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scraping his teeth #33165
01/06/05 02:14 AM
01/06/05 02:14 AM

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For a while i thought my glider was a bit of a nipper and liked to nibble on me.WEll i was wrong.Instead he likes to take his teeth and scrap them on my skin <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" />.Then he takes little bites and then licks me and repeats it.Sometimes i can stand it like everyone says to take it,but tonight i couldnt at all.He made me bleed.My hand is killing me.Does anyone know why hes doing this??Ive changed soaps(i was using lemon scented hehe so dumb)Then i changed to softsoap.I just dont get it <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" />Hes not doing it to be mean i know that.He doesnt crabb or lunge at me.He sits on my hand i pet him then he just starts.Im not going to use any of the stuff like blowing on him,or running him under the water.I say in a firm voice "No Bite" he'll stop for a moment then start up again.Im not going to give up but could someone please tell why hes doing this??And if its happened to you!!!

thank you

Last edited by meganlittle; 01/06/05 02:20 AM.
Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33166
01/06/05 02:23 AM
01/06/05 02:23 AM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
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Believe it or not, what it sounds like to me are love bites. He starts off grooming you then gets carried away. The firm no bite should work. He may out grow it too. I do use very very soft puffs of air along with the No Biting with my gliders and it is the most effective method I have found. I say soft puffs instead of saying blowing on them as blowing is much stronger then the little puffs. I have never seen one of my gliders react like they are frightened but they do stop what they are doing.
I also don't take the bites. That hurts!!! But I do immediately continue with what I was trying to do when I got bit so they know I am going to do it anyway. Fortunately I haven't received anything stronger then a nip. (I have had blood drawn twice, both time because the glider was in an unfamilar place and got scared. I took those bites and just comforted the glider)


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Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33167
01/06/05 02:26 AM
01/06/05 02:26 AM

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once i tried a small blow on him along awhile ago just to see what h'ed do and he got very scared so i dont want to do that to him.I dont want him to be afraid of me i mean were just getting bonded and i wouldnt want to ruin that.


Love bites-haha thats a good one,im not feeling very loved *grabbing tissue*At this moment.

Last edited by meganlittle; 01/06/05 02:29 AM.
Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33168
01/06/05 03:30 AM
01/06/05 03:30 AM

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Here's something I posted in previous posts on the same question. I have a new glider that's doing the exact same thing:

Hmmm...

Your guy is likely not being aggressive at all and is only acting on natural behaviour. Many young gliders go through two nippy stages where they tend to bite a lot. The first is when they are young joeys and the second is when they go through glider teenagehood.

I discovered this sort of non-aggressive biting when fully bonded gliders (completely healthy and happy and sustained on BML) would proceed taking full chomps down on my fingers and knuckles (much like my little Dante is doing right now to my left hand in his pouch and it's killing like crazy but it's love!). They usually begin by sniffing around for a spot on the skin, and may even begin licking or grooming the spot, and then without warning - CHOMP! I find females go through this nippy stage less. In the wild, sugar gliders use their powerful teeth and jaws to chew off tree bark and bite deep into the branches of trees to get to the "gliders goodies" inside. Perhaps your friend feels you're full of glider morsels. Take it as a compliment! Atleast to him you're a big tree he will climb and not a huge scary enemy he'll run away from! My Dante tends to favour the areas of thick skin, namely the thick callouses on my palms that have developed from my weight training at the gym and my knuckles (and also my ears when I'm wearing studs). It seems this non-aggressive biting is never accompanied by crabbing or any signs of fear, stress, or anger (AS YOU MENTIONED). In fact, they're quiet and look calm as a cloud as they go about making swiss cheese of your body parts!

When my glider begins to get nippy like this (non-aggressive) I try one of a few things:

1) I try giving licky treats but I add more licky treats on the finger tip before the glider completely finishes otherwise chomping down into the skin for more treats ensues again.
2) I hold a peice of fruit up to his face or I hold the glider near his food dish incase he actually needs food.
3) Sometimes I find that he wants to play. I'll often move my fingers around quickly and engage the glider in a match of finger wrestling to avoid his teeth but that usually only buys me time before he starts to bite me again! I use this wrestling time to shake off the painful bites... gotta take it like a man! LOL.

So, I suppose it's possible the biting may have alittle to do with the diet (but nothing nutritional). Try adding a greater variety of fruit with each meal. Make his bowl interesting for him to snoop into each night. Note which items were favoured and perhaps when he's satisfied with the feast he is provided with every night, he may stop biting into you for your goodies. LOL. (It's biting season for my glider because some of his favourite fruit items are becoming scarce and out of season right now. I went through the same problem with my previous glider, as well.)

I have also heard that neutering could cease or decrease your glider's biting habits. Good luck with your biter!

