my sav has a new bad habbit...

devine* · #1 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 01:31 AM

I'm getting very frustrated, my sav has this new bad habbit and I don't know where it came from or how to stop it.

He knows hands arn't food, but sometimes now when I have him out he runs and charges at me!! he will run at me, shove his face into my leg, side or whatever and try to bite down... thankfully I've managed to move fast enough everytime. sometimes he comes at me again!

It's scary and making me frustrated. The only time he will go back to being his calm relaxed self is if I gorge him with food.

any suggestions of how I can tame this bad behaviour? I try saying no in a deep voice, like i did when I taught him fingers wern't food... but it's not working.

bah.

razeraze · #2 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 01:46 AM

Pet him on the sides while his mouth if full, and always keep digits out of mouth's reach. Be sure you stretch your hand out wide so he sees there is nothing in them and they are too big to eat. Feeding can always be dangerous so be careful and keep your toes covered.

devine* · #3 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 02:06 AM

thanks I'll try that. he's usually good with hands, sometimes he gets curious about toes... but this new "charging at me" thing is strange... it's not an overly aggresive charge, he doesn't seem like he hates me. he seems like he honestly just thinks my leg is food.

I'm gonna give him a couple days of no contact with me, then I'll try again.

mongoose5971 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 02:09 AM

Strange.

devine* · #5 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 02:15 AM

I just got a video of him doing it, give me a second to put it up...

devine* · #6 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 03:06 AM

okay video...

if you notice in the video I can pet him and he is comfortable as well as he shows no sign of wanting to attack my fingers... then just before 0:30 I can tell he's about to go after my hip (I'm sitting down legs out next to him) sorry for the crappy video-recording but I had to avoid getting charged yet again.

in the vid you can see he is not being aggressive towards me before or after... so we'll see. I'm ignoring him for the next fea days.

he's grounded. lol jk

YouTube - Bitey Being Bad

BlackLava · #7 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 03:17 AM

haha, bad little guy!! hes adorable though

it looks like hes searching for food or something, idk....

devine* · #8 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 03:21 AM

he just started massively shedding yesterday (as you can tell in the vid) he usually takes just a few days to get rid of it all... but still I don't think thats the reason for his behaviour. and yes he was a fed lots in the last few days, although he is always hungry. I never knew human thigh could be so appealing to a sav suddenly...

It's not that bad, just have to avoid him biting my butt every once in a while!

he's still a good lizard...

razeraze · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 03:29 AM

Definitely hungry. The extensive tongue flicking and wide eyes is a dead give away he wants to eat something or someone. The more you move, the more you look like food. Start feeding him only inside the cage until he stops rushing you.

BlackLava · #10 (**permalink**) 08-21-2008, 03:30 AM

yea, they always act like they are starving lol. yesterday my snakes started wandering all over their cages acting like they havent been fed in sooo long, even though they got fed 6 days before. as if i starve the things....then after they ate, they sit there and watch me, expecting another rat LOL.

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