Crested Biting

[Jerboa]

This is the first time Piper and Wilson have ever done this, much less nipped at each other. I got up this morning and was looking in the enclosure, and they were laying next to each other, as they often are. The next thing I know, Wilson is biting Piper on his back, but they are just sitting there like that, not fighting or anything. It looked like Wilson didn't really have a hold, just a little bit of skin. It actually looked like Wilson's head was stuck to Piper's side/back. Well, I broke it up and they seperated and looked as if they were going to go to sleep. About an hour later, I walked in and this time Piper was biting Wilson's face, but not fighting, just biting lightly.

Anybody know what this could be? I'm a little worried about it?

[mlededee]

do you know their sexes? it could be that either they are both males and they are beginning to show dominance and aggression toward eachother or they are male and female and the male is attempting to breed with the female.

[kavmon]

i'd seperate them until you have sexes figured out. if they are a male/female pair, then one may not like the other?


vaughn

[mlededee]

the only times i have seen my cresteds biting eachother were:

1. i had 4 juvies together. i witnessed one of them biting the another and separated the one that was getting bitten. it soon turned out to be male. the same thing happened with one of the other juvies a few weeks later.

2. i put a new adult female into an enclosure with 2 other adult females. one of the females nipped twice at the new one and they then commenced to all get along perfectly. i guess it was just a little initiation/i'm checking you out kind of thing.

in any case it may be best to separate them until you see what sex they are. if both females they may be able to be reintroduced with supervision to make sure they are getting along ok.

[Jerboa]

Wilson is female and Piper is male...yes, I know the names are backward, but I didn't know their sex when I first got them.

[Schlyne]

I'm sure' youv'e seperated them by now, but it happens.

Nip lived with Blush without a problem until she laid her first batch of eggs. Then she bit his nose and I had to seperate them.

I tried putting another female in with Nip and she wouldn't take it either.