I feel guilty because we dont like each other :(

[Geckogirl_88]

Hi
I recently gave a home to a rescued sudan plated lizard. I had been researching them for a while and think they are beautiful so when my local shop asked me to take Dyna I jusmped at the chance.

Its only 10 days since I got her and im already conviced she hates me. She still hasn't eaten, which im told is normal for larger lizards settling in, so im not too worried, plus she showed a little interest today.

Problem is, she watches me like a hawk all the time. When i go into her viv to give her fresh food, she flips out, running all over the place and usually tearing my hand to shreds with her claws.


I feel rediculous even saying this as its only been a measly 10 days, but Im not sure I actually like her. That sounds so awfull I feel awful saying it
I got some practise in before, handling my friends male and feeding it etc, but its a different thing altogether having Dyna here.

I hate to think what might happen if she doesn't settle down.
Id never let her care drop, even if it means having my hand made into ribbons, as she is my responsibility, so dont worry about that.
I just wish she'd... i dont even know lol.... i just can seem to bond with her
With my leos i bonded with them straight away. I thought it was maybe cos they were tame, but my crestie is a wild lil blighter lol and i still love him, even if he does keep biting me. And the baby leos are wild when they're born, but i still love them, so i dont think thats the problem.

I dont know. I've never felt this before. I've never really met an animal i didnt fall in love with, and i love surrounding myself with lots of different animals with lots of different personalities.

I dunno
Im probably just being stupid lol.
I do wish she would calm down tho, not for my sake, but because its not good for her to be so stressed.

I only go into her tank to change her food and water. Sometimes she is calm and will let me stroke her under the chin, but even then she's still watching me like a hawk, and she usually just runs away from me.
I haven't handled her too much at all, and she should be used to me being in the room as its my bedroom and im in there all day studying.

Has anyone else ever felt this way?
What can i do to reassure her?

xx

[joeyboy]

maybe she'll never be all that tame, it's not as if it's in any natural for a lizard to be stroked under the chin. Then again I suppose I'm a bit more of look and don;t touch kind of owner. So the smaller skittish geckos do me.

[jools]

She may well have been badly treated if she was a rescue so flips when she sees you. Does she react the same to all ppl or is she just "picking" on you? She probably will calm down eventually but to what extent - who knows?
It is not wrong or abnormal to have stronger feelings for some animals than others - we all have our favourites and least favourites.

[AmyW]

I have 3 plated lizards. None of them like to be handled too much.

I have one who will come out now and again, one that if you hold him very well supported will allow you to pick him up, no major handling just move him. And the female I have is scatty as hell. She wont let me pick her up, she flies round the viv and even when I do get to pick her up, she tail whips and scratches.

But I still go in an confidently pick them up. But I do not over handle them.
Most Sudan/african plateds are wild caught. It is cheaper for wc than cb so more wc are on the market.
This is why they are scared/skittish/nervous etc... Sometimes they can end up being ok other times not!

No matter how mental they are, I still love them to pieces. But I don't like overhandling of lizards anyway. Not a cuddly person I guess...

What foods have you tried them with? Mine love fruits, beans, toms, pepper etc... Crickets, locusts and all worms and they love snails.

[Darwin]

I can totally understand your worries & fears...its not nice being hurt by your pets...i had my beardie on my shoulder last summer and my hair must have tickled his face. He shook his head (like they do when a cricket or something lands on them), and i ended up with a lacerated face that bled quite a bit.

This kind of put me off him and I'm still a bit nervous of him, especially when he wants to go on my shoulder.

On the other hand I recently rescued 2 leopard geckos who, (although large adults) were thin and showing signs of metabolic bone disease. The male bit me the first day and I thought I wouldn't warm to them...after a few weeks I began to adore these two and will now never part with them (even though I was planning to rehome eventually).

I found as soon as they put on weight and began to feel better, they were less hostile to me. I don't know their history other than their set up was totally wrong and in the end they were just shut in a spare bedroom and left to get on with it.

My best suggestion to you is to give it a bit more time, then if you still feel the same you could fine it a real good permenant home through the forum and that way you have still done your bit!!

Sarah xx

[LiamRatSnake]

I think you just need to give it time. My OH takes it personally when the rabbit bites her and goes on something rotten that the rabbit hates her. I just have to calmly explain that the rabbit hates everyone. Anywho, give it time to settle in and calm down and hopefully I'm sure you'll bond in time.

