Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My baby BTS (3 month old) that I got a couple of weeks ago at the Tampa show hisses and threatens me every time I reach down into the enclosure to get him/her.
It does not really scare me and I get him (carefully as to not get bitten) Mostly it seems to be a bluff.
When he/she is out there is no hissing or threats no matter what I do and he/she allows handling and will sit calmly on my lap and be petted and played with.
Is this behavior normal or could there be aggresion problems in the future. Will he/she grow out of it when he gets used to me? Is it just because I am reaching down from above or is he/she just defending it's home or territory.
Any info or ideas would be helpful.
Sonia

Hi, Sonia:
What kind of BTS is it? I mean, what species? Gigas are generally more aggressive than scincoides. In case you don't know what that means, gigas are Indonesian and scincoides are Australian, but sometimes the less expensive gigas are sold as scincoides, so a picture is the best way to know what you have.
The hissing is not necessarily indicative of future problems. Yours is a baby and therefore more vulnerable and less used to you (you've only had him for a couple of weeks). Many BTS will come down right away once you are holding them, as yours is doing. The initial "go-away-you-giant-potential-thing-that-is-going-to-eat-me" reaction is very natural and will probably go away with time.
Again, knowing what species you have will help in making an educated guess as to its tendency for aggressiveness.
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Edward
Carpe diem

here is a photo

You had posted that picture before. Anyway, my answer is still the same. Most of the defensiveness is due to its age and the newness of its environment and the giant human visitor. It will fade away with time with continued handling.
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Edward
Carpe diem