Thinking of getting Chameleons -Info please-

[coura]

when they are frightened they will sway side to side to keep you from seeing them so they think.Most will gape the mouth and jolt their bodies to get you away from them.They can get restless trying to get out to a more hidden spot,they are not made for speed and they know it so thats why they reley so much on their camo and hiding so I think its very unatural for them to be forced into plain site.Lots of branching and leaves really helps this for them in a cage,tall caging is very helpfull too so they can get up away from you if they want.They will stop eating too if they become really unhappy.These are some things I remember,but keep in mind Ive seen some that dont seem bothered by much either.The way I see it,I would hold mine in my hand up high a bit,you think hes just chillin but what else is he supposed to do,then you walk near a tree and he goes bezerk to get into it and off of you.Hopefully this helps,its just what Ive noticed with them.Again,some are not bothered by much but unlike a beard or iggy who can easily think it can kick your but and sometimes will try,these guys are like get me outa here!lol.

 

[ExoticEctotherms]

Yeah, they definitely get stressed easily. As Jason said, a lot of leaves ond branches and places to hide (or for them to think they are hiding) are very helpful. My cage was big enough to put a 4 foot tall live potted Ficus tree in it. I also added some of those flex-vines, but he hung out in the Ficus most of the time. They are very thick trees which give the chams plenty of cover. Some veileds will actually take bites out of the Ficus leaves when they get older (they are safe). Some Chameleon safe trees include Ficus benjamina, Ficus binnendijkii, Ficus elastica, and Hibiscus trees.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Can a baby cam. be trained or become used to being handled by its owner if done early enough?

 

[jason longboard]

Can a baby cam. be trained or become used to being handled by its owner if done early enough?

well thats what I did with mine and he was always grumpy as hell.Thats why I think its a bit touchy,some think they are chillin,I tend to think they are chillin cuz they may be freaked.If you were around them more I think you would see the diference between them and others,not sayin you gotta be a mind reader but they give off little signals fairly well.However,just because mine was always grumpy,you may want to check around.Just if someone says theirs was very tame then ask what makes them feel that way,now Im thinkin out loud,I gotta go to work,sorry,lol.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Can a cam. pre-disposition to being held be recognized at a young age?

Anybody here ever re-train their cam. to be people friendly?

 

[dde1878]

a very common mistake for cham. owners is that they like to be held, they do not. i have yet to find any breed of chams that can tolerate being held frequently. veiled's are by far the most tolerable of the species but still are not an animal that will live a long life being held all the time. in a low traffic area with plenty of hides they will not get to stressed out. avoid direct exposure to the sun as well, it is deadly for any cham. you live in cali just like me so i am aware of the temperatures we face. be very careful for the next couple of months having them outside. and as far as that package it has a lot of cool goodies in it but the enclosure is a terrible one in my opinion. with that screen you will have a constant battle with humidity. this info is by far not professional advise, i am not a cham guy really. i have breed veileds in the past, this is just some info from my experience.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

Unfortunately, chameleons are one of those animals that a best left alone with as little of human contact as possible. They should be considered a display animal above anything else. Look, but don't touch.

 

[clubtastic]

What are chams normal life spans?

 

[dde1878]

highly dependent on breeding on non breeding.

 

[Vicious_Fish]

What are chams normal life spans?

Most species live 4-5 years which is very short compared to most reptiles. There is one species I remember reading about that lives less then a year!