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Geckoman619   Mattsass   PrinceSushi   Paul Garcia   PrinceSushi   Paul Garcia   Aliceinwl  
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 #1635587


Geckoman619
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 M.e.a.n.

I have a alligator lizard that i had for a bit but man is that lizard the meanest thing on this planet!!!!!
02/24/08  01:36am

 #1652393


Mattsass
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   Message To: Geckoman619   In reference to Message Id: 1635587


 M.e.a.n.

yup i caught one once and that thing latched on my finger and did a death roll. they are tough little lizards
03/08/08  01:07am

 #1652940


PrinceSushi
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   Message To: Geckoman619   In reference to Message Id: 1635587


 M.e.a.n.

Its completely natural for them to behave that way. To expect them to be friendly is like expecting a rattle snake to be a cuddle bug.

Mine tolerates handling when he needs a bath and when he needs to be moved while I clean the tank but he still shows off his mouth and teeth if my finger gets to close or touch his head.



03/08/08  03:30pm

 #1653066


Paul Garcia
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   Message To: PrinceSushi   In reference to Message Id: 1652940


 M.e.a.n.

You should re-think how you are treating your lizards. Are you feeding them enough? Are you handling them like pets?
I have two of them and they are very even tempered. They have never shown me any agression.
You should feed them every other day till they get bigger, then feed them every day. My lizards love to sit on my shoulder and climb all over me. They stay in my hair for hours.
After reading a lot of these logs, I don’t think you guys are feeding yours enough.



03/08/08  05:43pm

 #1653230


PrinceSushi
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   Message To: Paul Garcia   In reference to Message Id: 1653066


 M.e.a.n.

Why would you say that?
Do you know how rude it is to accuse people of things without providing evidence to back up your claim?
A healthy alligator lizard should be fed every single day, not every other day, no matter what its age may be. Have you checked you temperatures? What about blood tests and fecal exams? An alligator lizard that behaves the way you described actually concerns me because its not natural nor normal.

Its in their instincts to attack and not back down, they are predators and know it. Yes, the larger they become, the more they tolerate because they feel more powerful and less likely to be eaten. They will crawl on humans and flip their tongue but this does not mean they are happy or seek out this attention or that they prefer it over their enclosure. Tongue flips are not "kisses" they are ways of testing the environment, seeking out heat, and looking for prey. The way they behave can easily be compared to most monitors.Please due some research on reptile behavior.



03/08/08  08:13pm

 #1654076


Paul Garcia
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   Message To: PrinceSushi   In reference to Message Id: 1653230


 M.e.a.n.

Soory but I am commentng on what I have read. I don’t need to do tests to know that my pets are healthy and happy.
I can tell by how much they have grown, how much they eat, and how happy they are to be touched by humans. remember these are Gods’s children and gifts to us.
Since it sems that you are the expert in this forum and can’t handle other opinion’s then I should not spend time here and leave.
Goodbye.
03/09/08  03:03pm

 #1655013


Aliceinwl
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   Message To: Paul Garcia   In reference to Message Id: 1654076


 M.e.a.n.

I also have some very tame alligator lizards (even a wild caught adult). With regular consistent, gentle handling they can become very tame. If you can get them to associate handling with being fed, they’ll even seem to start seeking it out. They’re pretty smart little lizards and if the handling is consistent and associated with something positive (like food) they’ll soon lose all of their fear. Wild caught individuals that aren’t handled consistently, will maintain their defensive demeanors.

I use my southerns for educational presentations. I’ve taken the time to habituate them to handling so that they will not be unduly stressed and will "behave" themselves. My northerns and original madrean pair, are primarily hands off pets so they’re still pretty defensive, but I have no doubt that they would tame down if worked with.
03/10/08  12:55am


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