I hate to say this

[Chewbecca]

But I think Pablo is becoming quite anti-social as he ages.

It makes me sad.

He bit me for the first time the other night.
And I had just gotten done saying that Pablo doesn't bite me, only my husband.

But I went to get him out of his enclosure the other night so that I could feed him.
He was out and about in his enclosure, so I didn't think anything of it to stick my hand in there and he hid in his hide, which is odd for him.
So, I moved his hide, and went to grab him.
And..."BITE"!

He didn't hurt me, he just really startled me.
It felt like someone pinched my finger with a tooth brush because his teeth felt like bristles on a toothbrush.

He didn't use to be like this.
And last night I simply wanted to change his food out, and he was up and out and about in his enclosure, and when I grabbed his food, he ran (faster than I could even see him run) and hid behind his cork bark.

Are chewies known for becoming more, uh...anti-social as they age?
Maybe he's becoming territorial?

[Dragontown]

My guess is that you just spooked him!

[Chewbecca]

Well, I guess he could be becoming more easily spooked then.
I'm not doing much differently with him than I ever have.

[cslinca]

mmm maybe you just caught him at a bad time. Its probably just a phase hell grow out of it. Or maybe he was just about to shed and was a little sensitive.
I wouldnt worry.
He was probs just in a mood :baffled2: I really dont think he will become antisocial

[Jennsen]

I agree with Mike and Caren...

Mine sometimes just don't want to be handled though. I sort of go off the vibes they put out. If mine want to be handled, they will walk out to me, and they will even jump onto me from their branches. If they run and hide, I don't go after them, since they have displayed that they don't want to come out.
There have been a few times though that I thought mine saw me and I reached in, and spooked them pretty bad, and they snapped at me. Sticky drew blood once when I scared him... then he felt bad, ran up my arm, and was licking me like crazy. Was pretty cute.

So, I think yours is just fine... maybe just didn't want to come out that moment.

[KestrelShatterwind]

Did he do a "test bite" (AKA, clamped down but immediately let go), or did he actually truly BITE you (AKA, bit down, held his jaws on your finger and maybe even shook his head a little)?

If you feed him live really often, I would guess that he's just like my live-loving chahoua and he's just really overzealous when it comes to moving things. He sees something moving and immediately assumes it's food. When he's quite quickly aware that your finger is not a cricket/roach, he probably becomes startled and his feeble brain kicks in and assumes danger, so he runs.

[kennedy7717]

Was this the same night as all the storms?

[Chewbecca]

Thanks, guys.

Sandy,
It was the night before last night.
And it has been raining and storming here on and off ever since.

[kennedy7717]

My Leachie bit me the night the storms were the worst and a few of my calmer geckos were jumping around in their cages hours before the storm hit. didn't hurt anything but my feelings.

[Saille]

Could be puberty?
Nib went through an insane phase when he started dropping his sac, but with regular handling, he got over it. Granted he's a crestie, so the dynamic is a little different, but hopefully Pable's just feeling hormonal and territorial and its just a phase. Try taking him out to feed him, so he associates you with something positive. Mine love to lick the juice off watermelon rind as a treat. Maybe something like that or organic mango?