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Guest
Guest
Hi all,
My once docile 2010 extreme, Javier, has recently become extremely skittish whenever I put him down outside of his enclosure (the bathroom floor, the couch, my desk, etc.--all places he is used to exploring and lounging in). Nothing has changed in terms of the frequency or nature of our interactions--I still handle him daily, lift him up in the same way, and practice the same good habits I learned from all of you more experienced members.
He doesn't so much as blink when I work in his enclosure, pick him up, or handle him. Yet as soon as I let him walk around in other (but still familiar) environments, he has a drastic flight response, bolting to the nearest dark corner and even vibrating his tail and arching his back if I approach him. That's as far as his display goes; so far, he hasn't offered to bite or made good on his "threats" to tailwhip me. I'm much more concerned about the change for his sake, as I hate to cause him unnecessary stress when handling him. I also hate to think that each episode undoes the work I put in helping him adjust to my presence.
Has anyone ever dealt with a similar change in temperament? I have to admit to some frustration, as I've worked very hard to earn his trust over our first few months together and things had been going splendidly until about ten days ago. It's important to me that Javier can walk around the tegu-safe rooms of our apartment with out restriction once he reaches an appropriate size, but that will not be possible if he continues to react this way.
I will be deeply grateful for any advice!
Thank you!
David
My once docile 2010 extreme, Javier, has recently become extremely skittish whenever I put him down outside of his enclosure (the bathroom floor, the couch, my desk, etc.--all places he is used to exploring and lounging in). Nothing has changed in terms of the frequency or nature of our interactions--I still handle him daily, lift him up in the same way, and practice the same good habits I learned from all of you more experienced members.
He doesn't so much as blink when I work in his enclosure, pick him up, or handle him. Yet as soon as I let him walk around in other (but still familiar) environments, he has a drastic flight response, bolting to the nearest dark corner and even vibrating his tail and arching his back if I approach him. That's as far as his display goes; so far, he hasn't offered to bite or made good on his "threats" to tailwhip me. I'm much more concerned about the change for his sake, as I hate to cause him unnecessary stress when handling him. I also hate to think that each episode undoes the work I put in helping him adjust to my presence.
Has anyone ever dealt with a similar change in temperament? I have to admit to some frustration, as I've worked very hard to earn his trust over our first few months together and things had been going splendidly until about ten days ago. It's important to me that Javier can walk around the tegu-safe rooms of our apartment with out restriction once he reaches an appropriate size, but that will not be possible if he continues to react this way.
I will be deeply grateful for any advice!
Thank you!
David
