Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm sorry to post this again, I know it's long, but I'm concerned about my boy & no one responded below:

My BTS, Indy, has always been friendly enough. He was lost for 5 days about 6 weeks ago & has recovered well. However, since returning he is less friendly, often "puffing" at me when I go to pet him & yesterday he started looking up at me & opening his mouth when I open the cage. He is fine when I hold him, seems calm, doesn't puff or hiss. Before his 5 day vacation, I used to let him out to run around the herp room several times a week. Now I only do this when I change his cage, every 2 weeks or so.
Any idea what's going on? He seems healthy, eats well, lives on substrated changed this weekend from carpet to Aspen bedding. His hot side, even with a rheostat on the lowest setting, is 100 degrees, but he hangs out there all the time & seems to like the temp. Any suggestions on how to decrease that as well?

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1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn snake Fuzzy
1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
3 Hermit crabs Cletus, Jethro & Bubba
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

It seems to me that that 'taste of freedom' that Indy experienced may have rekindled his wild instincts, even if he was CBB. I know when I built a 4' x 6' enclosure for my BTS, he immediately started running, and fast, whenever I would try to capture him, and hiss! He wants to be left out in his more 'natural' environment! And being held and petted is not 'natural' to any reptile! I suspect Indy will calm down eventually, but I wonder if in their mind they consider themselves captives, when they would much rather be free! Not possible, of course, them being free, but we can try to give them an enclosure as close to natural as we possibly can.
Just thinking...
what do you think?

Beth T

I had a BTS for a few years, and he was a really great lizard for 9 months, and then every spring he would treat my hand like a chew toy. And then he would go back to being a real pussy cat.

It could be hormones. Or it could be the taste of freedom.

do you have any cats and/or dogs in the area that he would have needed to defend himself against? that could be the problem, he's now used to having to defend himself and cause you are bigger than him he could see you as a threat.

Yes, we have two cats. Any suggestions on re-taming?
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1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn snake Fuzzy
1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
3 Hermit crabs Cletus, Jethro & Bubba
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena

the only thing i can think of is try handling him more often and showing no fear towards him. this will show him you are the donimate being.

n/p
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1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn snake Fuzzy
1.3.0 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1.1 frogs Buffy the Cricket Slayer, Butrose Butrose Froggy
1.1.4 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Juice Newton, Olivia Newton John & Helmut Newton
3 Hermit crabs Cletus, Jethro & Bubba
1.1.0 cats Gus & Mena