Can you hold a chameleon

Chameleons should only be considered as pets on par with tropical fish — great to behold, but not intended to be actually touched or held. For shy creatures, as all true chameleons essentially are, contact with a larger creature is the normal precursor to being eaten or crushed to death — the ultimate stress! It signifies immediate danger and often triggers the best avoidance response the lizard can mount. Because rapid flight is not an option, biting is a last-ditch defense to stave off what they expect is approaching doom.

That reaction has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to help chameleons survive in the wild. A few generations in captivity are not enough to erase all that inherited learning. It will probably continue to behave erratically, often being calm and seemingly tame, then surprising you with inexplicable periods when its tolerance for the proximity of people has totally evaporated. If for some reason you must engage in some hands-on activity, keep it as loosely restrained as possible.

This makes forcefully snatching a chameleon out of the branches a dangerous move. Even when you think you have all five off the branch each one of them especially the tail are lashing about looking for something to grab on to as you pull them out of the cage.

This is when it becomes very easy to break bones in your chameleon. Place your hand, or branch that you are holding, in front of your chameleon and use your other hand to herd him onto your waiting hand. In this manner, you are working with your chameleon and each time you do this your chameleon learns that it is nothing to be feared.

There always will be that time when you have to pick them up and they refuse to go. In this case you need to be absolutely sure that all feet and tails are free before extracting them. This is often your head. Very comfortable chameleons may eat while being held, but few chameleons reach the point where they are that comfortable. One of the biggest mistakes chameleon keepers make is to try and turn their chameleon into a playmate.

Handling is only for when cage maintenance or medical procedures need to be done. You will probably have heard that handling causes stress and stress kills chameleons.

This statement is based in truth. Long term stress will cause a chameleon to go downhill until they die. And handling is a stress. But handling is a stress spike. It is there and then gone. They are difficult to keep in captivity and do not appreciate being handled. Instead of grabbing your reptile directly, let him gently climb onto your hand. In a nutshell, as long as you understand these facts and respect the temperament and needs of the chameleon before purchasing one, you will have a better chance of having a successful pet-owner relationship with this fragile but splendid reptile.

Genevieve is a biologist and science writer. Her deep love for capuchin monkeys, pumas, and kangaroos has taken her worldwide to work and volunteer for several wildlife rehabilitation centers in Bolivia, Guatemala, Canada, and Australia. As a Canadian expat, Genevieve now lives in Argentina, where she wakes up every morning to horses and cows saying hello from the vast plain next to her home office window.

She is the proud mom of three rescued dogs, Lemmy, Nala, and Pochi, and a frisky kitten, Furiosa. Having the privilege of sharing her knowledge and passion for animals of all kinds is what makes her fulfilled and happy.

Skip to content. Genevieve Dugal. Nov 11 To do this, first, make sure you are alone in the room. The presence of other humans or animals will only increase his stress. Put some food in the palm of your hand and place your hand in the vivarium , palm facing up. Let your chameleon climb onto your fingers. Instead, they tolerate us and if you research further by reading more of chameleonschool.

Why do chameleons turn black? Read my article about this here. Do chameleons bite? They certainly do but rarely and only often as a last resort. Read my about this here. Why do chameleons hiss? Mainly to ward of predators and enemy chameleons. Read more about this in my article about whether or not chameleons are dangerous, here. Can chameleons be let out of their cages to roam the house?

If taken outdoors will they runaway? I do not have one, but am pretty sure my granddaughter, who is a veterinarian is giving me one for my upcoming 80th birthday.