Chameleons belong to the Chamaeleonidae family and possess distinctive characteristics. For a fit lifestyle, pet owners always need new and creative ways to stimulate their pets. Both physical and mental stimulation benefits the health of animals. With that in mind, there are several ways to keep your chameleon stimulated.
You can provide various feeding items, construct a home up to its desires, and make sure it has its personal space. By keeping your chameleon stimulated, you can ensure it is content and always in good health.
Stimulation also provides prevention against several deadly diseases and helps owners strike a happy life for their adorable reptiles.
Do Chameleons Need Toys?
Playing with toys entertains our adorable pets and helps keep them physically fit and active but, unlike cats and dogs, chameleons are not too fond of toys and do not need them.
They prefer a stimulating environment instead. An environment with lots of leaves and branches is ideal for them as it gives them lots of space to roam and hide. You can add plants with various sized branches to their habitat so that they can mount on, hide behind or show up whenever they wish.
A mix of feeders can also stimulate mental abilities and evoke cognitive processes. These include chasing a moth, cricket, locusts, colored worms (silkworms, hornworms, butterworms, etc.), and similar prey.
Note: Not every animal out there is interested in playing with toys, and we should consider their demands.
Do Chameleons Need Friends?
Chameleons love to live in isolation and do not like pairing up. They are territorial and solitary animals who enjoy their own company. Keeping 2 or more chameleons together is the worst idea as it might result in a conflict over dominance.
If chameleons of the same or opposite gender are placed together inside the enclosure, it develops stress and an aggressive attitude between them. In fact, if you place a mirror in its tank, it will also stress it out as it might think it is another chameleon.
Keep in mind that chameleons only agree to live together during mating. Therefore, it is recommended to have separate tanks if you have multiple chameleons so that each of them has personal space.
Do Chameleons Like to be Handled?
Chameleons are much better for viewing rather than handling. In general, chameleons don’t like being handled at all. It is best to leave them in their own space to mind their own business.
They avoid human interaction because they lack an emotional center inside their brain. This prevents them from making bonds with other animals including humans.
They associate humans with threats and have adapted themselves to hide from danger whenever touched or handled. Their discomfort is easily displayed when they hiss, puff, shed their skin, or change color to black, proving that they are not okay if handled by someone else.
If you must handle a chameleon for any reason, do so with care to avoid giving them stress. Instead, develop trust first and move closer gradually. Make them comfortable and offer food with your hand. Provide them support through the environment, such as with a branch.
On the other hand, a few chameleon breeds allow owners to handle them for a few minutes. The Oustalet chameleon, Rudis chameleon, Jackson’s chameleon, or Parson’s chameleon are naturally calm and tolerant compared to other chameleon species.
How to Stimulate a Chameleon?
Stimulation helps pets adjust to their new environment and feel comfortable. It drains negative energy, helps in the development of cognitive processes, and boosts mental health.
Some of the best ways to stimulate chameleons are discussed below:
Vines
Chameleons are an arboreal species, which means they live in trees and amongst vegetation. With an abundance of green plants, the atmosphere becomes sultry and lively for chameleons. These shy and introverted animals prefer to camouflage themselves in bushy trees and plant leaves.
Use vines in combination with leaves and branches to create a stimulating environment resembling a chameleon’s natural environment. The vines increase the moisture content inside the habitat and serve as a climbing frame for your chameleon.
They also give the chameleon lots of space to hide and roam around. Grape ivy, Pothos, wandering jew, Boston fern, and Foliage Plants are popular vines widely available in stores.
Branches
Whether you choose to set your chameleon in a room, cage, or terrarium, it’s crucial to plant trees for good stimulation.
The canopies give support to chameleons whenever they disguise themselves. A place equipped with branches of various shapes and sizes favors the environment a chameleon wishes for.
Hanging long and wide branches (amazon link – opens in a new tab) is ideal for providing your chameleon with a stimulating environment.
Plants
If you decide to own a chameleon, try to build a suitable habitat for comfortable living. Importantly, add several safe plants around their place to provide a fresh and dynamic environment – this also gives your chameleon places to hide when they feel the need to.
For instance, chameleons usually soak under the sun on a weeping fig (Fiscus Benjamina). Therefore, place the weeping fig near a window where sunlight is plentiful.
Other chameleon-friendly plants include bamboo palms (Chamaedorea Elegans), heartleaf philodendrons (Philodendron scandens), umbrella tree (Schefflera pueckleri), peace lily (Spathiphyllum), Pothos (Epipremnum), bromeliads (Vriesea, Guzmania, and Neoregelia), and moth orchid (Phalaenopsis).
Prey Items
Chameleons are challenging to keep as a pet since we need to be meticulous when arranging an ideal living space for them.
Chameleons typically eat insects and will quickly target any live insects wandering around. They generally eat moths, worms, locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies, mantises, or stick insects. Plus, the chameleon is capable of observing light in the UV spectrum, which improves their chance of catching prey.
You can also stimulate the chameleon through food by taking advantage of the variety of insects that it eats. You can let loose a moth in its tank or add colorful worms that the chameleon can use as stimuli. This will keep it excited and happy, allowing it to adjust more quickly to its environment.
Conclusion
It’s a common misconception that animals need toys in order to stimulate their minds. In reality, for most animals, stimulation comes from their environment and not from inanimate objects. This is certainly true for chameleons.
Chameleons do not need toys; they are active creatures who are constantly exploring their surroundings. They will climb on plants, and branches and they will investigate every nook and cranny they can find.
As long as they have a varied and interesting environment to explore, they will be plenty stimulated. There is no need to provide them with toys.
Reptile Wrestler Tips!
“Ensure that any live plants you grow in your chameleon habitat are not toxic to reptiles!”
“Ensure that your chameleon enclosure is nice and tall with lots of vines and branches for it to climb!”
“Feed moths to your chameleon, this will pose a challenge for your chameleon and provide stimulation!”
“Do not place a mirror near your chameleon habitat, chameleons are solitary animals and they will not recognize themself and think they have company!”
FAQ’s
What do chameleons like in their cage?
Chameleons like a lot of trees and branches in their cage. They are arboreal animals, so they like to be able to climb and hang. Make sure that your chameleon has plenty of places to hide, too, as they like to do that as well.
How do you entertain a chameleon?
Chameleons get stimulation and enrichment from their environment. You can do this by adding climbing branches, leaves, and other vegetation to their environment. They also love to hide, so provide some tight hiding spots where they can conceal themselves.
Do chameleons ever get bored?
Chameleons do not get bored as such, but they can become sluggish if their environment is not enriched. Chameleons need a variety of perches, branches, and leaves to climb and explore in order to stay healthy and active. If you notice that your chameleon is not moving around as much as usual, try adding some new objects to its enclosure or feeding it the occasional moth that it will have to actively hunt.
About Me
Hi, I’m Stuart and I’ve had reptiles for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I studied for a master’s in Herpetology. Over the years I have worked at several zoos before opening my very own reptile sanctuary. In my spare time, I run this website – which is a resource for people who want to learn more about their little beasties.
