Well I got a phone call from my favorite reptile store and they said they had some cb babies available (my boyfriend's been looking a couple months now). So I drove over there, watched them eat and then picked my fav. I currently have him in a ten gallon, which will eventually be replaced. He crawled out of the travel container into my hand and was fine, then jumped into the vegetation(silk plants). My question is, after I let him settle in for a week or two(is that too long/short?) how do I go about actually picking him up? I usually put my finger in front of my crestie's face and he crawls on but something tells me sticking my fingers close to a tokay's face isn't the best idea lol. I don't want to hurt him by picking him up wrong though.
get some gloves! then just treat him as you would your crestie, if you do it regularly and from so young you have a half decent chance of taming the little dude mine will put up with being picked up under his front legs,
Ok, I'll go about it that way, thanks! Should I just start with petting him first? Cause as of right now he runs and hides when he catches me looking at him lol. Also he's got a lot of stuff to hide in and around so should I take some of it out when I try to start taming him?
Yeh, petting first sounds to me like a good idea. I'd wait at least a week though before you start handling. You've got a good oppertunity there, having a CB tokay, and at such a young age too. Good luck with the taming! Keep us posted, and let us know how things go!
To start off with..have your hand in the cage every day..so he can get used to you..and your smell. Try to pet him..not with one finger in his face but a flat hand two fingers from the side, if he bites..move something in the cage...if he lets you..stroke him twice or so then..move something in the cage...kinda letting him know..your in there to move something. Start with getting your hand in there...work up to stroking..and then...to pick him up....lay your hand flat and touch lightly near where his tail meets his body ..he will walk forward...on to your hand...or right over your hand..but thats a start. I would give him at the very least 2 weeks before you attempt to pet or pick up..so he can adjust...but definatly have your hand in there daily.
Brian is in charge of him now (seeing as how it's really his, I just bought it). I suppose it's going as well as can be expected. I know that he can pet him just fine, but I he hasn't really tried to pick him up yet. Personally I'm afraid that if he bites me I'll have an involuntary panick and fling him across the room... so I haven't tried lol.
"Personally I'm afraid that if he bites me I'll have an involuntary panick and fling him across the room..." Thats a worry of mine kmckenna lol Ive always been scared of doing it with all my animals. Its never happened though. Try to pay asmuch attention as possible to what your doing with him as to be ready for any painful suprise he has for you and hopefully you'll just go owww! and not throw the poor little dude lol Paul
if it's a baby I just say bite the bullet and get him used to your bare hands. he can't bite you that hard if he's just a baby. I wish I tried to handle mine more when I first got him (3" long & 2 weeks old) Instead I waited until he was about 6 inches and boy was that a mistake lol
I haven't handled Skeeter but Brian has and he can pet him now at least for a few seconds before he wanders off. I think he's going to start trying to pick him up soon. Personally I'm worried he's going to jump away and escape into the room somewhere. Any suggestions to preventing a runaway gecko?
LOL. Just do it in a room where he can be controlled like the bathroom maybe. Take a chair in there with you just incase he gets on the ceiling. I wouldn't be too concerned about him fleeing too much though as some reptiles will freeze when you bring them out of the tank cause they are unfamiliar with the surroundings
yeah, i figured the bathroom would be the best place. Close the AC vent and plug the drains lol. It would be our luck... Skeeter tries escape his cage a lot of times we lift the lid, so far he hasn't succeeded.