Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi folks: just feel a little confused how I should coax him onto my hand so I can get into his cage and do a little cleaning up(lots of water in the pan, and I want to add some perches). I expected him to be frightened the first couple of days but when I tried to get him out today, he puffed up his throat, flashed all his colors, gaped, then hissed. I removed my hand. I was somewhat surprised as I remembered a slightly fightened but non-aggression showing cham at the show. Well, he's 7 months old now, a few Qs:

1. How do I acclaimate him to my handling? Do i remove my hand everytime he hisses, or do I have to force it the first few times? Will he bite and hurt me?

2. Is this an indicator of his temperament? Will he become more tame with work(i.e hand feeding?)

3. Is it safe to try hand feeding through out the day until the end of the day, then if he still hasn't taken any then I will put the food on the branches of the plants inside?

Thanks-Maggie

My Female was like that when i got her, i would have to chase her.I was scared to just grab her cus she was so tiny. But it sounds like you on the right track, Hand feeding will make them more used to yuor hands.They are a bit territorial Before she got used to my hand, i would take a small piece of grapevine that i have removed from anothe piece.and when it was evading me, i would kinda of distract it while holding the branch if front of it, so it would climb onto it, they remove it from the cage. This will be hard at fisrt as you will seee him get pissed probably.After you get him out he should go onto yur hand, he may calm down after a minute.My new male, he was very nice when i got him. But after 2 days in his cage he gets pissy some times, i have started hand feeding him, i have yet to be bitten by either of my chams. Silkworms work good for hand feeding, if he doesnt take them at first, putting them on the leaves or branches will do. Hope that helps

My veiled won't even let my hand get near it.
When it was young I could take it out,but not now
Have FUN!
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What type of Cham do you have in that tank? Because if its anything but a Pygmy or some type like that, you shoudnt house it in a glass cage. you need to get an all screen cage. (or at least a 3 sided screen cage). and yes UVB does get filtered through glass. (well most of it if not all). I would suggest for you to get an all screen Cage. Also i wouldnt put any light bulbs inside the cage. It could cause burns OR even break somehow and hurt your Cham.

Well thats my 10 cents...

N/P

well, I got him to get on my hand using the fake him out with a twig trick posted above. Once he was on my hand, he surprised me by running up my arm and hissing all the way. I thought "Yiaks...why are you hissing but running toward my face all at the same time???". Placing my hand over my arm so that he would run onto my hand(we did this several times with my eyes flying open wider by the rounds of sprints and me containing the scream I wanted to make). He then leapt off my hand onto the desk I held him over and then leapt off the desk with my hand catching him just in the nick off time. I then raised my hand up higher at level with my face at this heart stopping moment and he stopped running. He eye balled me for a long time with his body pressed away from me but all fours on my hand and no swollen throat. I thought maybe he'd relax if I looked straight and not at him, leaning away as to appear to be a non preditor. He seemed to calm enough to stop eye balling me and began eyeballing the surroundings. Dunno if that was him getting relaxed or him accessing an escape route. We sat like that for 10 minutes and then I went to return him to the cage. As I stood, he began his hissing all over again and running up my arm. I left him alone with a couple of silkies for 6 hours and when i returned in the evening he looked sleepy and gapey more so. I sure hope he turns out more tame then this as I work with him. The Kammers tell me that if I work with him 5-10 minutes a day, he'll be less skittish as he gets older. Any thoughts?

Yes it may/will take soem time, mine took a few months(about 2) to get used to it(if he even does, some won't warm up to you, from what i've read on here), each cham is different.My male when i take him out isnt used to it yet, he tries the run away, run away(monty python). you have to be ready for them cus they are quick at times. My female has tried to lunge at the lights in my ceiling when i have had her out. He has done the same.Im just hoping i he turns out to be not so fiesty. Just remember patience.And get used to the adrenaline rushes(yours) ......chams who said they were boring pets?

Dave

Yeah definitely went through this with my guy =) I heard that sometimes Chams can go through a "Screw you all stage" around this age but I wouldnt be too worried about it.

Just a caution on the hand feeding though, try not to do it all the time. From personal experience my cham got to thinking that the hand itself was food and would always try and chomp on it when we reached in the cage for something. lol While I was at school last semester I guess my dad leaned in the cage one night to grab something off the floor and my sweet little boy tried to eat his ear! Needless to say my dad didnt appreciate it... (nor did the chameleon who got dragged off the branch and was dangling like an earring apparently lol)

Anyway just keep working with him, once he's acclimated to having you around he should be ok. You can also try luring him onto your hand by holding food just out of reach.

Good luck!!

~Erin

That's Funny! Yeah, I figure I might not always have the patience or time for holding the food while looking at him as still as can be for an hour while he gets calm. Ok, I'll keep at it, patiently as I did while taming my birds in the past. Thanks-Maggie