Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi there I've been reading up on Chondros for months now and have decided that if there's a chondro at the NY expo sunday the 22nd I'm going to pic one up. I have a question though. I've read that the neonates and juveniles are very fragile when it comes to handling and was wondering how long I should wait until I begin handling them after the 2 week transition period. Also do any of the localities tend to be less aggressive? I'm looking at the Biak, Sorong, and Merauke localities. Then does aggressiveness vary in males and females? Thanks for all your help

If you pick one up at the Expo, make sure it's not an import but from a breeder that has the history of the animal. The mainland types-Sorong, Jayapura etc are more likely to have better temperaments than Biaks although there certainly are exceptions to the rule. As far as handling, I try not to handle too much until they are over a year old. Neonates have very fragile spines that kink easily. I take my babies out on removable perches and if they climb off on my hand while I'm photographing them or whatever, then fine. It's the removal from things that they have their tail wrapped around that causes problems. Good luck on your purchase and expect to get more!

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Thank you for your help! I'm looking at getting either a Jayapura, or Sorong captive bred GTP. They have already been handled pretty frequently and are beautiful.