Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was taking Luna down from her rope to put her back in the cage. She always wants to climb on my head for the ride over...well, I wasn't paying attention what route she was taking to get there - up my face! Before I knew it one of her feet clasped on to my nostrils! 2 sharp little claws in one side and three in the other! Then a back foot came up and latched on to my upper lip! Of course I couldn't coax her off on to anything because if I let go she would have grabbed harder! Well, I finally got her off and now I have little pin-prick spots on my face - and my nose hurts!!

too bad someone wasn't her to take a picture - I am sure we looked pretty funny! LOL!!

I still love her

p.s. speaking of claws, I think it is so cute that the amount of toes on front feet are the opposite on the back. From an evolutionary standpoint I wonder why...just my curious mind!
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Sorry, couldn't resist after your last post. (don't be too mad at me)
Hurts when they get your face, don't it? I'm amazed at the strength these little guys have.
-----
Victor Gomez
gomezvi.tripod.com/sdchamkeepers/
gomezvi@yahoo.com

>>Sorry, couldn't resist after your last post. (don't be too mad at me)
>>Hurts when they get your face, don't it? I'm amazed at the strength these little guys have.
>>-----
>>Victor Gomez
>>gomezvi.tripod.com/sdchamkeepers/
>>gomezvi@yahoo.com
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

ha-ha! I thought the same thing after I posted it!
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Lele-

!LOL!

Good question about the feet. It may just have to do with balance the way walk and climb. Stronger grip in the back feet with three toes on the outside of there grip!
-----
John W. Lucas

CHAMELEON PARADISE

CHAMELEONS ONLINE E-ZINE AUTHOR

Feeding Baby Chameleons
Caging Baby Chameleons

F. pardalis

Ambilobe Locale
Nosy Be Locale
Sambava Locale

Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Eggs Incubating-

F. pardalis - Ambilobe Locale

got SILKWORMS!

Photo © Chameleon Paradise 2003

Yup... you got it! The toes are opposite for balance. When a cham leaf-walks (does the "egyptian", they only have one front and one back foot on the branch - having the toes structured opposite really helps with that balancing act.
-----

How does it feel to have a Cham riding on your hand? Does it hurt like sometimes the claws of a bird can? Are those claws sharp like a bird? It always hurt a little to pick up my bird and then his beak would occasionally get involved. Thanks, and oh, did it puncture you? Do you have to get a tenus shot? Maggie

a full grown chameleons grip is amazingly strong.
Yes, it can hurt....quite a bit. Thier feet are designed to keep them up in trees through wind and rain etc. So, you know they are pretty strong.
A chameleons grip is similar to a human babies ONLY in the fact that as soon as something touchs the "palm of thier hand" they will grip it. It seems to be an automatic reflex. Whether it is a finger, a stick, a nose, one of thier own legs, whatever their feet come in contact with, they try to grasp.
I have seen my arms covered with scratches from Zoe climbing on me without a long sleeved shirt on. They have never made me bleed...but they have been significant enough to make other people ask me what has happened to my arms.

I've also had Zoe grip my fingers hard enough to leave deep red indentations in them.
But...it's just something that comes with owning a chameleon...and I wear my scratches proudly...because I love my cham.
-----
Kim

Orion was trying to change directions on one of her biovines once... and her tail came up an dhit one of her front feet, so she grabbed it. She just about fell upside down! lol

...you'd think there would be some sense mechanism for them not to grab onto another body part! Luna was trying so hard to remove a foot from a branch that was clasped by her other foot. She was shaking and obviously getting pissed. I stood back from the cage so she didn't think it was me!
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Yes, they can be prickly. I have noticed a difference in the strength of her grip in the just the two months that I have had her! Yes, she did prick me a little so I used peroxide
(LOL! fizzy in my nostrils - LOL!!!) just in case. I had a tetanus shot recently after an altercation with a cat while rescuing a bird so I am good for 5 or 10 years Thanks for caring! You'll make a good cham "mom"

lele

>>How does it feel to have a Cham riding on your hand? Does it hurt like sometimes the claws of a bird can? Are those claws sharp like a bird? It always hurt a little to pick up my bird and then his beak would occasionally get involved. Thanks, and oh, did it puncture you? Do you have to get a tenus shot? Maggie
-----
0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

you could always start a new trend.
peircing by cham.
stick some earrings in all those holes, and say you did it on purpose.
-----
Kim