Some advice needed,unconfident panthers

[TreelionsUK]

Hi all, i have a problem with a few of my chameleons,a few of my males seem to hide away lots and shrink there bodies,indicating that they are unhappy and are stressed.
i have tried for 3 months to correct this problem by putting them in the high well planted vivs they have loads of cover and are out of view from the other chameleons,i bearly look at them and when i do i try not to look them in the eye,i make sure my movements are very slow when i have to clean.
All feed well and i am hoping to improve there confidence by hand feeding,this works to a point......they see and take the food but as soon as there done they hide behind the branch again.
I really dont know what to do next,they have been to the vets and he gave them a clean bill of health,and did not really have any suggestions.I think the problem is me being seen as a preditor,but i just dont know how to put them at ease.

Please help!

Kind regards
Luke

 

[Will Hayward]

Luke, If you give them a clean bill of health, then that about sums it up. They are just plain shy- which everyone knows chameleons (in general) to be. Let em be, and maybe someday their curiosity will lure them out.

Seems like you want all your chameleons to fit a certain profile. They have all these stealth and hiding techniques and you don't want them to use them. Personally, I rarely see any of mine twist around a branch to hide, or do the leaf walk, and other tactics that they have learned through evolution. I wish I did! Those are the things that makes them so interesting!

 

[TreelionsUK]

Cheers for the reply will,
i dont want my all my chams to act a certain way,i enjoy seeing my chams struting around the vivs with no fear,zaping bugs and nodding at ladys.
It makes me worry that these 2 are being a bit odd,i want them to be happy and not have a long life of constant low level stress and fear.....Can you see what im getting at?
Stress is a slow killer,and a very real one

Kind regards
Luke

 

[PardalisGirl]

Shy Chams........

What type of cham are the shy ones?

 

[summoner12]

What type of cham are the shy ones?

My cham is VERY shy... I have to chase him around the cage if I need to take him out. I've learned how to 'trap' him or corral him into my other hand so he isn't hurt trying to run away.

 

[summoner12]

lol here is how shy he can be... when I first got him this is what he would do when held:

 

[Will Hayward]

Shyness doesn't always mean stress though. If asside from their shy behaviors, you can tell they are truely stressed, maybe you have reason to worry. They can be happy while being shy, it's part of their cautious nature. You are a good keeper, I don't see this as a big problem.

Cleaning at night may be something that you could do. But that takes from some of your quiet 'social' time with them that will slowly build their confidence.