lovepicasso
New Member
Picasso loves to have his casque rubbed and will go to sleep in my hand when I do this, is this normal to go to sleep and ......do you do this with your veiled?
massage the veil or casque
- Thread starter lovepicasso
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MollyT
New Member
Mine won't calm down enough when I hold him for me to do anything like that! haha He runs up and down my arms like a little maniac. I guess it's going to take a bit longer to get him used to me! 
That is really sweet how Picasso falls asleep when you do that! Gives me a good idea for when little Kush starts to trust me more!
That is really sweet how Picasso falls asleep when you do that! Gives me a good idea for when little Kush starts to trust me more!
My wife has rubbed under his chin a couple of times, and he doesn't mind that, but we haven't tried anything else. He seems to "like" it though. He may just tolerate it, but who knows!
squeekz1992
New Member
Kuzco likes his chin rubbed, now that my finger is nolonger bigger than him
Randi
New Member
I'm fairly certain my girl would take my finger off if I tried anything like that. She is my first cham and I got her from a family who really did mean well but were totally clueless and the kids would just grab her from her enclosure, so on top of just not like being held in general, she's especially cranky about it.
Miss Lily
Chameleon Enthusiast
Sorry to burst the bubble, but closing their eyes is not a sign of enjoyment/happiness/pleasure. They close their eyes when they are resigned to the fact that something bad is going to happen, i.e. being eaten. They close their eyes because they don't like what is happening or what you are doing to them.
ReptiGeek
New Member
My little Gizmo doesn't tolerate anything above him, it freaks him right out! But when I come from underneath and rub his chin he will sit there so long as I don't make any sudden movements. Sometimes he'll even climb aboard and stay at my finger tips while I rub his chin. What Miss Lily said I believe to be correct. I remember reading it while I was doing my research before purchasing my veiled chameleon. That is why I come from underneath. They seem to not fear things that appear smaller then them.
Cheers!
djfishygillz
Avid Member
Pleasure to chams?
It sounds like most people are irritating their chameleons. I don't think they are "ticklish" or enjoy being rubbed or massaged.
My advice, if you must hold them, touch them as little as possible, let them climb on you like a branch.
I also second that closing their eyes isn't good. They aren't going to sleep that fast, they are most likely stressing out over it. Their casque is also very sensitive and shouldn't be touched at all.
It sounds like most people are irritating their chameleons. I don't think they are "ticklish" or enjoy being rubbed or massaged.
My advice, if you must hold them, touch them as little as possible, let them climb on you like a branch.
I also second that closing their eyes isn't good. They aren't going to sleep that fast, they are most likely stressing out over it. Their casque is also very sensitive and shouldn't be touched at all.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Enough said. This is not an animal that gets socially groomed or touched affectionately by another. It isn't something they expect or hope for most likely. If they got touched by some other animal it probably meant death or combat. Sort of like the captured prey animal limply going into a trance as they wait for the predator to give them the final bite. Putting your hands on them from above is usually interpreted as a threat too. If any of my chams started closing their eyes while I held them I'd put them back in their enclosure immediately and start worrying about them. Also, I'm sure the tip of their tail is extremely sensitive to touch. There's a little modified tactile pad on the underside and they do use it as a 5th foot. I think you are interpreting their reaction in the wrong way...as a human might...not a solitary herp.
Once in a while there's nothing wrong with a brief rub or touch to help loosen a bit of old skin and some chams don't mind a gentle rub under the chin (I had a melleri who would sit quite still while I stroked her foot but she was free ranged and could move away if she wanted, she showed her relaxed coloration and her eyes were focused on me) but again I think it's tolerance for a familiar being they know won't hurt them, not a real happiness.
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biffle
Avid Member
Solitary herp? It may be due to my cham being generations of CB but I sure would not classify him socially as solitary. Specially not when he runs to the door of the cage when he sees me or my daughter but gets agitated with my wife. By your logic he see as nothing but a tree? That's not been my experience.
you may be right, I'm interpreting his reaction of stretching out as a human reaction. I know when I get my back scratched I like to stretch out. Come to think of it so does my dog, cat, bird and my turtles. Maybe stretching out while being scratched is an animal reaction to something good and not just a "human reaction"?
Don't knock it until you give it an honest try.
Jason
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Whether or not a few generations of captive breeding will turn a "solitary" animal into a social one isn't really the point. And that would be a HUGE evolutionary change for any species to make. Lots of serious reorganization of the brain. Chams are solitary in the sense that they do not live in herds or pairs. An individual animal defends an individual territory and regards others who enter it as threats. Because they don't live together, they don't develop more subtle social behaviors or maintain pair bonds through mutual grooming or physical contact. I didn't mean solitary in the sense than an INDIVIDUAL cham doesn't seem to mind attention from the large odd-looking warm skinned hairy animals in his captive world.
And, just for the record, I've had plenty of time and opportunity to give it a try with multiple chams of multiple species. Some would hate this type of handling, others didn't care very much either way, but none went out of their way to "ask" for it. Stretching out their tails may not be an accurate way to decide if your cham likes this or not. Most of my chams coiled their tails neatly when they were chilling and relaxed. Some draped them loosely over branches. What do his colors, eye movements and the rest of his body posture say? Lots of rapid eye movements, color intensifying or complete change, arching their body away from me, raising one or both front feet off the branch (I'm getting ready to run away from you) puffing with air or gaping usually mean they aren't happy campers.
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