Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I talked to a guy at East Bay Vivarium yesterday about my Cribo aka Buzz saw and how to get him to be tame. He said that:

1) I should find a less stressful way to remove him from his cage.
2) I had to handle him in order for him to calm down and stop biting.
3) I need to allow him to bite me through gloves in order to teach him that biting will not stop him from being handled. Wear heavy clothing and gloves, but let him bite.
4) I should bring him into an enclosed room and hold him. As he moves forwards I should move my hands forwards under his belly.

Is this what you guys would do ?

He also said that:

1) I need to get him a cage that is larger than 4' by 20" by 20". He is about 7' long now.

2) To get him through his shed I should take moss soak it, wring it out and then fill his hide with it. Hopefully, he will burrow into the moss and moisten up his skin.

What size cage does he need ? Is a 6' by 8' by 4' high going overboard ?

Thanks, Conrad
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Peace through Strength
War through Weakness

>>I talked to a guy at East Bay Vivarium yesterday about my Cribo aka Buzz saw and how to get him to be tame. He said that:
>>
>>1) I should find a less stressful way to remove him from his cage.

Agree. I don't know how you are romoving him from his cage now, but if you are approaching him from above that can cause stress.

>>2) I had to handle him in order for him to calm down and stop biting.

Agree.

>>3) I need to allow him to bite me through gloves in order to teach him that biting will not stop him from being handled. Wear heavy clothing and gloves, but let him bite.

Agree to a point. Wear gloves and heavy clothing in case he bites if you want, but don't encourage him to bite. If you are handling him properly, the chances that he will bite are greatly lessened. If he feels he is being threatened or restrained he will bite. That's a natural response. They are not domestic animals like puppies. All of their natural defense mechanisms and instincts are fully intanct and functioning. He will learn after a while that you pose no threat to him and then he will tolerate being handled, but don't expect him to ever enjoy it. If you do get bitten (even with the gloves and such), do not jerk your hand away. This is not so much to keep you from being injured as it is to keep him from being injured. If you jerk away while he's biting, you can break teeth out. This opens him up to infections.

>>4) I should bring him into an enclosed room and hold him. As he moves forwards I should move my hands forwards under his belly.

Agree. This will keep him from feeling like he's being restrained. You are essentially just letting him crawl through your hands continuously.
>>
>>Is this what you guys would do ?
>>
>>He also said that:
>>
>>1) I need to get him a cage that is larger than 4' by 20" by 20". He is about 7' long now.

Agree. A 4 foot cage is too small for a 7 foot Cribo.
>>
>>2) To get him through his shed I should take moss soak it, wring it out and then fill his hide with it. Hopefully, he will burrow into the moss and moisten up his skin.

Agree. Alternately, you could put him in a plastic blanket box full of damp moss or damp towels for a day or so.
>>
>>
>>What size cage does he need ? Is a 6' by 8' by 4' high going overboard ?

Yes, that is overkill. Indigos and Cribos don't need all that height. 6'Lx2'Hx2'D is sufficient. 8'Lx2'Hx3'D is great if you have the space for it.
>>
>>Thanks, Conrad
>>-----
>>Peace through Strength
>>War through Weakness
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I placed my large BT cribo in a pillow case and sat with him on the couch. He was freaking out at first but calmed down eventually.

I placed the pillow case over his hid box hole and just opened the top. He would jet out of the exit hole and into the pillow case. Then I would take him to the couch for a sit. I would feel him moving inside the bag and would hold him allowing him to get use to my feel.

I continued to do this once a week for about two months. I open the end of the pillow case one night and very gently allowed him to poke his head out. He seemed fine until he saw me. I did not make back to the cage unharmed. We are still work out our differences and I hope one day to convince this reptile we are friends. Listen to O.H. Good Luck.

Patients will prevail.

I handled him a bit the last couple of days and he is much less agressive now.

I put on my gloves and jacket and steeled myself to not react to his strikes. Opened the cage door and after one strike and after he stopped. It seemed like he did not what to do. He sat there while I brushed his face with my gloved hand and did not try to bite me!

Then I picked him up with snake hook on his upper body and gloves carrying his lower half. He pretty much held still while I carried him into the house into the bathroom. Then I set him down in the shower and turned on the water to give him a soaking. All he did was cruise around in the shower looking for an escape.

After soaking him for a bit I turned the water off and let him out of the shower. He tried to hide behind the toilet but did not make a big fuss when I pulled him out. I held him a bit and peeled off some of his loose skin with no strikes or threating actions.

I started to get a bit nervouse when he tried to climb up my arm. I am not quite ready for him to climb up near my neck, and face.

I had now difficulties returning him to his cage in the garage either.

I am really happy with the progress we have made. It seams like it will not take long before I can stop worrying about being bitten.

While handling him I noticed that my wrists became exposed so I bought a pair long sleeved wielders gloves. Don't want to take chances.

Conrad
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Peace through Strength
War through Weakness
Defeat through Kerry (like Johnson)

What kind of temp requirements does he need? Have you been able to maintain a constant environment temp-wise in the garage?
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0 of 3 goals complete, but all in good time.

- Eastern Indigo
- Redtail Hawk
- Neopolitan Mastiff

>>What kind of temp requirements does he need? Have you been able to maintain a constant environment temp-wise in the garage?
>>-----

I think I can keep his cage at a livable temperature. I live in San Jose California where the temperature is very mild. It gets up to at most 110 dry degrees in the summer and is only below freezing for a week or so in the winter. Further more, we have good insulation on our house.

Conrad
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Peace through Strength
War through Weakness
Defeat through Kerry (like Johnson)