>>I have been trying to breed my chameleons for a little while now, but have been thwarted by their aggressive behavior towards me.

I know this wasn't originally part of your question, but could you tell us why you're trying to breed your chameleons in the first place? Do you have experience raising baby veiled chameleons? How about raising 20-30 baby veiled chameleons at once? Do you know how much food this many baby veileds will eat in a week? What about housing? Where do you plan to keep this many babies? What about heating and lighting? Do you have enough heat lamps and UVB bulbs to support this many babies? And what do you plan to do with all the babies? Do you have homes for these babies already? Do these homes have experience dealing with baby veiled chameleons?

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm not meaning to be preachy or confrontational. It's just that responsible breeding is a bit more complicated than simply putting a male and female together and letting them do their stuff. I certainly don't know what your level of expertise is, nor do I know what your situation is.

As for picking them up, I usually allow them to dictate the terms of interaction. If they really don't want to be picked up, I simply don't pick them up. But yes, you can definitely try offering some treats, such as a nice fat roach, or other prey item.

Another trick that might help is to elevate the cage so that they're at eye level with you. Aproach them with your hand from below. Chams tend to feel safer when they're higher up.

Of course, you might just have to 'take the bite'. Offer up your hand with a treat, be gentle with slow movements. Think calm thoughts. And if you still get bit, try hard not to flinch. I've only been bitten twice by my chameleons so far.
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Victor Gomez

gomezvi@yahoo.com

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