Let’s say you see a reptile and you’ve decided that you want him to be your new forever scale buddy. You buy all the necessary equipment, get all the food prepared, and have their whole setup ready for them.
You arrive home and place them in their enclosure, but for some reason, they seem panicked and refuse to eat.
What gives?
FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE
When taking care of any new animal companion, it’s always good to think about one thing: How does it look from their eyes? I brought home my Iguana, Peewee, when she was a tiny hatchling. As soon as I let her into her new home, she bolted and wanted nothing to do with me.
Of course, it was frustrating: I wanted to form an immediate connection with Peewee, in the same way I would have done with a Dog or Cat. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case with Peewee — and it won’t be the case for most exotic animals, too.
Now, imagine you’re such an animal. You were living in a space with all your brothers and sisters when all of a sudden, a giant human 500 times larger than you comes over, picks you up, and gives you to another giant human who may or may not eat you. You have no idea what will happen, and you also have no way to defend yourself because of how tiny you are. Wouldn’t you freak out?
3 THINGS YOU CAN DO
The best way to form a bond with a new Reptile friend is through understanding where they’re coming from. Have patience. Make it easy for them to adjust to their new environment with the following tips.
PLACE THEM IN A SAFE ROOM
Choose a space where they can watch the world go by without constantly being approached.
DON’T PICK THEM UP
Especially when they don’t trust you yet, they will think you’re going to eat them given the size difference so don’t pick them or force handle them.
GIVE THEM TIME
I usually leave them alone for about 1-2 weeks before any sort of interaction besides cleaning or giving them fresh food and water.
After two weeks, it’s time to start slowly interacting.
GETTING THEM USED TO YOU
The best thing to do is to stay in the same space without touching them so that they can observe you in their own space. What I did when I first got Peewee as a kid was build a makeshift desk next to her cage and stay close by so that she’d get used to me.
You can also put them in a place you pass by often, or even in your room, so that they can see that you aren’t a threat.
EARNING TRUST
One really good way to ask Lizards to allow you to hold them is to place your arm in their space without touching them. The goal is to enforce positive interactions whenever you’re with them: With each interaction, do your best to not freak them out.
If your arm is perfectly still inside their enclosure but they still freak out, remove your arm and try again later — a bit farther this time. Once you find a distance they’re comfortable with, slowly inch your arm closer with each try, always making sure to match their preferred pace, until they allow you to pick them up.
If they flail around when you pick them up, do not put them down right away. Hold on to them correctly and wait until they’re calm, so that they realize that there’s no need for them to thrash around.
TONGS TO THE RESCUE
Another method to facilitate contact with a new Reptile companion uses feeding tongs.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TONGS
Make sure there are no excessively sharp edges that can hurt them.
ESTABLISH REGULAR MEAL TIMES
Then, using the tongs, try to feed them.
STICK YOUR ARM OUT
Stick your arm out near their enclosure, slowly inching towards them with each feeding. Making sure you don’t rush the process, the goal is to have them climb onto your arm without them running away.
IT TAKES TIME
With any animal friend, the goal is to take things slow and earn their trust. Always stay empathetic towards them, and you’ll see that almost every single animal will trust you to a certain degree.
Creating a special bond with your new scaly friend takes time! Enjoy the process and acknowledge the different personalities each Reptile has.
IMPORTANT REMINDER
Do not use your bare hands to feed them — they might associate your hand with food and accidentally bite it.
