Why can handling a chameleon too much kill them?

[I_Love_George]

Pretty straight forward...Been looking at the veiled chameleons for a while, and they are strikingly beautiful...But my friend who raises beardies made mention that though you can handle a veiled more then most chameleons, that handling them 2 much can harm/kill them...Why is this? Has it something 2 do with oils from your skin, or is it one of those animals that's really not "meant" to be handled??

 

[crystal9534]

we have a veiled and we usually get her out maybe once or twice a week, if that. she likes when we just hold her and let her snooze on our hands, but if we let her walk around the couch or floor, she gets pretty stressed out. i haven't heard of handling them too much can kill them, but then again, i don't know everything about them. and like i said, we don't handle her all that often. have you looked at chameleonforums.com?

 

[I_Love_George]

we have a veiled and we usually get her out maybe once or twice a week, if that. she likes when we just hold her and let her snooze on our hands, but if we let her walk around the couch or floor, she gets pretty stressed out. i haven't heard of handling them too much can kill them, but then again, i don't know everything about them. and like i said, we don't handle her all that often. have you looked at chameleonforums.com?

No I haven't but I will...Really, my SO is the one pressing for it (I, on the other hand, said NO. It's not that I don't like them, but at the moment, we're in a smaller space temporarily and there's just no room). But I just wanted 2 know I guess...I tried googling but the answers are kind of spacey IMO...

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Get in contact with Tim (the Virus) on here, he knows all about veiled chams.

 

[Ric]

Did you get an answer to this? I'm curious. I know that a fox can die of fear when caught. I wonder if it's the same thing here.

 

[wildenglishrose]

I think they are all different, i have a female Yemen who is very friendly, she's 9months old. I seriously believe she thinks all i have to do all day is hold her. She head butts the door to be out, sits at the door waiting for me then i walk past she scratches at the door. Mia (her name) loves to sit on my shoulder and just chill out, so many times i've had to tidy up, get dressed, do my make up with her on my shoulder. She also loves to sit and look out the window, she would sit there all day if i let her. She is such a softie. Here is a pic of Mia

Now her brother on the other hand ( i don't own him, some1 i know does) would happily take your finger off if you put your hand in his cage. They can get stressed pretty quickly, i believe its the luck of the draw. If a chameleon wants to be handled they will walk onto your hand if they are stressed they will do whatever, hiss, puff up and try to bite you. You'll know then to leave him/her be. A stressed chameleon over time would die but that would be purely because you've forced him/her to come out or had the wrong set up. As i said before every chameleon is different, its the luck of the draw what you get. If you do get one, they are awesome and amazing to watch, i love mine and wouldn't part with her for nobody.