The great Outdoors..

[zina10]

I still can’t get over him! Couple questions...

When I had my Ambanja Panther Chameleon I never worried bringing him out because they are slower than slow and don’t jump. Aren’t geckos fast? And jump? Does that worry you?

When Kobi would fire up/change colors it was because he was irritated. Until recently I didn’t know other lizards could change colors. What does it mean when a gecko fires up or down?


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Remember, I'm very new to them as well, so I'm no expert.

I was TERRIFIED of loosing my gecko !! I worried so much about that before I got him, and right after I got him. I pictured him being like those Anoles or House Geckos that we have outside. They are FAST like a flash.

But..Smeagol isn't. Or ...doesn't want to be.

Don't get me wrong, he just recently has started to sit still for a few seconds on my hand. Before that, he would walk or jump. Not run, though..just walk. I would just hold one hand out for him to walk/jump on and then the next hand, etc. Never restraining him. They sort of "suicide jump" if you aren't careful, so you shouldn't hold them super high up over hard ground.

I have heard that some Cresties are spazzes and do try to run away and are very jumpy, esp. when younger. Some never grow out of it. Smeagol always seemed rather calm. If anything, he turns into a "statue" when he is scared.

I've had him about 4 weeks now and only recently has he begun to move around the cage BEFORE it was pitch black dark (and me in bed). But he would sleep out in plain view, so I could still enjoy him.

He has also calmed down enough during handling that he walks slower and stops every so often to enjoy the scenery, LOL. I think its all about trust, sort of like with the snakes. They learn you won't harm them.

The firing up and down thing was explained to me with them firing up when they are excited. Can also mean stress, but doesn't have to. They can be all the way fired down or up and anything in between. I even heard of mis fires where part of the body fired up and the rest didn't.

Right now he is still on his piece of wood watching me carefully, moving around some. Even though they aren't animals that you handle for hours or cuddle with, it is SO amazing to me that they can learn to trust. And Smeagol is so full of personality. I swear he can make faces. And he makes me laugh every time I pay attention to him. I can't count the times I laugh at him and tell him "Smeagol, you're so funny..." during the day