Handling my chameleon

Question

I have had my chameleon for around a month now. When I first got her I was told to leave her in her enclosure for two days before handling her. After the two days had passed I went to pick her up and when I got close to her she started breathing heavy and even hissed at me.

It's been a while since I tried picking her up as I don't want to stress her out. How can I make her more comfortable with me to the point where I'll be able to pick her up?

Edit: Forgot to mention that this is a Yemen Chameleon

Answer 1

Well, a couple of things.

1. Two days probably isn't enough. This will vary with each animal, but for most reptiles, you want to wait a week minimum. Make sure they are eating and have had a couple of meals before you attempt to handle.

2. Don't try to handle her too frequently. This is almost sure to stress her out, especially if she's not used to her new surroundings yet. ~3 times a week is probably a decent starting point.

3. Don't pick him up from above. Chameleons are hard wired to hate that as there are predatory birds in the wild that will snatch them up given the chance. Hold your hand down next to her and see if she will walk out on to it.

4. Make sure your husbandry is on point. Chameleons can be kind of tricky to care for, and if they are being stressed by their environment, they are not likely to be amenable to handling.