# Am I stressing my chameleon too much?



## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Hi there I'm new to the site. I have recently bought a Yemen chameleon however he gets very upset about everything it seems. Even if I look at him he has hissed at me, but as soon as I manage to get him out the viv he is fine! Am I doing something wrong?? I have researched and I have experience with aboreal reptiles but he seems so unhappy!


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## snowdragon (Feb 21, 2010)

Hi there 
chams are allways grumpy its their nature they dont realy like being held or disturbed its not you or anything you doing .
When you go near his viv go slower and quiet so not to alarm it give speak soft i used a small soft paint brush for a few weeks brush it gentle while talking this will help it get used to you .
but in general they dont like being disturbed 
hope this helps... scot


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## TEENY (Jan 4, 2008)

Chams are like the grumpy old men of reptiles, they look moody, they hiss and they will bite. Its just part of thier nature. Somedays mine will all be calm and not react to anything, other days, the wind only has to change to get them puffed up and grumpy lol


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Thanks for that... He doesn't bite or anything. I have tried touching him gently with cotton wool buds- he got really mad at that haha! He always watches us and he seems ok with holding him and talking to him but while he's in the viv he's just really grumpy (well said btw haha!)


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## snowdragon (Feb 21, 2010)

hey iam a GRUMPY OLD MAN lol and i pref a cuddle instead of a prod of cotton wool bud lol hahaha its just their nature huney


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Haha you may have been a chameleon in a previous life then!! Pascal was less than impressed with the prodding of alien objects. He turned himself into a like green leopard! : ) he is in a better mood today, it appears!


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## ReptileGirl91 (Sep 1, 2011)

I have one of them and when i try to pick him up he goes all dark an blows himself up but as soon as he is on my hand he calms down, it's just the physical handling and getting hold of them that they don't like. 

Just go slower when you picking him up and working in his viv


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Does yours hiss a lot? He has puffed up when I've been holding him before now but he seems in a good mood today and not bothered about me being here. : )


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## snowdragon (Feb 21, 2010)

yes he does this is what chams do all chams do it 
i have been bitten by a cham before but i didnt hurt but they are only saying hey leave me alone chams are just grumpy creatures naturaly 
x scot


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Ouch!! Was that by a Juvenile or adult?? He's quite pleasant today- fingers crossed the mood stays haha worse than my two year old grumpy child!!! : ) 


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## ReptileGirl91 (Sep 1, 2011)

HissyMissy said:


> Does yours hiss a lot? He has puffed up when I've been holding him before now but he seems in a good mood today and not bothered about me being here. : )


He's only ever hissed at me once and that was when i was moving him into his new tank when i got him home. 
He has bitten me though, an if i hadn't seen him doing it i wouldn't of noticed he had lol


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Really?? I always thought it would hurt if a Cham bit you!! I've been bitten by much worse than a baby Cham haha got to love their characters : )


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## dudley.hoskison (Oct 18, 2008)

*chameleons*

Hi
We have over 50 Panther Chameleons and none of them have ever hissed at us as, and we have never been bitten either, We find all our chameleons when they are over about 5 months old love to come out, our problem is when we have all the males wanting to come out at the same time, we never pick them up they allways come out when we put our hand in there vivs. As for grumpy ours are only grumpy when they are not coming out when they want.


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## HABU (Mar 21, 2007)

when they associate you with food, they will look forward to you visiting them...


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Wow, 50?! I bet that's a handful!! Pascal is coming up to 5 months and this morning he has sat staring at me with both eyes (he means business) waiting for me to feed him, definitely a new behaviour not being so frightened at the sight of me!


