Handling Question

Harley_Davidson · #1 01-12-2012, 12:01 PM

Just wondering how Uroplatus are for handling. I am getting my two Sikorae tomorrow and while I am fine with the fact if they are a look but don't touch kinda gecko cause they are just so cool to look at. But was wondering if they are known to be handleable.

Thanks!

Yoshi'smom · #2 01-12-2012, 01:08 PM

Hey Ann! I'll bet you're excited! Andi & Alex (Hannibal is their user name on here) have some Uros. I'd PM them and ask! They are great and one of my good friends on here. I got one of my garglettes from them! I'm sure some others will post on here too! Good luck with your new arrivals and post some pictures when you can!

Harley_Davidson · #3 01-12-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoshi'smom

Hey Ann! I'll bet you're excited! Andi & Alex (Hannibal is their user name on here) have some Uros. I'd PM them and ask! They are great and one of my good friends on here. I got one of my garglettes from them! I'm sure some others will post on here too! Good luck with your new arrivals and post some pictures when you can!

OMG OMG

I am beyond excited.....

As soon as they are home I will definitely get some pics.

Hannibal · #4 01-12-2012, 02:13 PM

Mine will usually let me know if they want to be handled or not. If they do they will come to the front of the screen and look for a way to go through it to get to me. When I handled them, they usually just sit on my hand/arm & stare at me or walk/climb up & down my arms....but they really like getting eye-level with me. When they had enough they look away from me & try to walk off my hand.

My male Sikoraes seem to enjoy interacting with us more than the females do; however, my female Ebens prefer us over the males.. I do have to say they like to interact more at misting time.

I'd let them settle in for a couple weeks & leave it up to them if they want handled or not. Just don't ever get one upset, when they scream it will scare the 'poop' out of ya. Never thought something so loud or high pitched could ever come out of a Sikorae; sounded like bloody murder. (Happened to me once, praying it doesn't ever happen again.)

Harley_Davidson · #5 01-12-2012, 02:24 PM

OMG really ?! The more I learn about these guys the more excited I get..... I can't believe how hard it it to find breeders though.

pakinjak · #6 01-12-2012, 07:30 PM

After letting them settle in, for the most part I'd say not to handle them. Since they're your first I'd suggest to focus on getting your husbandry down and if you're missing something for the first few months they won't have the stress from handling on top of it. To the point... you just might have your hands full keeping them alive, make that top priority before handling at all.

That being said, I have enough time and animals under my belt to speak from experience- I do not worry at all that handling my uroplatus will have any adverse affects on them at all. This of course, needs qualifications... I keep the larger species- fimbriatus, henkeli, sikorae and sameiti. And by handling, I mean grabbing them gently and weighing them, taking pictures, holding them gently but firmly and getting them to gape to give them hydration or meds. I am not talking about taking them upstairs for an hour and letting them climb the curtains or play with my shitzu.

IMO, they are "look at me" genus, best left alone if possible, but the type of stuff Andi is talking about- letting them crawl up your arm, ect. isn't that big of a deal. I just don't do it for fun, but have had many necessary sessions where neither myself or the animal had any fun, and they ate later that night and acted just like normal.

They're more fragile than the average herp, yeah, but not THAT fragile. At least the species I keep.

miguel camacho! · #7 01-12-2012, 07:44 PM

While it's obvious that there are people who do it without ill effect, I believe most keepers do not suggest frequent handling of the animals. A particularly bad time to begin doing it, at least in my opinion, is right after you get them. They have likely had a stressful trip leading up to your place, and it's probably best not to handle them for a few weeks (at least) to let them settle in and acclimate. Acclimation is really a process that takes more than just a few weeks.

But if handling is something you're going to do, it's best to be safe with it until you get a good idea how they react to it. Keep them low. If they decide to jump while you hold them several feet from the ground, they can get injured when they hit the floor. Be gentle as possible. Try not to actually grip the animal unless that is necessary, as it sometimes is for close examination of the animals. Allowing the animal to walk hand-over-hand is probably the best method. If you let the animal just wander around your body, it's easy to lose sight or have them reach a point that you can't easily reach for. Might be a good idea to do this, if you must, having a spotter on hand to help you get to the gecko if needed.

I STRONGLY suggest that if any of your animals are showing signs of undue stress (intensifying the coloration or darkening, biting, gaping, screaming, constantly jumping away, etc.), it's best to discontinue handling. I personally do not believe Uroplatus should be handled more than is absolutely necessary.

I am not saying that Hannibal is wrong in what was said above, I'm just interested to know if I'm just reading too literally or otherwise. But what makes you determine your animals "want" to be held? I'm not concerned with the body language as you stated so much as your determination that the animals desire to be handled. Do you open the enclosure to have them walk/jump onto you?

Harley_Davidson · #8 01-12-2012, 09:53 PM

The type of handling I was talking about was more what Pakinjak is talking about. Take them out on occasion just to make sure everything is good with them. Pics that sort of thing. Never more than 10 or so minutes and only well after they have settled in. I do understand how important it is to let them get used to their new place and me.

Thanks for the info guys. Will post pics when I can.

Oh and I do have both social (Leos and crestie) and look but don't touch (goldie). I enjoy them all.

Ann

rhacoboy · #9 01-13-2012, 08:09 AM

Agreed with the general census.
I really only take them out if they need to be taken out, ie. for pics, weighing, etc. Mine never really seem to keen on the whole handling thing, especially during the day.

If I ever feel like handling something, I take out my Chahoua or Leachianus.

Good luck!
-Armen

pakinjak · #10 01-13-2012, 08:15 AM

Totally off topic, but I have a male chahoua that is the devil. You'd think he was a tokay the way he bites and lunges at me. I'm just different I guess, I don't ever feel the need to hold anybody.

I do think Mike makes really good point... one made so many times before, but a good one. How do we know when our geckos "want to be held"? Their body language is not like ours, and I'd guess that most of the time they're just trying to get the heck out of there in their own less than flashy way.