Does your reptile seem to like one particular person?

[snakeynewbie]

We get our creatively named Murray darling python 'Murray' out for a cruise mst nights(when he hasn't just fed) and he likes to cruise around our shoulders or just chill out on the coffee table :lol:

Strangely though he seems to really like our 2 year old daughter. He actively seeks her out and when he's in his tank he'll come right over to the glass to 'chat' with her when she goes over to say hello whereas he won't often do that for anyone else. Luckily she loves him too, she took great delight in watching him eat his rat this morning on the lounge room floor, he seems to much prefer to eat his food out of his tank too, really whacks it then and gets a kick out of 'hunting'for it if we put his feeding tray on the floor somewhere

 

[JS974]

Strangely though he seems to really like our 2 year old daughter.

She's close enough to food size I guess

 

[snakeynewbie]

:lol: nah he's only about 1.2m long so small rats are about his limit

 

[lysseee]

if my little pygmy python is with me she is very calm but as soon as someone else picks her up she wriggles until she can get a hold of me then wraps around very tightly and is calm again. i like to think she loves me and knows i look after her

 

[FAY]

Kids smell a lot tastier?

 

[Skelhorn]

Remember Snakes are used to scents. If you are the one that plays with your snake, feeds and looks after it is more likely to be more relaxed. My snakes also love my 18month old daughter and she enjoys holding them, but hates my partner (wriggles uncontrollably). I actually put a clothe that I had rubbed on my body and face (may sound weird) in their tank as I was going away for 2 weeks. and when I got back (apart from being a little hungry) hadn't changed behaviour at all. I forget where it was though I read about leaving a clothe with your scent on it in their enclosure so they get more familar with you!

 

[nicki71]

My sons Stimmi tends to be more relaxed with me and if anyone else is holding it, it tries to get to me. I am the one who has the most contact with it so thats why I am thinking I am the prefered person

 

[PicklePants]

Remember Snakes are used to scents. If you are the one that plays with your snake, feeds and looks after it is more likely to be more relaxed. My snakes also love my 18month old daughter and she enjoys holding them, but hates my partner (wriggles uncontrollably). I actually put a clothe that I had rubbed on my body and face (may sound weird) in their tank as I was going away for 2 weeks. and when I got back (apart from being a little hungry) hadn't changed behaviour at all. I forget where it was though I read about leaving a clothe with your scent on it in their enclosure so they get more familar with you!

I do that with all my new arrivals. It sure helped calm down the scrubby my ex had! It is a way of introducing your scent in a non-threatening and non-stressful manner. The only problem with doing that was that the scrubby would then "claim" any of our clothes we left in the lounge while he was roaming lol.

Back on topic, my Darwin really only seems to relax when I have him. He was a very nervy hatchy and still can be if he doesn't know someone. I haven't copped a bite from him for a while now, but the aforementioned ex copped quite a few attempted strikes (Rassilon would strike at him even if he was on the other side of the room) and one of my blue tongues follows me around outside. The new one is starting to do it too.

 

[mad_at_arms]

My friend gave me his bearded dragon when he moved and no longer had the space or time to keep him.
He visited about 4 to 5 weeks later, came inside and sat on the couch.
The dragon in question XXX* was sunning himself on the flyscreen.
My friend called his name twice, XXX* dropped off the window ran half way across the room paused, my friend then patted his knee and XXX* climbed up his leg and rested on his knee.
I was pretty awestruck. (and a little bit envious)


*(can't name him, as many passwords could be compromised)

 

[PeppersGirl]

Yes my bearded dragon knows me, he'll often trot over even when there's other people in the room and climb my legs - especially if someone else is getting the attention! Won't do it for anyone else
(we're working on the calling thing )

 

[SteveNT]

When Graeme Gow died his big GTP chucked a huge sulk and just lay on the floor for weeks. Sue Gow found one of his old shirts, threw it in and the GTP went straight back to her perch and started eating again. Story from Sue.

