Posted by:
Dragoon
at Thu May 29 07:56:07 2003 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Dragoon ]
Hi
You do not want your lizards to associate fingers with food. Really. They will remember it, and when monitors go into "food mode" they are very serious about it. They won't look at you with affection because you gave them something to eat. They will want to rip open that hand to see if it contains more food.
When in food mode, mine bite at any movement, just in case that is the source of the food they smell on the air. Once it was my fingers. And once it was almost my toes. They normally ignore fingers and toes. Mine are more pleasant to interact with, as long as food is not around.
As far as handling goes, there are two big schools of thought on the forum.
Some say no touching, but let them see you and be around you a lot. Some say touch them and get them used to it. I have no idea which is "better". It all depends on what you want the end result to be. An animal that trusts you or is resigned to you. They're your pets, its your personal decision.
One thing to point out, touching doesn't seem to be as pleasant a thing to them as it is with a mammal. Mammals groom each other and are very touchy feely, so they readily accept it from people. Reptiles are of a different mindset about that. I am new to reptiles, so don't presume to know how they feel,- I don't. But I do know my docile female rudi will touch me when she is walking around, sometimes even climbing on me. She's fine with that, but for ME to touch HER, offends her much. So I don't do it often.
Good luck. D.
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Tongs goood, fingers bad - Dragoon, Thu May 29 07:56:07 2003