Which chameleons like to be handled

The guy at the reptile show said that if I handled him enough he would not bite when he was older. I took this to heart and started handling him once every day for about 15 minutes. My chameleon seemed to enjoy his daily handling until recently when I reached in and tried to take him out of his enclosure. He puffed himself up and tried to bite me.

I thought that he might be shedding, so I waited for him to show signs that he was going to shed but nothing happened. Should I believe the reptile show guy or the Internet?

Do you have any suggestions on what I could do to make my chameleon stop biting whenever I try to handle him? Bethany Baird Idaho Falls, Idaho. 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.

I told her how much I liked the animated one in Death in Paradise. Hey Judy, a chameleon sounds like a great present for your 80th birthday! Generally, males are more colorful than females.

But, female Panther Chameleons can alternate between beautiful shades of pink and high-contrast tones of red or black. In most cases, the color change in females all depends on their receptiveness to breeding. Males can reach lengths of up to 20 inches while females usually stop growing after 12 inches. Panther Chameleons are solitary animals. They can get territorial with others, so they prefer to live alone.

While not particularly aggressive, excess handling could lead to unwanted stress. Some can have a single horn or sport as many as six! Either way, their horns are the most defining feature of this species.

Unlike other popular types of chameleons in the trade, this kind is more muted when it comes to color. They usually have more natural tones of red and yellow. Their scale pattern is more varied as well. You might see some accents of purple, orange, or blue. But, most of the body is natural-looking for easy camouflage. Four-Horned Chameleons are best for reptile enthusiasts with some experience.

The reason for this is the strict demands of this species. They require very warm and humid environments like their native habitats in Cameroon.

Males can reach maximum lengths of about 27 inches! Females only get about half that size, but they can still be hard for inexperienced owners to manage. Not only do they need large enclosures, but they need a lot of humidity.

This type of chameleon prefers humidity levels to be at 70 percent or higher. They come from humid forests in Madagascar, so this preference is not surprising. Many owners shower their chameleons with warm water for an hour every week.

This can help keep the lizard hydrated. These lizards need a well-planted enclosure with plenty of moisture-absorbing substrates. Regular misting and relatively warm temperatures are a must, too. The Carpet Chameleon gets its name from the color markings all over its body. All specimens can have spots, stripes, and circles.

But, those beautiful markings intensify in gravid females. Some females can have so much intricate detail on their bodies that they resemble an Oriental carpet! Females are more ornate than males, which is unusual in the animal world. As a result, many owners prefer to keep females instead of males. Generally, males will display shades of green, white, and yellow.

You might also see some black markings here and there. This is a smaller chameleon species. Pet Rudis chameleons are generally very good eaters, quite active, and just plain gorgeous.

Their skin has a really neat texture to it too. Both sexes have bright green coloration, and males have yellow markings along their sides as well. One of the pictures above shows a pair of my Rudis chameleons mating. The female gave a successful live birth several months later. The babies are moderately difficult to raise to adulthood. The picture below is of my biggest male, who is still growing.

Generally speaking, the bigger it is, the longer the lifespan, ceteris paribus. The females do seem a little more receptive to handling than the males. Malagasy also happens to be the national language of Madagascar.