Update on Hacksaw the GTP

[SlitherinSisters]

I got him in his new home a few days ago...that was fun!

I was going to convert a china cabinet of sorts, it has a fancy name, but I can't remember it. Then I decided not to do that because the cabinet is pretty nice and belonged to my grandma and my extended family would not be impressed. I couldn't find any cabinets anywhere that I liked, so I just broke down and bought this instead.


He's so pretty!



But not so friendly... He has tried to bite me so many times!!! He gets angry whenever I mist the tank. This picture was right after I misted the tank.


He looks huge when he's all stretched out! This was when I moved him to the new tank. GTPs are so smart! He doesn't care one bit about the cats or dogs, but when I look at him he gets a little huffy. He's a bit better now. I can put my hand against the glass but as soon as I open the door he rushes towards it. Yikes!!!


Does anyone know of some good care sheets. I've read through a lot, but they all seem to have a part that I'm not too sure about. Like, only wild caught GTP are aggressive and you can easily handle a captive bred one....yeah right! Hacksaw is not friendly at all! I've also read things like you should dust your rat with vitamins and I'm betting that's bull. Also, he's sitting at about 82-83, I'm thinking the temps need to be a bit higher. I have a higher wattage flexwatt that I'm going to switch out.

Also, I've read over and over that they are much more difficult to care for than a BP. What is so different about a GTP and a BP that I need to know. Am I missing something? I mist twice a day, he's at 82-83 and I'm going to raise that a bit tomorrow when I get the new flexwatt soldered, I will put some fake plants in there, give him a real water bowl, and get his perched fixed. He knocked over his perch when I put him in there and that's the best I could fix it without taking it out, which is really scary! I'm going to get a new one made and glue it so it can't get knocked over, that or get a spring loaded shower rod to fit in there somehow. I know it looks like the perch is against the back, it is, but only the right side is touching it, so he's not squished between the perch and the back wall. He does like a coil or two to be slightly against the back wall so he stays in the middle or slightly on the right of the perch. Eventually I will get it moved entirely off the back wall, but I want to let him settle in before I do too much.