The chameleons are popular for changing their colours depending upon their surroundings so that the can hide easily from their predators and also rest without any disturbance.
Many people keep these reptiles as pets also and that is why the owners of the chameleons should know everything about the chameleons.
Owner should be aware of their behaviour and why they are behaving in a particular manner and in this article we discuss why do chameleons hiss and various reasons related to it and how can you prevent the hissing of the chameleons. As one should be aware of every gesture or behavioural change in the chameleon for their well- being.
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Why do the chameleon’s hiss?
The chameleons are usually known for the calm and quiet nature as they are also not very active reptiles. But when they hiss it clearly indicates that there is something wrong with them. They will become aggressive and will start hissing which means that your chameleon is facing some kind of problem.
There is much reason why your chameleon is hissing such as they are stressed, they are in pain or they are sick, etc. there are many several reasons for them to hiss.
As a responsible owner of the chameleon does not overlook the hissing of the chameleon and try to figure out what is wrong with them. There are also many related things when the chameleons will hiss like they will start opening their mouths, puff up their body, so be aware of all these signs.
Reasons behind hissing of chameleons
As discussed earlier there are many reasons why the chameleon’s hiss and some of the main reason are mentioned as below:
1. Chameleons are scared
When the chameleons are scared or are threatened they will start hissing and in addition to this, they will also start puffing up their body. This indicates that they are warning you and telling you not to come near them otherwise they will bite you.
Also when they think or they sense that there are predators around them they will start hissing as they are scared. They can get scared of anything they are unaware of in their surroundings or outside their surroundings. That is one of the reasons why they will start hissing.
2. Aggression
When the chameleon is aggressive which is not a common sight with the chameleon then also the chameleons’ starts to hiss. The reason behind this is aggression which is caused in chameleons when they see another male chameleon in their area they become very aggressive when they see another chameleon and want that the other chameleon should leave. You can learn to Calm a Chameleon Down.
With the addition to hissing on seeing the rival chameleon, they also curl up their tail, sway their body back and forth and also puff out their body in order to appear larger and fiercer to their enemy. This also indicates that they want their enemy to back off or leave otherwise they will attack them.
3. Pain and Sickness
This is a common practice when the chameleons are not feeling well or in some sort of pain they will hiss and it clearly indicates to us that they are sick or have got some kind of injury.
The pain that can be usually caused will be due to injured toes and foot, eye infection and sickness due to lack of minerals and vitamin supplements or also due to the hydration. At the time of sickness and pain, they will not only hiss but will also become aggressive. So be careful and observe them carefully when they start to hiss as this is not a good indication, you need to examine the chameleon carefully.
4. Pregnancy
The female chameleons do not usually hiss, but when they do it clearly means that they are pregnant and they do this in order to alert the other male chameleons to move away and do not get closer to them.
There is also a possibility but a rare one that the female chameleons at this time will also hiss at other animals and also the female chameleons so that no one comes closer to them. If the female chameleon will hiss at you also, so do not get closer to her and let her be alone and she will calm down on her own.
5. Stress
Stress is one of the major reason for the hissing of chameleons. When the chameleons are sick, they are not getting the appropriate temperature and humidity levels or the cage is too small all this causes stress for the chameleon. When they are not getting the environment that is good for them, they will start to hiss as this will release some stress and also it will let you know that something is stressing your chameleon. So make sure that you provide them with all the basic things so that there is nothing to stress them out.
These are the various reasons that will make the chameleon hiss and one should be aware of all these reasons so that you can take proper measure in order to prevent the hissing of the chameleons.
How to prevent hissing of the chameleons?
There are several ways in which you can prevent hissing of your chameleon, as hissing is not a good indication so you need to be aware that how you can prevent hissing in the chameleon. The steps by which you can prevent the hissing of the chameleons are as follows:-
Provide Sunlight
Provide the chameleons with lots of sunlight because lack of sunlight leads to the stress in the chameleon and due to stress they start hissing. So keeping them in sunlight will lift up their spirits and they will stay healthy and not many diseases will occur in such condition as we know that when the chameleons do not feel well they hiss at that time also. So providing them with lots of sunlight will help in preventing the hissing in chameleons. You can also provide lights.
Handle the chameleons properly
Another thing you should be careful with is handling the chameleons properly. You should not handle them frequently as chameleons do not like too much handling.
Do observe them carefully and also understand them properly so that you will get to know when they want to be handled and when not to. Also if they are not used to much handling then also they will hiss, so be careful when you are handling them and this will also help in preventing the hissing in the chameleons.
Surrounding
The chameleons should feel that they are safe in their surrounding and there is no threat to them because when they are scared they usually hiss and you should provide them with stuff like branches and vines in a large spacious cage as these things will give them more place to move here and there and also places to hide.
Provide them with everything that is necessary for them like fresh water regularly, misting should be done, the chameleons should be given the appropriate temperature and humidity which will make them comfortable and free from threat. This will prevent the chameleons from hissing as they will feel comfortable in their surroundings.
keep the chameleon hydrated
You should also keep the chameleon hydrated so that the chameleons do not get dehydrated. Dehydration leads to the sickness, so we need to give them water, do misting inside the cage regularly so there is moisture in the surroundings. If the chameleon is sick then they start hissing and by keeping them hydrated we can avoid this situation and prevent the chameleons from hissing.
These are various ways in which we can prevent the chameleons from hissing like the hissing of chameleons is never a good sign so we need to know the reason and stop them from hissing. In some critical conditions, the chameleons will hiss and you need to take them to the vet for better results
Conclusion:
The chameleons usually do not hiss and are calm in nature so when they hiss it is not a good indication. You should know the cause for hissing and also know how to prevent them. Enjoy your bond with the chameleons and keep them healthy and stress-free by caring for them
