Veiled cham keeps trying to hunt people's faces?

[lclinch94]

I have a female veiled, about 2 and a half years old. Almost every day she comes out of her viv to climb/sit on a small tree I have especially for her. She's done this since she was a baby for some exercise and a change of scenery. She's not very sociable so we keep handling to a minimum, only moving her to and from the tree.

Over the last month, however, she's started taking any opportunity to climb up our arms either from the viv or the tree. Three times, with three different people, she's climbed up, lined herself up with our faces and prepared to strike at our faces with her tongue, like she's hunting. It's not like she's just lazily opening her mouth while she happens to be near someone's face, she's intentionally going for faces. Proper strike attempts, not just a curious, gentle lick.

I'm really worried cause this doesn't seem like normal behaviour. She's struck our hands before while we've been putting food in the viv or whatever, but this is really abnormal and to be honest it's freaking us all out. I'm worried she'll actually hit someone's face soon and make someone scared to handle her again - or that it means there's something wrong with her! Surely she should be able to differentiate between food/not food by now?

Anyone had a cham do this before? Any idea why, or if it's a bad sign? Thanks.

 

[brownie64]

No I don't think this is normal behavior at least not in my experience. I've been hit by a tongue before while my chams try to eat, and it don't hurt, She is just probably being territorial.

 

[lclinch94]

No I don't think this is normal behavior at least not in my experience. I've been hit by a tongue before while my chams try to eat, and it don't hurt, She is just probably being territorial.

I wasn't convinced it was territorial, just cause when she's aggressive you usually know about it - she hisses, puffs up, opens her mouth wide at you. She's actually been approaching us for this. It's really weird.
Not too worried about it hurting cause I know what it feels like on my hand - I'm just really easily freaked out haha.

 

[brownie64]

Maybe she thinks your pupil is an insect moving around does she mainly go for the eyes?

 

[lclinch94]

Maybe she thinks your pupil is an insect moving around does she mainly go for the eyes?

She makes eye contact but because she's never actually made a hit (there's either been glass in between or we've managed to move her away in time) I'm not sure exactly where she's going for. If you're right and she thinks pupils are insects, it's so weird for her to suddenly start doing that after 2 years of owning her!

 

[brownie64]

Wow that is weird. Never seen it before. There was another thread I just read recently where a cham done something like this to them, but they didn't imply it happened all the time. I believe it was entitled What is the weirdest thing your cham has ever done.

 

[lclinch94]

Wow that is weird. Never seen it before. There was another thread I just read recently where a cham done something like this to them, but they didn't imply it happened all the time. I believe it was entitled What is the weirdest thing your cham has ever done.

It's so weird isn't it! Was just talking to my boyfriend and he said she's done it loads to him in the last month or so, so it's more than 3 times she's done it... and twice today! *sigh* she's a strange one...

 

[jehovahgmolah]

Maybe try to give her a bunch of gutloaded crickets in a feeder cup.

 

[lclinch94]

Maybe try to give her a bunch of gutloaded crickets in a feeder cup.

She has crickets in the viv with her, all gutloaded, so she hunts as and when she wants to... she's definitely not doing it cause she's hungry

 

[wodesorel]

Did you give her food right after the first time it happened? My snake 'learns' routine after just one time of doing something, and then it's weeks until he forgets it. Give him two food items and he'll expect two every feeding for the next 6 weeks. (And go after me as if I was the food if I don't.) He got his lid off once and spent the next month moving the same way against the lid trying to pop it open. I was so concerned about Jane (the cham) that I didn't notice how quick she learned the little cup meant food, but it had to take a couple times at most. I'm betting it was the first time. It freaked me out to realize just how fast a reptile can form cause-and-effect connections, and how long they can hold onto them. It could very well be that when she goes to shoot at your face you're doing something she really wants right afterwards!

 

[GrimCamel]

It is indeed a weird behavior. All I can do is guess why this happens but I generally think this is completely harmless. You could try to keep your head in place while your cham tries this, just be prepared to close your eyes if she's aiming for them. Just try it and see what happens. Maybe your cham was expecting something else but her tongue just hit your face and thats it? I would at least like to know what happens

Not very likely but animals in general have their different way of showing us things they want. Maybe she tries to tell you something like she's hungry? (seems relevant cause they shoot their tongues the sec before they'll be rewarded with food) That's just the wildest among guesses and I don't really think that's why but I could only guess

 

[lclinch94]

wodesorel - That's an interesting idea, never thought of that one! I've not noticed any specific reaction after she tries doing it, only the last couple of times we've put her back in her viv straight away. She doesn't get food right after cause we tend to either have crickets in there with her or a little bowl of worms. She isn't often hand fed either. Maybe I'll have to start taking note of what we do right after!

GrimCamel - I think you might be right! I'm super squeamish about her tongue possibly hitting my face so I might leave it to my boyfriend to take one for the team

 

[Beeb]

It's a little weird to ask but is there anything shiny around the people's faces ? My veiled looks right at my lip piercing when I talk to him and I think the glittering metal catches his attention.

 

[lclinch94]

It's a little weird to ask but is there anything shiny around the people's faces ? My veiled looks right at my lip piercing when I talk to him and I think the glittering metal catches his attention.

All three of us who handle her have glasses! Maybe it's that? I don't get why she's suddenly taken an interest after two years but it would explain it a bit! I have a nose piercing too - maybe I should change back to my nose ring rather than a stud, don't want her pulling that out...