive thing.

A chameleons bite is very painful (or maybe I'm just a sissy) and can break skin so I wouldn't recomend sticking my bare hands in there. I was shocked at how painful it was when one of mine bit me it even bruised my hand a bit.

 

[purple orchid]

The behaviour is not aggressive. Simply striking the tongue as if catching his prey. He only gets angry if I try to touch him or make him jump when I open his viv. He sits with his mouth slightly open and his tongue poised ready to flick. He has been known to lick the glass too if the door isn't open. I've had a bite off my old boy but Still makes you jump when they get you. He can't possibly be that hungry. He gets hand fed and then lose bugs to go hunt every day.

 

[bldurbin]

I had a female veield and the only way one could handle her at all was by putting a black sock on your hand and she had no problem with it, but she would bite and hiss with just a hand. Don't ask me why!

 

[brownie64]

The first thing to realize is that he's not trying to eat you, he's defending his territory. Second thing is that most often this is a bluff display (but there are some chams who do actually bite). Third thing is, most chams calm down once they are carried away from their territory and they can learn that being taken to a nice warm sunny place is a good thing.

Does he still keep it up if you offer him food? One great way to get a cham used to your hands is to teach him that those hands mean treats.

Have you tried coaxing him onto a stick to get him out of the cage? Offer the stick to climb on, and use your other hand to nudge him from behind. If you are worried about his bite wear a glove (but often the glove incites more reaction than a familiar hand). I find if I am worried about the bite itself, I go ahead and LET the cham bite me once. It isn't really that serious, so you may not worry about it so much. And, the cham eventually learns that a bite or strike won't make you go away.

I totally agree with everything you just said accept the let the cham bite you part. I agree that 95% of the time they are all bark and no bite. That being said I have had a 4 month old veiled bite me hard enough to cut the blood, "it hurt!" If it were me I wouldn't let the whole biting thing detour you from trying to handle your cham when necessary. However I strongly suggest you refrain from letting them bite you if at all possible it's not like it's a little annoyance they can inflict a great deal of pain. It is also important to not show fear they sense it just like all animals, and when they do it automatically throws them into fight or flight mode.