Reptile & Amphibian Forums

....their chameleon make noise?

We have some holdback veiled youngsters, getting on to 5 months old. I have 2 sisters in a 30" cage - and one is squeaking at the other one - whenever she gets too near!!!!

I have heard some hisses before, but never a real squeak.
I have heard her do this 3 times in the past couple of days. I thought it was my imagination - but now I am sure it isn't! This little gal really squeaks! It sounds like a branch brushing a window glass.

The wonders never stop - not even after 6 years of cham-keeping!

I've read posts, usually by new keepers, asking about this same behavior. I've also read that yes, they squeak. However, up till now I never really believed it because in all my own years of keeping I've never heard anything more out of my chams than a hiss (young and old alike)!
Now I'm a believer and how cool you actually got to hear it!

Calls are made by several species of chameleons. For a run down see our research from 1999:

http://www.geocities.com/daygecko.geo/hoot.html

Recent work also shows that male and female Veileds call to each other prior to mating.

Kenny

Don't I know it! I got a love-sick male that just moans to his girlfriend.... scratches at his cage door to be let out - then books across the room up to her cage. Too bad she isn't in the mood currently.

You can see him vibrating when he does it too, and feel it if he sits on your hand. I heard one of our males moan(hoot) when he was sitting on my shoulder and he saw other chameleons.

np

They do "hoot" but you can't hear it...you can only feel the vibrations.

That is funny. I would love to hear that. I've only kept about 10 chameleons and have never heard a peep out of them. Very funny.

Very interesting. A "squeak" huh. Never experienced such a noise. Is it a constant thing, everyday, only when another cham is around? Don't think it's a respiratory problem right, no labored breathing? I would be interested to hear such a thing. Keep us posted

My Panther has squeaked when he was upset. Sort of a quick 'Eep!". Never had another chameleon do it, though.
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Michele

They squeak when they're young because of their size. It's a side effect to hissing with a small body.

the infrasound is another matter. If you grab them, or if they are communicating to one another, they vibrate. Veileds do it mostly when grabbed, but others, especially stump tails and melleri, will do it all the time when seeing others of their species. You can feel even if you're not touching them sometimes - especially with melleri.

>>They squeak when they're young because of their size. It's a side effect to hissing with a small body.
>>

Side effect, eh? *LOL*
Well, as many veileds as we have produced - and seen - this is the only juvie that really has a squeak. The first time I heard it, I checked to see if the dog had one of his squeaky toys!

No labored breathing (unless you count when she inflates and huffs at her sister), no abnormal behavior other than the infrequent, short squeak.

Here's the link to the call of the chameleon...
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/5014/hoot.html