GliderCENTRAL

i think i have a problem

Posted By: Anonymous

i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 12:47 PM

well i've had tavian for about a month now.... and i've been doing the whole lickty treat thing. Well its all cute and sweet as hes licking it off my finger... but as soon as he licks it all off he bites me. i think he thinks my finger is food. any advice??
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 12:53 PM

Does Tavian nip or bite hard? I have had my gliders for a week now, they do nip when they have a licky treat, it isn't supposed to hurt at all.. Thats normal, they do think ur finger's food ;-)
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 12:54 PM

Don't let him lick all of the licky treat off. He's biting your finger looking for more of the treat... The problem is, if he starts asociating nipping you with getting more of a treat, he'll nip you whenever he wants a treat. I personally don't use licky treats for that reason.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 12:58 PM

Instead of licky treat on ur finger, you could give a little piece of dried fruit and hold it.. they will lick it and take it away.. That way, you can prevent biting?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 01:04 PM

Not too long ago, I had a problem with the same behavior. I don't believe it started until I started using yogurt for a licky treat. My little glider didn't ever finish off the treat with a bite, but the big girl did. She bit hard, too. Then, whenever I put my hand in the cage, she would come to sniff my fingers and invariably take a hard bite. Somebody on list pointed out that gliders lick sap from trees (in the wild) and when the sap is gone, they bite the bark of the branch or tree in order to produce some more. Once this behavior started, I quit using licky treats. I give them hand fed treats now - yogurt drops (which they LOVE) and freshly killed crickets (they also love those). The end result is the same - the gliders begin to trust you and know that you won't harm them. You reinforce that "the hand" is nice by letting it bring food. Whether they are licking or taking the treat from your hand is not the point, in my opinion. I am going to see if there is some sort of treat I can provide which will satisfy the big girl's need to bite in order to receive. Until last night, she hadn't just bitten me for no reason. It had been a few days and when I saw her go for the bite, I made a Ppppsssst! sound and she'd stop. She'd also look startled. Because she was so new when I was trying to bond with her using licky treats, I don't really know if the biting behavior was present prior to the yogurt licking or not. She bit me again last night and in these instances, she does draw blood. Every time. Since she is in a rambunctious mood and not in the least presenting a defensive crab when this happens, I understand she is carrying out some level of behavior she would normally do in the wild. I don't want her to continue to bite me so some unpleasant sound will accompany each time she tries to bite me, but I am also going to do my research to find a toy/treat that will allow her to satisfy that need to bite. Maybe she's a glider zombie! YIKES! Any suggestions on a toy or food item that would help satisfy this need...anyone....Bueller....anyone?
Posted By: Dancing

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 01:21 PM

Natural safe tree branches such as apple or elm with the bark still on can provide them with something to chew on. Be sure of where that branch comes from, that it is pesticide free. Scrub clean them very well and oven bake them long enough to kill any bugs still inside. (I do 250 degrees for about 15-20 minutes)
Posted By: minkasmom

Re: i think i have a problem - 05/14/05 02:02 PM

Another possible option for chewing treats is sugar cane swizzle sticks. You can find them in the produce dept of a "broad-minded" grocery store...look for the area that has "unusual" items such as eggroll wraps; there's about 18 to a package & each one is about 12 inches long. I give 1/2 of a stick attached to the side of the cage w/ a plastic clothespin. The swizzle stick starts as a "licky treat" because it's very wet, then becomes a "chewy treat" as it dries. The only warning I give is that this treat be given AFTER playtime----otherwise, you'll have furbutts flying everywhere from the "sugar rush"! (I learned that one the HARD WAY, of course!)
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