Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think I may have hand fed my girl too much! I have had her for a week, and she takes food out of my hand without any trouble. The breeder she came from also fed her by hand daily and held her often. I picked her up about 3 days after she arrived, and she wasn't very happy about it, but she tolerated it. Today I tried to pick her up and she bit me! I fed her about 30-45 minutes before, and then reached in to pick her up. She just tounge flicked me a couple times and then CHOMP. She bit down 3 times in a row, and released. I didn't jerk back, as I was afraid to hurt her, but I was shocked, and it did hurt, although it didn't break my skin. She wasn't puffing, hissing, or darkening when she did it. Did she think I was food?

>>I think I may have hand fed my girl too much! I have had her for a week, and she takes food out of my hand without any trouble. The breeder she came from also fed her by hand daily and held her often. I picked her up about 3 days after she arrived, and she wasn't very happy about it, but she tolerated it. Today I tried to pick her up and she bit me! I fed her about 30-45 minutes before, and then reached in to pick her up. She just tounge flicked me a couple times and then CHOMP. She bit down 3 times in a row, and released. I didn't jerk back, as I was afraid to hurt her, but I was shocked, and it did hurt, although it didn't break my skin. She wasn't puffing, hissing, or darkening when she did it. Did she think I was food?

It's the most likely scenario, although you say she "tolerated" you picking her up, so she's probably just not used to you yet. You may have to survive a few tags before she warms up to you, so the best way to handle the situation is not to yank away from her, which you didn't, and, believe it or not, talk to her in a firm, not loud, but even tone, scolding her for what she did. Then, you continue to hold her. This won't negative reinforce her, and she'll eventually stop trying.
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Dl

did you wash your hands after feeding those crickets half hour ago?

If not, when she tongue 'tasted' you, she probably thought your fingers were odd shaped crickets.
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PHLdyPayne

That's what I'm thinking. Not only did I not wash my hands after the crickets, I was also moving butterworms into a single container. I bet I smelled like a smorgeasbord to her! I washed my hands before messing with her food, but I just didn't think about it.