I finally got bitten!

[ZEROPILOT]

I've been taking advantage of my VOHEMAR Chameleons nasty nature to administer his calcium drops every day while he's being treated for MBD.
He opens his mouth, turns bright colors and hisses when my hand gets near him...And boom. I squirt the drops in his mouth while he threatens me.
Today he chomped down on my hand. Something I've been avoding. Even my MUCH larger Veileds don't bite me.
I've got to say that it wasn't that bad. Not at all as painful as I'd imagined.
In fact, it wasn't actually painful at all.
Maybe your experience will vary?
But, I'm no longer too apprehensive about it.
I feel like I just joined an elite group.

 

[AmandaS]

I've been taking advantage of my VOHEMAR Chameleons nasty nature to administer his calcium drops every day while he's being treated for MBD.
He opens his mouth, turns bright colors and hisses when my hand gets near him...And boom. I squirt the drops in his mouth while he threatens me.
Today he chomped down on my hand. Something I've been avoding. Even my MUCH larger Veileds don't bite me.
I've got to say that it wasn't that bad. Not at all as painful as I'd imagined.
In fact, it wasn't actually painful at all.
Maybe your experience will vary?
But, I'm no longer too apprehensive about it.
I feel like I just joined an elite group.

I weighed Mushu, and wore padded work gloves...and when he bit down it was like pinching my thumb in a vice and having it squeezed. It wasn't fun for me. I am even more apprehensive about getting bit now.
I guess your experience may vary. Lol. Wish I could be part of the elite.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I weighed Mushu, and wore padded work gloves...and when he bit down it was like pinching my thumb in a vice and having it squeezed. It wasn't fun for me. I am even more apprehensive about getting bit now.
I guess your experience may vary. Lol. Wish I could be part of the elite.

I've been bitten with much more force by much smaller lizards.
A blue tail skink bites like a pair of needle nosed pliers and even a small Knights Anole can bring a tear to a grown man's eye.
This was a 3 out of 10.

 

[Rhea’s mum]

The hubby used to have to wear his motorcycle gloves if he was going to handle Rhea. She was absolutely fine with me, but wanted to rip his fingers off every time

 

[GrayMadder]

I've never experienced a bite I'd be pretty upset tho if that happened to me. Lol.

 

[TayloredExotics]

Huh, I've had one female panther who used to threaten to bite, then whack me with her head. Never been bitten, but there's a first for everything

 

[kinyonga]

Too 2 bites and one "non bite" I had...

Had five stitches from an iguana that didn't bite me. I panicked and it caused me to draw my finger against its teeth. Cut right to the bone. Didn't even hurt...bled like crazy even after it was stitched.

Monkey tailed skink bite hurt the worst. No real damage from it.

Cuban knight anole latched on between my finger and thumb and wouldn't let go. I think he was waiting for me to die so he could eat me! . Only thing that got him off was the "threat" of drowning him under the tap!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Huh, I've had one female panther who used to threaten to bite, then whack me with her head. Never been bitten, but there's a first for everything

That's just what both of my male Veileds do.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Too 2 bites and one "non bite" I had...

Had five stitches from an iguana that didn't bite me. I panicked and it caused me to draw my finger against its teeth. Cut right to the bone. Didn't even hurt...bled like crazy even after it was stitched.

Monkey tailed skink bite hurt the worst. No real damage from it.

Cuban knight anole latched on between my finger and thumb and wouldn't let go. I think he was waiting for me to die so he could eat me! . Only thing that got him off was the "threat" of drowning him under the tap!

Those Knights Anoles are BRUTAL

 

[kinyonga]

It hurt for sure. He was determined not to let go and edged on more and more if he could!

 

[jamest0o0]

My one panther bit me with all his force and wouldnt let go, right between my fingers. He was still a juevenile and it hurt pretty bad, any bigger and I'm sure he would have torn some skin off(was probably a few seconds from doing it here, I thought he was going to). He was twisting his head even like some lizards do when they death roll.

I woke him up moving him when this happened. I believe it was absolute fear for his life biting, nothing compared to his usual quick nips if he wasn't in the mood for me to be near him.

 

[Pickle-cham]

Hope not to join the club
When i had a tokay gecko over twenty years ago it bit 2 of my mates in exactly the same place between index finger & thumb. Teeth more like serrated gums and would wiggle just like a dog with a toy, lots of blood & had quite difficult to remove the lock Jaws

 

[Sonny13]

My female veiled has biting me few times, you definitely feel it, but doesn’t hurt. However she’s still small and when I see full grown male, I can imagine it hurts.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I got bit when I tried to hand feed the first time—probably my own fault.

I went through this with a beardie too—gaping, hissing, and I got bit by him twice—once drawing those little micro-drops of blood. Then I figured out how to disarm/distract him, and eventually pick him up while disarming him. He was so surprised he didn't know what to do. Hasn't bitten me since, and I'm really glad because he's MUCH bigger now, and could probably do some real damage.

I figure when I get to convincing the cham I'm not going to EAT him, I may try some of the same techniques (except picking him up).

 

[kinyonga]

" He was twisting his head even like some lizards do when they death roll"... Exactly what veileds always seem to do...twist to rip a chunk of skin off.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

It's a miracle we haven't all gotten salmonella!

 

[kinyonga]

Of all the chameleons and other reptiles I took to the vet for treatment or necropsies over the years only one showed that it had salmonella. they had worse bacteria than that sometimes though. Just wash your hands well after touching hem or working on then ages, etc and don't kiss them or lick them!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I know. It was a joke. When I contacted the local herp vet before getting my BD (before getting my cham) I asked if there were any health/medical issues to be concerned about regarding handling. His answer was (to the effect), "Salmonella and possibly adenovirus. Just wash your hands after handling."

 

[jamest0o0]

" He was twisting his head even like some lizards do when they death roll"... Exactly what veileds always seem to do...twist to rip a chunk of skin off.

For how relaxed chameleons look, some of them can have quite the nasty demeanor lol.

 

[salty dog]

I got bit by a very very large female panther, got my thumb, blood blister under nail and serration marks on the nail....she would have gotten a chunk out if it was anywhere else on my thumb...