 

[kamandakill]

my carpet python tends to head to my hubby when we're all sitting on the couch. she likes to wrap around/under him n then just sit there for abit. i think it's cause he's bigger and warmer than me! when she does move off him n start roaming she feels quite warm so i reckon that's it.

 

[ianinoz]

Does your reptile seem to like one particular person?

Well Lizzy allows me to tickle her under the chin, but wont let my wife touch her (she backs off an inch or two unless my wife is offering her a food treat by hand).
She hides when visitors come.

Scrapper hides from everyone except me. The kid from next door can't even get within 3 m of Scrapper no matter how quietly and stealthily he approaches the lizard.

The little EWD isn't keen on the kid from next door and tends to hide under the shrub when he comes home from school and comes back out when he's gone.

When I was a kid and had a pet wild beardy, this lizard would let me handle and feed it and if anyone else approached the old avery it lived in it would either go into it's "I'm a big tough dragon ,stay away or I'll bite you" routine or it would hide in its piece of hollow tree branch. My baby sister tried her luck one day and the dragon gave her a really good biting for grabbing it. It never once even threatened to bite me.
My childhood (adulescent boy) pet wild EWS and wild blueys only tolerated me too. No one else in the family or any of my friends could touch or handle them and they would immediately scurry into their hides when ever anyone else entered my bedroom (and you'd see them peaking out).

My childhood pet wild green tree frog (Freddie - yes I know not very original) would come to me and no one else. If anyone else picked it up it would struggle to get away from them, but it didn't seem to mind being petted and stroked by my parents and siblings and friends when it was on me. It didn't particularly like my dad as he was one who evicted Freddie each night from the bathroom sink or the bathtub especially when Freddie was croaking. Freddie always came back in through the open bathroom window and would be there in the bathtub or sink to greet me when I came home from school (no aircon in those days and the sink and bathtub were the coolest places in the house on a hot day or night) . He was very partial to grasshoppers (which I caught for him on the way home from school each afternoon in "The Bush" ,the same place where I caught skinks). I still have very fond memories of Freddie. And have been fond of and kind to frogs my entire life.

Yes - wild skinks and dragons (and frogs) can get to know and like / trust specific people and remain cautious and shy for all other people. I see no reason why captive bred skinks and dragons and frogs would not have favorate people in a household.

 

[Spider178]

My Woma seems to always go to my wife's face when we have her out, I just thought she smelt like a rat. :lol:

 

[ianinoz]

When Graeme Gow died his big GTP chucked a huge sulk and just lay on the floor for weeks. Sue Gow found one of his old shirts, threw it in and the GTP went straight back to her perch and started eating again. Story from Sue.

I've heard similar stories about lizards and snakes who were pets and someone died or they were sold or went to a new owner. I think this is strong evidence that they form very strong bonds and relationships with their special person or special people and they are capable of pining for them and suffering separation anxiety when this person has gone for a long period. Might explain those instances where I've found Lizzy curled up on track pants or polo shirt when I've left them on the lounge to air overnight and how I have often found Lizzy curled up on my favorate lounge seat when I wake up in the morning. Maybe she likes my smell ?

I put my socks in the top of my boots (I still favor slip on safety boots over all other shoes even though I no longer need to ware them) , I do this because I'm scared Lizzy will crawl in when they are off me and I'll squash her when I slip a foot in.

 

[Snakewoman]

My MD will try to get back to me if other people are holding him. I went to a school fair yesterday, and I was holding a nice carpet there. I ended up holding the snake for a while, lots of kids were coming up to see/hold her. I'd never seen this snake before, but she kept trying to come back to me when the children were holding her even though there was nothing wrong with the way they were holding her. Some of the kids weren't much smaller then me so I'm not sure why the snake wanted to come back to me, especially when it isn't familiar with my scent in the first place.

The best part is, the owner of the snake was watching me, and asked if I would like to come and do some volunteer work with them on the weekends. I was told it would start with volunteer work and then I would be paid. I'm happy either way

 

[geckoskin]

My blue tongue is friendly to everyone, except everytime my friend picks it up, it pee's all over him, every time. LOL.
(hates him)