JazyBear
New Member
Yesterday I finally bought my first reptile, an Eastern Blue-Tongue Skink. I've decided to name him Neo. He's only a baby (I'm assuming about a month or two old) so he can't be sexed yet, but I'm just assuming he's a male for now (Neo can be a girl name too!). I'm super excited to start this keeping journey!
For a couple of weeks I'll leave him alone so he can get used to his new environment. But I'd like some tips on how to bond with him or at least get him comfortable with my presence and handling. He's a little skittish at the moment which is understandable. I've only handled him once to weigh him. I understand that reptiles aren't the "cuddly snuggly" kind of animal, but I would love to try and get him comfortable with handling as he'll be a companion animal. For background, I have anxiety and I'm autistic, so having an animal around helps me deal with daily tasks at home. I'm an avid animal lover, especially when it comes to reptiles, so he's basically the perfect pet for me (not to mention I've wanted a reptile since I was little).
Another thing I understand is that each reptile will have a different personality. My partner's 17 year old blue-tongue named Josie acts like a cat and is super cuddly, where as a friend I have in Melbourne has a blue-tongue who is a little more on the aggressive side. So if Neo decides to not be cooperative with handling and what-not, that's totally fine. Just his presence alone makes me happy.
So yeah, any bonding tips would be greatly appreciated <3
For a couple of weeks I'll leave him alone so he can get used to his new environment. But I'd like some tips on how to bond with him or at least get him comfortable with my presence and handling. He's a little skittish at the moment which is understandable. I've only handled him once to weigh him. I understand that reptiles aren't the "cuddly snuggly" kind of animal, but I would love to try and get him comfortable with handling as he'll be a companion animal. For background, I have anxiety and I'm autistic, so having an animal around helps me deal with daily tasks at home. I'm an avid animal lover, especially when it comes to reptiles, so he's basically the perfect pet for me (not to mention I've wanted a reptile since I was little).
Another thing I understand is that each reptile will have a different personality. My partner's 17 year old blue-tongue named Josie acts like a cat and is super cuddly, where as a friend I have in Melbourne has a blue-tongue who is a little more on the aggressive side. So if Neo decides to not be cooperative with handling and what-not, that's totally fine. Just his presence alone makes me happy.
So yeah, any bonding tips would be greatly appreciated <3
