Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a new Mali Uromastyx yesterday.
Since it was late when we got home with him, I set his cage up this morning.
I put him in his cage and it was easy to see that he was afraid.
Stupid me thought I would pick him back up for a minute and hold him in my hand to soothe him a little.
Bad Idea!!
He clamped on my finger like a mini-vice. I thought I was never going to get him to turn loose. He just clamped harder and harder.
My hubby tried to help. I tried staying perfectly still for a few moments....that didn't work.
We tried covering him so he would feel secure....that didn't work.
We tried giving him a little spray of water from a spray bottle...that didn't work.
I tried rubbing his head and talking to him....that didnt' work.
If I moved at all, he clamped harder and I mean to tell you....IT HURT!
Finally after all else had failed....I told my hubby to help me slowly move to the bathroom with him.
We ran warm water from the tap over him and FINALLY...he let go.

My poor finger throbs like crazy now and I have a round white spot about the size of a pea. It barely broke the skin it just pinched right where a nerve is in the finger and it really, really hurt.

I already have a Nigerian Uro (yellow phase) that I have for quite some time and he has never ever attempted to bite, no matter what I did.

It really took me by surprise when the new fellow laid into me.

Anyone else ever experience getting bit by their Uro?
I am assuming it did it because it was scared. Any thoughts?

I've only been bit once by my male mali when he was young but it was an honest mistake. I had some juvie iggy pellets in my open hand (it's like candy to him) and he got a little too excited and took a bite along with my finger. It pinched but he didn't stay clamped down on it for more than a few seconds before he let go. I guess it didn't feel right to him. That was just a mistake bite, not a malicious one. I've been tail-whipped several times before but only bitten once by mistake.
Always keep your hands away from a uro's head, just to be on the safe side.

-----
1.1.3 Mali Uromastyx (Ra, Isis, Ramses, Set, Horus)
1.1 Satanic Leaftail Geckos (Diablo and Samael)

well, congrats on the new guy and i am sorry you had a bad start with him but at least it can only get better from there! esoteric let me in on a little trick of tickling their chins. i have never had to use it on my uros but it did work when two of my collareds were fighting and the one was trying to eat the other's tail.
when dealing with a spastic lizard or a new lizard, i keep my fingers together and my hand flat, that way there are less small things for them to latch onto. i have been tailwhipped a couple times but usually my uros are very nice. once helga was ticked about being woken up to get the cage cleaned and s-danced and hissed at me and hugo the whole time she was in the temp cage. i took hugo out of them temp cage and let her have the hissy fit alone
-----
vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

>>Stupid me thought I would pick him back up for a minute and
>>hold him in my hand to soothe him a little.

Although your intentions are good, I don't think picking them up is at all soothing and is actually counter to what you are intending it to be
-----
2.3.0 uromastyx geyri (Saharan/Nigerian)
0.0.4 uromastyx hardwickii (Indian)
3.6.0 uromastyx macfadyeni (Somalian)
1.2.0 uromastyx ocellata (Sudanese)
1.3.0 uromastyx ornata (Ornate)
1.0.0 uromastyx benti pseudophilbyi

Sorry to hear that. I was scwirming in my seat reading your post. I have had my Saharan take a shot at me a few times when we first got him. His nostrals were clogged up and I was working to clear them. He never did get me but he sure did try. Besides that he has only really clamped down on a wooden rod. Unfortunitly, we had to med him for 2 months to get him healthy. He would open for the wooden dowel but would clamp down on it and not let go. So we just let him sit until he decided to let go of it. No rubbing or wiggling would make him give it up. After about 6 weeks he was getting good and strong and broke one of them. They were about 1/8" in diameter and I was really glad it wasn't a finger.
-----
Jon

0.1.0 Uromastyx Mali
1.0.0 Uromastyx Red Saharan
0.0.1 House Gecko
1.0.0 Green Anole

http://www.geocities.com/jonneighbors/Uromastyx_Photos.html?1118390559062

Hi, congratulations on the new VICE, ooopps I mean uro, hehehehee LOL I wish you all the best with your new little friend!

If that ever happens again just go to the freezer and get an icecube, and hold on the side of his face, he should release real fast!
This is a known method to get them to UNLOCK their jaws!

Hope we get some pics of this little pit bull , I'm sure he was very frieghtened, and will settle down soon
-----
PHEve/ Eve

Contact PHEve

I never thought/heard of that..... I'll have to keep that in mind.
-----
Jon

0.1.0 Uromastyx Mali
1.0.0 Uromastyx Red Saharan
0.0.1 House Gecko
1.0.0 Green Anole

http://www.geocities.com/jonneighbors/Uromastyx_Photos.html?1118390559062

I have never had a uro bite me in anger... only nips when they mistake me for food.
The ice cube 'trick' works very well. As a teenager I worked in an exotic pets shop in Massachusetts, and we did that with the collard lizards.
Once a young savanah monitor wouldn't let go until we put the entire animal (and the owner's hand) into a freezer for 15 seconds.
--benedita

Similar to SunFox I have only been bitten once by a juvie, and by accident. I was hand feeding Mosca and he got a little overzealous. UNLIKE Sunfox, I reacted by twitching and Mosca did NOT let go right away, lol. It DID hurt like the dickens, and he only held on for a minute! I can only imagine what your finger must feel like.

Congratulations on your new Uro, hopefully once he gets more settled he will calm down. Come up with any good names for him to mark the event? :-D

Elizabeth
-----
1.0 Mali Uro Archimedes (May he rest in peace)
0.0.1 Egyptian Uro Zuberi Mosca Khu (Mosca)
0.0 Fish
0.1 Sulcata Minnie
1.1 Iguanas Flik and Loki
0.1 Newfoundland Jasmine (RIP)
0.1 Feline Winter
Indiana & Wisconsin

Rocky thought my pinky was a meal worm and when there's one of those around, look out! He loves 'em!
-----

2.1 - Rocky, Runako, and RoxyIII (my care sheets)