Well all that trust gone out the window...

[eahoormann]

So remember a few weeks ago when I was jumping up and down with joy because Leif voluntarily let me hold him?

Weeelllll I moved his cage to a different part of the house- I put him on a plant out of his cage before moving to hopefully help reduce the stress. Then put him right back into his cage and let him be for the night.

For the past week, since he's been moved, he's shy and will literally run and hide from anyone who enters the room. He eats well still, poo and urates are normal, he's his normal calm green- not hyper green or dark. He's just hiding from everything!!

Give him time?

 

[jamest0o0]

He'll be fine, just adjusting.

 

[JacksJill]

Chameleons don't like change. I moved the location of a feeder cup in the cage he doesn't even eat from and got a two day sulk for my trouble. He didn't get over it until he found a superworm in it.
Take two steps back and start over slowly.

 

[Andee]

Yeah he will likely be fine in another week or so. Most super shy chams and hard to adjust chams take around 2 weeks sometimes a little longer when you change anything, whether it be a plant in their cage or their surroundings. I did it a lot with all my chameleons, can't do it with Ryker at the exact moment because he falls too easily when things change even a little, but changing small things more often allow them to adjust to bigger changes easier because it's more like they are patrolling out in a forest.

 

[eahoormann]

I'm just so disheartened!! I miss my happy little guy!! He doesn't even come up for mistings any more! Runs from that too!!

I might try hand feeding some worms - with gloves of course because gross.

 

[jamest0o0]

Use bare hands!

 

[eahoormann]

Use bare hands!

Then I'm going to wait for the boyfriend to do the bonding . I'm just now getting ok with crickets in my house... Still don't touch them directly but I'm getting better!

 

[jamest0o0]

Im just messing around. I don't touch the superworms myself. Hornworms terrify me too their looks are deceiving, those mandibles are nasty. I grab them by the back of their neck so they can't turn around

 

[eahoormann]

Im just messing around. I don't touch the superworms myself. Hornworms terrify me too their looks are deceiving, those mandibles are nasty. I grab them by the back of their neck so they can't turn around

Gross. Nope. Nu-uh.

 

[Vicar Laurence]

Im just messing around. I don't touch the superworms myself. Hornworms terrify me too their looks are deceiving, those mandibles are nasty. I grab them by the back of their neck so they can't turn around

The little suckers have ridiculous grip strength too. I don't have any issue handling crickets, dubias, or supers, but man I hate dealing with my hornworms. That said, the moths are super cool to interact with.

 

[eahoormann]

The little suckers have ridiculous grip strength too. I don't have any issue handling crickets, dubias, or supers, but man I hate dealing with my hornworms. That said, the moths are super cool to interact with.

Everything y'all are saying is just giving me heeby-jeebies! GROSS!!!

 

[JacksJill]

I wil probably get laughed off the forum for this but I started my hand feeding by using a plastic spoon. Yeah, that's right I spoon feed my chameleon.
I didn't want to use tongs but wanted to give him a bit of distance. I tried holding the superworms but those suckers are fast and I had an incident where I didn't let go fast enough. I don't want to do anything that damages his tongue. I now place the bowl of the spoon in my palm to hand feed. Bugs can't get traction to get away and the curved surface doesn't seem to get his tongue stuck if he misses.

 

[eahoormann]

I wil probably get laughed off the forum for this but I started my hand feeding by using a plastic spoon. Yeah, that's right I spoon feed my chameleon.
I didn't want to use tongs but wanted to give him a bit of distance. I tried holding the superworms but those suckers are fast and I had an incident where I didn't let go fast enough. I don't want to do anything that damages his tongue. I now place the bowl of the spoon in my palm to hand feed. Bugs can't get traction to get away and the curved surface doesn't seem to get his tongue stuck if he misses.

....I"M IN LOVE WITH THIS! @JacksJill saves the day again!!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

I used to think superworms would bite my fingers off !!. Not to long ago a cup fell off one of the enclosures and went right down my shirt . I knew at that point I was immune when I just picked the sec cup up and continued feeding the hungry little mouths .

 

[jamest0o0]

Haha funny stuff here. @Vicar Laurence I know what you're talking about! They're like velcro and pull half of my enclosure apart when they decide to superglue themselves to something.

So to add to all of this, one bug that is terribly underrated in it's terror is the BSFL... I thought they were harmless until one day I left them in a cup with a big hornworm for my cham to eat. Came back and they were burrowed into the hornworms eating it from inside out... sorry for the nightmare.

On another note butterworms are the chillest to deal with other than them being ugly orange things.

 

[Fireborn]

I hate bugs so much but I got used to touching them because hand feeding is so fun. Been bite by everything now. Including the Chameleon.

 

[Beelinn]

So remember a few weeks ago when I was jumping up and down with joy because Leif voluntarily let me hold him?

Weeelllll I moved his cage to a different part of the house- I put him on a plant out of his cage before moving to hopefully help reduce the stress. Then put him right back into his cage and let him be for the night.

For the past week, since he's been moved, he's shy and will literally run and hide from anyone who enters the room. He eats well still, poo and urates are normal, he's his normal calm green- not hyper green or dark. He's just hiding from everything!!

Give him time?

Im very glad I came across this post today, now I feel a little better for a similar reason!

I had Groot on his tree today, and thought I would improve his house with more plants and cover areas for basking. He happened to pick today for shedding as well, so, double whammy. . He did have a hornworm this morning before the shed, so at least he got something, but nothing but sulking the rest of the day since I put him back.

 

[Andee]

I don't think I have been bit by any insect I feed, not even the usually known biters like superworms or hornworms... I have been nibbled on by a roach nymphs once but that was only because I had just cut an orange. Once it nibbled a couple times and realized I wasn't an orange it left me alone XD. Just tickled really

 

[jamest0o0]

I've wondered if roaches could bite? Nothing has bit me yet

 

[jcarlsen]

So remember a few weeks ago when I was jumping up and down with joy because Leif voluntarily let me hold him?

Weeelllll I moved his cage to a different part of the house- I put him on a plant out of his cage before moving to hopefully help reduce the stress. Then put him right back into his cage and let him be for the night.

For the past week, since he's been moved, he's shy and will literally run and hide from anyone who enters the room. He eats well still, poo and urates are normal, he's his normal calm green- not hyper green or dark. He's just hiding from everything!!

Give him time?

I think one thing you should do is manage your expectations on what kind of a relationship you'll be having with your cham. I was enthralled with all the videos I saw of people handling their panthers that appeared to be very friendly and content, and I was just as disappointed when mine appeared to hate my guts. I wouldn't expect your cham to ever fully adjust to handling and seeing you. I can pick my guy up pretty much whenever I want without much issue, but when he gets a look at a human face, he's ballooned up. It's just his way. Some chams will be less likely to flare up at you if they don't see you as a threat, but you'd be safe assuming your chameleon will always have a little bit of fear of you and operating your handling under that pretense.