Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I hope you can help - I have a 5 month old Male Veiled Chameleon who I have a little problem with, I'm hoping that I can nip it in the bud. I have had him for about 6 weeks now and he is really tame once I get him out of the tank, he even settles down and falls asleep on my hand!
The problem is getting him out of his tank though, as soon as I go to pick him up he hisses and gets really aggitated! I know this is what happens when a Chameleon gets frightened but surely he should be getting used to us by now??? I try to get him out at least once a day so he gets used to us, but I am worried that if this doesnt stop he will be difficult to handle when hes bigger.
Grateful for any thoughts or suggestions!
Many thanks.
Lewis

Hey,
Usually this type of behavior is a sign of not just fear, but territoriality. You are in his/her space and most chameleons do not appreciate this. My charlie is just about the most docile chameleon ever, but i only remove him when he crawls over to the door or over to my hand. I never try to remove him from a branch or something. He shows his dispeasure by puffing up, which he never does when he wants to be handled. IF you really want to build your chameleons trust, you have to only handle him/her when he/she feels like it, rather than trying to take it off the branch. One thing you might try is hand feeding. Just a mealworm or two offered to the chameleon one a day just as a little snack. The cham may not take it at first, but it may start to realize that your hand is not something to fear and is maybe some thing that is bringing food. the key word is MAY!!!! it may do this.

Jeff

Taking him out everyday will only cause him great stress. Chams stress very easily, and too much can kill. I've never met a truly "tame" veiled, and from what I've heard they are always a bit grouchy. Jeff's "Charlie" is the first veiled I've ever heard of that seems to want to be handled. Go Jeff!

My veiled, Lucutis, has been a grump ever since I got him at one month old. I still love him just the same, so interesting to watch.

Hopefully the more experienced cham keepers will have something to say as well. They are so knowledgeable! (sp?)

Good Luck!

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1.1.0 Leopard Geckos (Booger & Gimp)
1.0.0 Veiled Chameleon (Lucutis)
0.0.1 Quince Monitor (Pollux)
1.0.0 Thayeri Kingsnake (Corbin)
0.1.0 Thayeri? Kingsnake (Moka)
0.1.0 Reverse Stripe Cal King (Maraca)

Different chams have different tolerances to handling. No cham should "fall asleep" on your hand. It may be a sign of extreme stress (he's trying to blot out everything by closing his eyes and shutting out the world). Other than hand feeding so he associates your hand with something good, don't expect much to change even after 6 weeks. If/when you have to take him out of the cage you can try nudging him onto a branch you are holding next to where he is sitting. If you really have to move him and he's just being a pain, you can turn off lights and let him literally chill for a while and then handle him when he's cooler (the brain is slower and less reactive).

First, I would argue with anyone that says there is any such thing as a cham that enjoys being handled. None of them enjoy it....some just tolerate it better than others do. Unfortunately, veileds are probably the most agressive cham around. As others have mentioned you should never remove a cham from a branch. This can cause great stress and could end up damaging a leg, foot, etc, since the cham will probably try to strengthen its grip on the branch. Either let the cham walk on to your hand or try placing your hand by the cham's front legs just under its head. Once your hand is there try gently grasping the base of the cham's tail and pull upward. Sometimes the cham will step onto your hand. If there is a defensive display or the cham won't budge just leave it be. Try waiting a few days before handling the cham again. I know this is frustrating when you want to handle the animal, but stress is like poison to chams. With a veiled I think it is safe to say you may never see a change in his/her agressive behavior. I only handle my veiled for quick once-overs every two weeks and he hisses so hard at me he almost falls off my hand.
Hope this helps.
Kevin.

1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon
1.0 Sunburst Veiled Chameleon
1.0 Irian Jaya Blue-Tongue Skink
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.1 Ball Python