Well my view on taming...
RESPECT THEM!! If you were having a bad day, would you want a giant smelly monster to pick you up and carry you around its evil lair?
When you get a new animal, *especially* one as sensitive as a chameleon, let them be for a few weeks. Yes, weeks. Some people only say a day or two. Let them get used to YOU, and whoever else who may be handling them regularly. I know this sounds like dog training, but bear with me. As they see it, every time you enter the room, they are seconds away from death. As you see it, you just wanna cuddle-wuddle with your lovey-doveykins. As you go about your business of feeding them, cleaning, giving water, etc, your smell, voice and presence will eventually no longer be seen as a threat. Depending on the animal, this can take anywhere from a week or two for most snakes and common pet lizards, to up to a few years with big monitors, iguanas, crocodilians, etc. Once the animal TRUSTS you, and you trust it, handling can begin. Work your way up! Just because you havent been bitten doesnt mean your herp is ready to go for a walk in the park on a leash. Some animals are curious enough, like monitors, to go investigate you on their own and will do it all on their own time. Others, like chameleons, need a little push on your part. For them, try not to make contact. Removing their branch with them on it and placing it around your computer, kitchen, TV room or whatever to get used to being outside might help. As I see it, there are 3 types of handling herps: The ones that do it on their own (tegus, monitors, rhacodactylus geckos, blue tongues, etc), the ones that honestly dont care about it (beardies, most CB colubrids and contstrictors, uromastyx, tortoises, etc), and the ones that need a little push (chameleons, crocodilians, aquatic turtles, etc). So to me, its all about respect, trust, and confidence.
Once you and your animal have a 'bond' (if you can call it that), have at it! Take them outdoors, do educational demos, let them roam, have a cuddle!
