Taking a Bite

[Miss Lily]

Ok, anyone who has been bitten by their chams, I would like to ask you this:

This may be a totally stupid question, but how on earth do you fight the 'pull away' reflex when being bitten? I would think that it is inbuilt rection for us to subconsciously instantly pull away. Do you train yourself to be alert and just leave your hand there? I am curious! I think it must be like driving and an animal runs out in front of you - isn't it a reflex to swerve and avoid hitting it?

 

[jannb]

As you know when I got bite last weekend by my daughter's cham, I did pull away. I was not expecting it. I guess if the cham was acting like he was going to bite maybe you could prepare and just think.....I will not pull away but it was not that way for me. Are you still thinking about getting the boy?

 

[Lizardlover]

I have had more than my fair share of bites, and surprisingly Ive had the control not to pull away, pulling away actually will make the bite much worse....trust me

 

[Fearaffect]

I still pull away every so often, but usually I know the animal and if its a known biter, I prepare myself for it. I pull away when I'm caught off guard.

 

[Pure]

isn't it a reflex to swerve and avoid hitting it?

If an animal runs in front of me wile I'm driving a car. They either get out of the way or become strawberry jam on the pavement. I'm not about to possibly wreck my car or kill myself or someone else because of a squirrel, I brake for no one. Many have learned this lesson.

 

[jojackson]

just this part concerns me some.

I brake for no one.

How about kids, ya gotta atleast swerve for them eh mate?
even if your late for work.

 

[Minihuey]

just this part concerns me some.



how about kids, ya gotta atleast swerve for them eh mate?
Even if your late for work.

stop for no one!

 

[Vampire.queen]

Pure: LOL, I wouldn't like to meet you while you'd be driving your car

Miss Lily: I think it's a matter of very strong will. And if you don't have strong will, then you must train it for years

 

[chams1]

Yes, I agree. I have also been bitten many times and you must be teach yourself to just sit there and take it. It sucks but you have to do it. Not only will you end up hurting yourself worse if you pull away, but you can hurt your cham, too. They bite down so hard that if you flinch, you can actually pull the cham away from his perch or, worse yet, fling it across the room (I have actually witnessed someone doing this and it was aweful...). Having a couple scratches and pain for a day or two is way better than the possible aftermath of flinging a cham across the room.

 

[tkilgour]

I still jerk my hand away at times. Sometimes it can make me jump. Especially, when one of my big boys who is very territorial puffs up ans snaps at me, I cant resist jerking my hand away fast. One time I put my big guy on my arm, next thing I knew he rushed up my arm hissing, and bite down on my ear lobe and sawed back and forth before finally letting go. That freaked me out a little. Some of my others however, are all talk they may open their mouthes, but they have never bite me so I am not jumpy w/ them.

 

[Howdyco]

Flash has not bitten me yet. He puffs and hisses when he gets mad.
He only gapes when extremely pissed.

But I must admit that every day when he walks on me at his choice and heads up my arm and on my shoulder and he is staring at my face, I often wonder WHEN he is going to decide to take a bite outta me!

He does sorta lick my skin with his tongue to "taste" or get my scent to make sure it is me?
Anyone else have their cham do that while holding them?

 

[Miss Lily]

Aww! That sounds so cute! I reckon that when he stares at your face he's more likely working out how to get on top of your head than biting you! Amy discovered she could get on my head the other day - luckily for me she climbed up and grabbed my ear rather than my face!

 

[hallenhe]

He does sorta lick my skin with his tongue to "taste" or get my scent to make sure it is me?
Anyone else have their cham do that while holding them?

I see that commonly with my panther - he also "tastes" whatever he happens to be walking on now and again - vines, the couch, etc. From what I understand, they're doing it more to see if other chameleons have passed that way before (or if they themselves have) than to identify you.

Tiff, the times I've been bitten, it has been a "mistake", as he's reeling in food and somehow gets me as well; it hasn't been a sudden, completely unexpected snap, and I've been able to sit there and wait for him to open his mouth again. My salamander (who has no teeth) is a snapper; he can't hurt you, but can startle the unprepared. There's a crack in his cage from when an unwary pet sitter jerked back when snapped at (I'm guessing hitting the glass at speed hurt more than anything Sally can do).

 

[Vampire.queen]

He does sorta lick my skin with his tongue to "taste" or get my scent to make sure it is me?
Anyone else have their cham do that while holding them?

My furcifer verrucosus was doing the same thing the first days. He really licked everything including me. First I thought he was thirsty but then I realised that he needed to taste everything to make sure where he was

 

[jeff martin]

Mine always tries to bite me, so one day i just let him, Fairly strong pressure but no skin damage, funny now he doesn't try anymore. Just puffs and tries to run. But i use the trick, have him climb onto the hand he is not looking at and before he knows it he is out of his cage. Then he calms down.

 

[Pure]

How about kids, ya gotta atleast swerve for them eh mate?
even if your late for work.

Depends on the kid.