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

Apart from the lucky one who has 50 nice ones! That is pretty standard for a cham. I hear from lots of keepers that they don't like you getting them out but once you have they are ok (mine too) I reckon this is part defensive, as in leave me alone, and partly the fact that you are invading their space by putting your hand in their viv, they are very territoreal, so once they are out, they are ok. I think just use your instinct, if you feel it has been stressed too much over a few days then don't get it out for a day then go back and get it the next day. They display in all sorts of ways. The gaping and hissing is kind of the last straw sort of warning, if they get really angry, a bite can follow, but that's rare, they do give you plenty of warning.


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

as already said they are grumpy lil sods:2thumb:
but also its sort of a territory thing, you go into their area they can get defensive but once out of the territory (viv/enclousure/tank etc)they are more well behaved....loads a different reptile species act this way

so its not you, its just the way they're designed


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

It's making a lot more sense now it's not just me that thinks they are grumpy lol when I first had him he hissed a few times while being held but that's not been so bad. I was really worried about giving him a heart attack. Also, I changed the position of his basking bulb and he's much happier- maybe that's why he was so mad?? 


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## dinostore (Feb 23, 2011)

i've never handle my cham....everytime i get close hes gets big, nasty and vicious

mines defo a look but dont touch pet


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

How do you manage to clean the viv without him going mad?!?! Lol!


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

My male Yemen 'Jasper' is nicknamed 'Hissy Fusspot'. His stroppy temper is hilarious! You get used to the eternally grumpy demeanor after a while. I confess it freaked me out when we first got him and I would only handle him (rarely) wearing gloves as he bit rather a lot!
Now he will climb out the viv onto my hand/arm to come out when he fancies it, however he soon lets me know if he wants to be left alone (usually when I want to clean him out!) LOL!

Love the name of yours btw, the kids and me wanted to call ours Pascal (love Tangled) but hubby said no!


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

HissyMissy said:


> How do you manage to clean the viv without him going mad?!?! Lol!
> 
> 
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> I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?urfq5z


I take all but whatever he is stood on out, clean them then take his branch or whatever he is on out... with him still on it and then put him into a plant. :lol2:


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

LittlestarRed said:


> My male Yemen 'Jasper' is nicknamed 'Hissy Fusspot'. His stroppy temper is hilarious! You get used to the eternally grumpy demeanor after a while. I confess it freaked me out when we first got him and I would only handle him (rarely) wearing gloves as he bit rather a lot!
> Now he will climb out the viv onto my hand/arm to come out when he fancies it, however he soon lets me know if he wants to be left alone (usually when I want to clean him out!) LOL!
> 
> Love the name of yours btw, the kids and me wanted to call ours Pascal (love Tangled) but hubby said no!


Hahaha I love the description "eternally grumpy demeanour!!!!" : D I get my oh to get him out when he's in a strop. I say that I'm scared of hurting him but it's really a case of I don't want to be the one he bites!! Lol! His name was to be pascal or victor meldrew!! My little one loves pascal even though he can only say "Scal!!!" 


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Dan Trafford said:


> I take all but whatever he is stood on out, clean them then take his branch or whatever he is on out... with him still on it and then put him into a plant. :lol2:


Haha how many colours does he change into when you disturb him? I get a light green panther during cleaning times! 


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## LittlestarRed (Sep 8, 2011)

My Kids love our Cham more than any of our other animals. Strange that the least friendly still ends up being so appealing to them! haha!



HissyMissy said:


> Hahaha I love the description "eternally grumpy demeanour!!!!" : D I get my oh to get him out when he's in a strop. I say that I'm scared of hurting him but it's really a case of I don't want to be the one he bites!! Lol! His name was to be pascal or victor meldrew!! My little one loves pascal even though he can only say "Scal!!!"
> 
> 
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> I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?hyizl5


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

LittlestarRed said:


> My Kids love our Cham more than any of our other animals. Strange that the least friendly still ends up being so appealing to them! haha!


Haha isn't that the same concept with grumpy granddads too with kids?! Lol!!! 