[Geckogirl_88]

I was told by the previous owner that she loved being handled. She'd had her since she was a baby but ran out of space so took her to my local for rehoming. My local is full up atm so she asked me if id take one as they only had space for the other 2.

Im worried i'll never be very good with bigger lizards. When I was little, the first lizard I ever saw was an adult bearded dragon. I waas standing across from the tank while my cousin changed its water, and all of a sudden it jumped at me and started scratching at my neck!
I know now that it just wanted to be higher up, aimed for my shoulder and missed. It was just trying to hold on.
But I was only 9. As far as I was concerned at the time, a very big, very real dinosaur had just tryed to rip out my jugular.
I still have a faint scar from one of the deeper scratches :/

Iv never been very good with adult beardies, though i do love them.
Actually, now i think about it, iv never been very good with anything much bigger than my leos :/
I really like the idea of having a bigger lizard which acts like a dog, and i was told that this plated liked cuddling up on ppls laps nd watching tely with you.
The woman probably just said that so Id take it She only mentioned it after i said i wasn't sure. But i thought if it was tame, it would just be a case of feeding it and giving it a good home.

Instead I just feel awful whenever I see her, cos i know she hates ppl. I just feel awful now for keeping her in a tank in my messy little room. Esp if she might be wild caught. I didnt think about that at the time

What should I do?
There are loads of mealies nd beatles running around in her tank cos she kept tipping her dish over, but iv never seen or heard her eat anything.

xx

[LiamRatSnake]

Originally Posted by Geckogirl_88

I was told by the previous owner that she loved being handled. She'd had her since she was a baby but ran out of space so took her to my local for rehoming. My local is full up atm so she asked me if id take one as they only had space for the other 2.

Im worried i'll never be very good with bigger lizards. When I was little, the first lizard I ever saw was an adult bearded dragon. I waas standing across from the tank while my cousin changed its water, and all of a sudden it jumped at me and started scratching at my neck!
I know now that it just wanted to be higher up, aimed for my shoulder and missed. It was just trying to hold on.
But I was only 9. As far as I was concerned at the time, a very big, very real dinosaur had just tryed to rip out my jugular.
I still have a faint scar from one of the deeper scratches :/

Iv never been very good with adult beardies, though i do love them.
Actually, now i think about it, iv never been very good with anything much bigger than my leos :/
I really like the idea of having a bigger lizard which acts like a dog, and i was told that this plated liked cuddling up on ppls laps nd watching tely with you.
The woman probably just said that so Id take it She only mentioned it after i said i wasn't sure. But i thought if it was tame, it would just be a case of feeding it and giving it a good home.

Instead I just feel awful whenever I see her, cos i know she hates ppl. I just feel awful now for keeping her in a tank in my messy little room. Esp if she might be wild caught. I didnt think about that at the time

What should I do?
There are loads of mealies nd beatles running around in her tank cos she kept tipping her dish over, but iv never seen or heard her eat anything.

xx

I think you need to get some self confidence. I very much doubt that it will care what your room looks like, even the wild isn't very tidy. She will probably eat when she's hungry, as long as she isn't losing weight, she will probs be settling it. I never see my leos eat mealies, but they're putting on weight somehow. Instead of worrying, focus your energies on making her happy and calm. These things take time you don't know her background. It's always possible that she'll never be a pet which likes being handled, but you'll never know unless you try, if this is the case and you're not happy to have a look and don't touch pet, then maybe you'll need to make the decision to give her to someone who is.

[AmyW]

Only one of my plateds will eat in full view, he's just a pig. The others will wait until Ive gone!

Either give it time, or rehome, don't feel too bad about it. Just try and rehome with someone who has the time for him/her.

If you weren't so far away I'd take him/her!
I love Plateds, only have time for them and skinks!!

The only thing I can suggest is to confidently pick them up and hold them with a lot of support. ie under there body and support at the base of the tail.
One of mine I hold the base of the tail tightly otherwise I get hurt.


They are more of a flight than fight lizard...

[AmyW]

Have you got some hides in there?

Mine have lots of things to hide behind.

Just some pics of my vivs to give you an idea...