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33169
01/06/05 05:48 AM
01/06/05 05:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,899
Jacksonville, FL
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It sounds like he's doing what our Gimli does. Gim is a rescue, no tail, abused and with at least 3 previous owners. He is nearly 3, so the teenage nippies don't apply. He was a serious biter when we got him, but doesn't agressively bite anymore, and is a loving little sweetheart. EXCEPT when he tries to mark you with his teeth, like he would a toy. He'll grip on, and dig in, scraping his teeth across your skin, and BOY! does it hurt. He doesnt' understand that it's painful to his "people tree". I redirect him, or scoot him away from the area he's trying to mark with my hand and tell him no. He's much better about it. Interestingly, he doesn't try this on clothing-only exposed skin. So I scoot him up on my shirt, where he loses interest. If he tries again, I scoot him back. He IS much improved, and only rarely tries this anymore. This is a different thing than the nippies-it's actually marking behavior, they just need to learn that it's a no no on the people tree!


Jen/Colin :bb: Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed :wfb: Sinbad, :wfb: Gabby, :grey: Baby, and :grey: Alley
Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33170
01/06/05 09:11 AM
01/06/05 09:11 AM

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Try Irovy soap before you pick him up.When I use softsoap they would eat me alive.If the soap smell at all, they will try to eat it.Let me know if Irovy work for you

Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33171
01/06/05 07:56 PM
01/06/05 07:56 PM

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Well I have to say that I agree with all of the above post. And also try to change your soap. I also found that the Ivory soap made a difference. You can also try washing your hands in just clear hot water and air dry and see if that helps. Good luck with what ever you try.

Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33172
01/07/05 07:12 AM
01/07/05 07:12 AM

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I think I'm experiencing the same thing with my little Locus. ALL he does is bite. He does not get carried away with grooming, he chases me down and digs in . . .

He's had two previous owners before me, both of whom he bit. I guess his very first owner used to wrestle with him all the time- So I'm thinking he's thinking that biting is how you play- or just what you do.

Lately I've been kind of hissing at him and I think he's starting to get the point, but I'm not so sure his behavior is really going to change . . .

I don't think you should just take it because people suggest that in order to show them that they can't use it to get what they want. But it's not a matter of using biting to get what they want in this situation because biting IS what they want. I've I leave him alone he'll rip off peices of skin and eat them.:(

*shrug* So I really don't know what to do . . . I kind of know what you're going through, though. If you ever do come up with a solution, please share it!

Re: scraping his teeth [Re: PangolinsZoo] #33173
01/08/05 05:00 AM
01/08/05 05:00 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,899
Jacksonville, FL
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zas, Gimli was a horrendous biter when we got him. One night after I went to bed, Gim lunged out the door of the cage from the far side and clamped down on my husbands hand. I woke up to him screaming bloody murder, and yelling "Jen!! HELP!! GET HIM OFF!!" Trying to remove him just made him dig in harder. My husband's hand and shirt were covered in blood. As I ran out there, I heard water. My husband had tried running cold tap water on him briefly to get him to let go! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shakehead.gif" alt="" /> I could see from the position of his arm that his next thought was to try shaking him loose. I said " DON'T shake him!", scooped up a dishtowel, tossed it completely over Gim, scooped him up (once under the towel, he just let go), and gently put him in his cage, towel and all. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohwell.gif" alt="" /> There's my husband, pale and shaking and using the wall to hold himself up while he bled everywhere. This is a 6 foot 4, 270 lb guy brought to his knees by a glider's teeth. Gim crawled out of the towel and sat there looking at us with this wondering look, like he'd expected to be thrown for what he did, and wasn't. (He'd been horribly abused before we got him, and had his tail pulled off-he had EVERY reason to bite!). But after that, he never did again and is now one of our sweetest. Knowing his history, we didnt' try blowing on him for fear it would just terrify him. He was still a bit nippy for awhile after that, but redirection, redirection, redirection and now it's been over 4 months since he's even tried. (We'll have had him a year Feb. 15th.) I truly think with patience and understanding there is hope for ANY biter. Their teeth, even if small, are a formidable weapon, and the only real defense they have. Marking is a bit different, but the same applies. Move him away from what he wants to bite (ie-your arm)-repeatedly. Wear long sleeves. If too persistent, put them back in the cage and try again in a bit. Leave him alone in between. If he wants out with you, he'll begin to understand that if he bites, you leave. If it's tent time, he gets time out in the cage-be consistent. The message will get across in time.


Jen/Colin :bb: Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed :wfb: Sinbad, :wfb: Gabby, :grey: Baby, and :grey: Alley
Re: scraping his teeth [Re: ] #33174
01/10/05 06:54 PM
01/10/05 06:54 PM

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My babies do this every now and then. However Avery loves to groom me, and scraps my skin a lot. I can tell he's grooming me because it's not a bite, and it's not a nip, it's just that, scraping his teeth on skin. At first you're right, it's alright but after while it does start to hurt, when they get carried away. The best advice I can give you is to distract him with something, a toy, mealie, licky treat, something. Good luck! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />


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