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## snowdragon (Feb 21, 2010)

HissyMissy said:


> Ouch!! Was that by a Juvenile or adult?? He's quite pleasant today- fingers crossed the mood stays haha worse than my two year old grumpy child
> 
> ---
> I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?vm1l25


 it was a adult 
i was changeing uv bulb and i gentley lifted him outta the way he turned around and bit me it didnt hurt . sadley because of chams faces they allways look grumpy . i love to see a pic of a cham smileling 
hehe


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## snowdragon (Feb 21, 2010)

*cham stand*

hey what you could do is what i do 
either in the summer warm days get a flexi viv put him in that and give him some sun rays all my chams have gone outside in the summer and have loved it .also you can make a stand like a parrot stand on when they not it their cages make it out of branches or bamboo and let him out on this if you dont have any other pets like dogs cats that would hurt him , all mine sit on this in the conservatory before being loose in there when its hot summer day .only use the stand or let him out when your around


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

snowdragon said:


> hey what you could do is what i do
> either in the summer warm days get a flexi viv put him in that and give him some sun rays all my chams have gone outside in the summer and have loved it .also you can make a stand like a parrot stand on when they not it their cages make it out of branches or bamboo and let him out on this if you dont have any other pets like dogs cats that would hurt him , all mine sit on this in the conservatory before being loose in there when its hot summer day .only use the stand or let him out when your around


That's a really good idea!! Pascal likes to climb my hair (it's long and thick so plenty to hide in haha) I have a husky x wolf but she doesn't bother with him she's really laid back. I think "modifying" a Parrot perch would be good. He's high up then : ) is it a good sign that they go to sleep on you?


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

HissyMissy said:


> Haha how many colours does he change into when you disturb him? I get a light green panther during cleaning times!
> 
> 
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> I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?j51nhl


Mine is lime green when he is happy but goes a more pastel green at the minute because he's still juvenile so he doesn't have all his colours yet. I get reds, yellows and turquoises showing through when he's really annoyed.


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Dan Trafford said:


> Mine is lime green when he is happy but goes a more pastel green at the minute because he's still juvenile so he doesn't have all his colours yet. I get reds, yellows and turquoises showing through when he's really annoyed.


Mine is still a juvenile too. He did try an blend in with a black top I was wearing and did it quite well lol! I've had a few pink/red/purple colours on him! Does yours look almost radioactive when he's asleep?? 









This made me chuckle : )


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## Dan Trafford (Mar 10, 2011)

HissyMissy said:


> Mine is still a juvenile too. He did try an blend in with a black top I was wearing and did it quite well lol! I've had a few pink/red/purple colours on him! Does yours look almost radioactive when he's asleep??
> 
> image
> This made me chuckle : )
> ...


No he looks more radioactive during the day when he is happy and not stressed, those are his best colours. When he's asleep he loses some colour and takes on more of a sandy green colour.


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## rickkatie (Mar 5, 2012)

*chamleons*

hi we have a male and female breading pair and my male can act very violent! but like others have said as soon as there out and in ur hand there fine hell climb all over me another way to get them out is use washing line from the tank out to urself ull b suprise they do come out mine do!!!!


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

Dan Trafford said:


> No he looks more radioactive during the day when he is happy and not stressed, those are his best colours. When he's asleep he loses some colour and takes on more of a sandy green colour.



Sorry- that's the colour im talking about its so pale but so bright at the same time! It fascinates me! In the day pascal likes to be a lime green and yellow patches 


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## HissyMissy (Mar 1, 2012)

rickkatie said:


> hi we have a male and female breading pair and my male can act very violent! but like others have said as soon as there out and in ur hand there fine hell climb all over me another way to get them out is use washing line from the tank out to urself ull b suprise they do come out mine do!!!!



Are your pair grumpy too? Lol mines much better now I've changed his setup and added lots more hidy places and he's like a different Cham now. He still puffs up a little but he has no problem with hands. I've been getting him out 5 minute periods at a time several times a day and he's much better : ) 


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