Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When outdoors, Spica usually will not allow me to pet her -- she runs(fearing that she will be put back indoors ?). The other day when my kids came in the enclosure I was surprised to see that she assumed what I call, "the submission position" (head up, tail up, eyes closed) when approached by them. She accepted their attention, but does not care for mine while outdoors. Indoors she usually goes into the submission position for me as well.

Scrub is the only one of mine that will assume that posture, and only when he's in his enclosure. I don't know how he reacts to anyone else in his enclosure because I'm the only one that usually goes in with him. He has never done this when he's out doing expos or educational presentations. When he is out he's calm and easy going, quite relaxed.

My cuban Luigi always does that when I go to pet him. He'll stay like that for as long as I am petting him. I have always wondered what that meant.

Some tame cyclura always assume the submission position when approached. I consider it one notch less tame than the ones that don't go into this mode when approached, yet are wanting attention. It is pretty common while taming subadults.

Both Jordan and Lev use to go into the submission position all the time, they both grew out of it. All the males I have owned have grown out of it. When I visited Floyd of Big Pine Key, it was his pet me posture -- that is a nice looking lizard, too bad I was not allowed to take pictures.
That's a nice fresh shed head shot of Scrubs !

but outgrew it a long time ago. Loofah also did it but hasn't for quite some time. I'm curious now if this is peculiar to Rhinos because, thinking back, I don't believe any of my other Cyclura have done this. Please let me know when you decide to rehome Lev. I may be interested depending on the current head count here.