I got bit by a panther chameleon today

My friend's adult male veiled nearly drew blood the other day, but it was from his claw grip, not a bite.
 
So, was this the culprit? :p

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tkilgour said:
Oh wow. I hate when that happens! It always scares me when i see one snap at me and hiss, then lock on. It never really hurts as much as it makes me jump. But I still do not like when they do this.
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He didn't puff up or hiss or anything. He just ran over and bit me.
 
jannb said:
He didn't puff up or hiss or anything. He just ran over and bit me.
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LOL I am laughing cause I had a female do that to me once. She was a bit nippy... but it was always with warning... well I took her outside a few times... and she was a whole other beast when outside. At first it was 'oooh maybe they won't notice if I walk this way.... oh NM' and she would be kind of afraid of us but then one day i went to take her back inside and she literally ran down the branch and bit me and then did a 180 and ran back up the branch! and she bit HARD, much harder than before.... I just started laughing my ass off. I think I heard her snickering as she ran for cover. :p:D:D:D
 
Chameleon Company said:
... in all sincerity, one of the best ways to test bone strength in younger chameleons, before any other symptom of deficiency is apparent, is to pick an appropriate sized finger, and get them to bite it. ...
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Thats an interesting idea. Do you do this? If yes, is it just a random spot check on a few? Im thinking you must have too many to make this a common practise for all (you've only got so many fingers!).
I Might find this a reassurance to "test" the jaw strength on two or three from a clutch. I suppose it doesnt hurt much with a little chameleon? Im not sure how I would encourage one to bite me?
 
Jann you are just to slow ;) Did you ever let a parsonii or johnstoni walk about your arm ? You'll see their red bloody trace :eek:
 
Gee, Dan, you are kind of clumsy. Perhaps reptiles aren't your thing?
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Those are not my bites Anna. While I have had plenty of bites from various scaleys over the years, many which hurt like hell and bled alot, I have never sustained damage as severe as that shown above, except from a dog.
Its a matter of pride for me that experience has taught me something about reptile behaviour and handling techniques, so I would be embarressed to be bitten severely, since it would clearly be my lack of attention that caused it. I definately wouldn't be posting evidence of my own stupidity LOL.

That said, for clarification before somebody misunderstands and gets upset, small bites, scratches and nips like Jann's are often unexpected and unavoidable in some cases, pretty much par for the course for any reptile keeper! :)
 
That said, for clarification before somebody misunderstands and gets upset, small bites, scratches and nips like Jann's are often unexpected and unavoidable in some cases, pretty much par for the course for any reptile keeper!
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One of these days the site needs to initiate a thread that compares bite signatures, documented with posted photos ! Of the many possible things taken from this thread about chameleons, and panthers in particular, is that while some are as docile as a teddy bear, others will defend their space to the point of aggressively moving to the intruder and administering a bite, sometimes defending a radius of two feet or more ! Kind of like you or me walking out and biting Godzilla if he stepped into the yard, but we can only hope for such chutzpah if and when the situation arises ! Me thinks it a fast path to Japanese film toe jam, but for a moment we'd have really big brass ones ;) One of our undeniable truths of life here is that a fiesty chameleon is a healthy chameleon !
 
Chameleon Company said:
One of these days the site needs to initiate a thread that compares bite signatures, documented with posted photos ! Of the many possible things taken from this thread about chameleons, and panthers in particular, is that while some are as docile as a teddy bear, others will defend their space to the point of aggressively moving to the intruder and administering a bite, sometimes defending a radius of two feet or more ! Kind of like you or me walking out and biting Godzilla if he stepped into the yard, but we can only hope for such chutzpah if and when the situation arises ! Me thinks it a fast path to Japanese film toe jam, but for a moment we'd have really big brass ones ;) One of our undeniable truths of life here is that a fiesty chameleon is a healthy chameleon !
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I think this is what Sid was doing the 9 month old Ambilobe that bit me. He was free ranging on the back screened porch. He was crawling up the screen and when I went to pick him up to put him back on a plant, when he saw my hand coming toward him he ran at my hand......fast for a chameleon and bit me before I even had a chance to put my hand up to him. He was friendly the last time I saw him back in May. My daughter picked him up later that day and handed him to me and he was fine for me to hold him for a minute. She said he even bit her once. Guess he's not going to be a teddy bear chameleon.
 
i cant believe he just ran over to you and bit you?!!!! no wonder you were surprised! Jude, my 9 month old panther, always crawls about all over me, i'd be shocked if one day he sunk his teeth in!!! geesh!
 
I feel for you and have the battle wounds to prove it. They all come around though, thank God! Hope you had fun inspite of the bite and trust you did! My newest addition bit me a couple days ago leaving a "V" on one of my fingers. Healed so quickly I can't remember which one now...but really, it's the shock more than the bite that always gets ya.
 
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