I have been slowly working with Orange Crush and Iliana on their time. Both females are a bit defensive and nippy. I been letting them come to me to smell and feel me to know im not there to harm them . I use a hook to work with them as well as just being still and letting them climb up my arm.
I still love my nippy babies tho.
Yay for you for continuing to work with your beautiful defensive girls. Can’t recall if I mentioned this to you, but in case I haven’t, something that can be helpful for getting them used to your scent is putting an item you’ve worn and not washed into their viv. They often like curling up in cloth. I don’t have any scientific studies to back up the concept, but it’s logical that curling up and feeling safe in cloth which smells like you should ease their defensiveness when you interact with them. It’s similar to what you’re doing by putting your arm in their enclosure, except it’s 24/7 and easier on you.
We have done that same thing with hedgehogs. Dont see why it wouldn’t work with reptiles too.
Yeah, I’ve done this with a bunch of critters. No hedgehogs, but there have been bunnies, guinea pigs, frightened rescued dogs and cats, even a few skittish horses. It can’t possibly hurt anything- other then the item of clothing. Lol
I shall have to try this out see how they react. At times they seem bold and inquisitive but in the next moment defensive. I have learned to move slow with them as moving too fast or touching them too fast boosts their anxiety and they react with a quick nip. It doesn’t hurt but its still a bit shocking. Sometimes they let me hold them for short bits, other times their body language says no. None of my snakes really like being held they usually want to keep moving. Still everything is on their time and they always determine the amount of interaction they want. I’m not for forcing my animals to be social. Ill never just scoop up one of my babies and hold them, i have learned some cues from them about what they need from me.
