Do Chameleons Bite?

Chameleons are an unusual-looking lizard that belong to the family Chamaeleonidea. They are famous for their ability to change their skin color continually. This feature is designed for camouflage only in some of the 160 known species of chameleon. Others change colors because of changing states of mood or external temperature changes. Chameleons are not generally considered dangerous and are commonly kept as house pets.

  1. Behavior as Pets

    • Chameleons are highly temperamental and not fond of human contact. The animals are known for their solitary and territorial nature, meaning that a pet owner is generally advised to buy them solely as an observation pet and not handle them much. A chameleon that is exposed to human contact it doesn't like can easily become so stressed that it dies, or refuses to eat and gets sick.

    Biting Humans

    • Chameleons, although temperamental, reclusive and highly territorial, will not generally bite a human unless heavily provoked. The animals are more likely to avoid contact and try to escape from a human than attack. Also, well before biting, many species of chameleon will start hissing and changing colors toward darker shades as ways to display aggression.

    Biting Other Chameleons and Prey

    • Chameleons are carnivorous lizards that prey on insects and small animals such as birds and smaller lizards. When attacking tiny prey like insects, the animals usually rely on their long, sticky tongue to snare their meal and swallow it whole. However, when consuming larger prey, they bite it and chew on it to eat. When dealing with others of their own kind, the lizards frequently become territorial and attack one another, leading to biting as a defense mechanism. This is partly why it's not a good idea to keep more than one specimen in a single habitat.

    Safe Handling

    • Avoid annoying a chameleon to the point of biting you by following a few basic procedures. If you're dealing with a chameleon in the wild or in a zoo, don't get too close to it; doing so may scare the animal. Also, do not try to grab it or touch it. If it has nowhere to run quickly, it may bite as a last-ditch defense. If you have a pet chameleon, don't try to grab it or touch it until you have gotten the lizard fully accustomed to you as friendly and a source of food. Do this by gently hand-feeding it until the animal learns to recognize you. Each time you feed it, try to get it to come closer until it eventually makes physical contact..