Simba's 1st shed (and the shock of my life before cleaning enclosure!)

[KatCham]

Hi All,

Noticed Simba had little patches of light skin just before we left the house to go to the races yesterday.
Well how convenient I thought....I planned to clean his enclosure anyway so I thought a little shower for Simba would help him with shedding his skin.

Well, came back home today to find that he's shed it all already!!! Skin all over the leaves in his enclosure. He looks lovely...more green coming in along his eyes and sides and along the spines on his back.

Shock of my life was when I got him out of his enclosure to clean it. (Used the plastic container technique which worked fine, he walked into it no probs).....THEN.... on grabbing my finger to get out of the tub he must have panicked as he literally RAN up my hand and OFF THE OTHER SIDE!!!! I totally got a huge fright!!! Luckily I caught him with my other hand, thinking oh my god don't crush him!!!! I just can't get over how fast he just launched himself off my hand!!!

On catchin him I put him on the ficus plant I've been and got to use while I'm doing cage cleanings. I was watching him like a hawk to make sure he hadn't hurt himself. He looks fine and within a few seconds was back to his happy light colours. Had my hubby watch him while I cleaned out his cage.
I just let him crawl from the plant straight back into his cleaned enclosure when I was done as I'm not risking him trying to commit suicide again!!!

I'll definately be waiting till he's bigger before I try handling him!!! He's just so fragile.... I nearly had a flamin heart attack!!!

Lesson well learned!!!

Anyway, enough blabbing from me....here's about 20 pics of him after his shed, in his ficus plant while out and some back in his cleaned enclosure (I will be getting a new camera as my current one is crap and doesn't do little Simba justice!!!)

 

[KatCham]

Gotta love that tubby lil tummy!!! xxxx

 

[Echoezra]

Aww, so cute. actually looks a lot like my little faly. Except he's fine wig being held, it's my bigger mitsio that is the suicidal freakazoid. Lol.

 

[LoyaltyNECO]

Looks about like my Panther that just shed last week . How old is he?

 

[KatCham]

Looks about like my Panther that just shed last week . How old is he?

He's 3.5 months

 

[Miss Lily]

Awww! He's looking lovely! Amy ran off my hand when she was about the same age. It scares you half to death! They are made to withstand falls though - they drop from leaves/branches to escape predators in the wild.

 

[balmybaldwin]

Excellent news on the first shed.... Felix has had his second now.

Felix is beginning to be a bit calmer now, and no suicide jumps as yet

Although on Sunday when I got him out for his clean out, he ran up my arm, over my shoulder and into the middle of my back which led to some interesting contortion and the help of a branch to get him on to his "cleaning plant!"

I'm still not trying to handle any more than necessary, but I'm trying to spend more time near him to try to get him used to me, and I don;t seem to bother him most of the time.

Still no joy getting him to eat from forceps (probably due to me dropping the bugs!) or from hand feeding, but he's eating loads now - at least 100 hatchling locusts a week, about 5 crix a day, and as many flies as he can get although still not keen on worms, I have seen him eat a few from his bowl, but they don't seem to move enough to attract his attention... I'm trying him on the next size up of locust today to see if he likes

 

[KatCham]

Awww! He's looking lovely! Amy ran off my hand when she was about the same age. It scares you half to death! They are made to withstand falls though - they drop from leaves/branches to escape predators in the wild.

It did scare me!!! Did Amy become accustomed to being handled when she was bigger? Or do they always feel the need to launch themselves into thin air??

 

[KatCham]

Excellent news on the first shed.... Felix has had his second now.

Felix is beginning to be a bit calmer now, and no suicide jumps as yet

Although on Sunday when I got him out for his clean out, he ran up my arm, over my shoulder and into the middle of my back which led to some interesting contortion and the help of a branch to get him on to his "cleaning plant!"

I'm still not trying to handle any more than necessary, but I'm trying to spend more time near him to try to get him used to me, and I don;t seem to bother him most of the time.

Still no joy getting him to eat from forceps (probably due to me dropping the bugs!) or from hand feeding, but he's eating loads now - at least 100 hatchling locusts a week, about 5 crix a day, and as many flies as he can get although still not keen on worms, I have seen him eat a few from his bowl, but they don't seem to move enough to attract his attention... I'm trying him on the next size up of locust today to see if he likes

Awww bless little Felix...is he getting greener??

I laughed imagining you trying to get him off your back!!

Yeah I'm hoping the suicide attempt hasn't put Simba off me.

He's always done it, but when i open his viv door and he's up a branch, he just sits there and lets me mist or put his feeders in...but if he's on his vine basking, he leans to the side so far, he ends up on the side of the vine, as if to make it so I can't see him behind the vine....sooo cute!!!

Simba has stopped eating from forceps for some reason??? Will only eat wax worms if I put them on a leaf beside him. His other feeders he eats out of his cup or from the surrounding branches if they get that far!! LOL It doesn't bother me tho, can try hand feeding when he's bigger, as long as he is eating....don't think he's eating enough but I think that's my fault as I think the locusts I've recently got from Pets at Home are a bit too big for him. He's eaten a few of the smaller ones but only ate one today??? I can't seem to find hatchling locusts.
Have ordered another fly culture, calci worms and SMALL locusts from my online supplier. Also going to give butterworms a go. He definitely seems to prefer feeders with legs!!! LOL

You got any recent pics of Felix?

 

[Miss Lily]

It did scare me!!! Did Amy become accustomed to being handled when she was bigger? Or do they always feel the need to launch themselves into thin air??

I don't think I handled her for a while after that, but it wasn't long. I used edible bribery with her when she was tiny - it usually works! Now she is bigger it is easier. Just this week she is receptive and keeps scratching at her door to be let out. If I walk up to her viv she will some running to the front to come out. Sadly she only does that a lot when she's receptive. Had ehr out this afternoon - she sat on my arm in the sunshine for about 20 minutes! She loved it!

 

[KatCham]

I don't think I handled her for a while after that, but it wasn't long. I used edible bribery with her when she was tiny - it usually works! Now she is bigger it is easier. Just this week she is receptive and keeps scratching at her door to be let out. If I walk up to her viv she will some running to the front to come out. Sadly she only does that a lot when she's receptive. Had ehr out this afternoon - she sat on my arm in the sunshine for about 20 minutes! She loved it!

Yeah, I'm not going to handle Simba till he's bigger!! Terrified he'll hurt himself, he's so small and fragile. With size I hope will come confidence, so handling/hand feeding etc... will go to plan.... I'll keep trying with the forceps, then hopefully can eventually use my hand and progress from there. One can only hope!! LOL

Thanks Tiff!!

 

[balmybaldwin]

Awww bless little Felix...is he getting greener??

I laughed imagining you trying to get him off your back!!

Yeah I'm hoping the suicide attempt hasn't put Simba off me.

He's always done it, but when i open his viv door and he's up a branch, he just sits there and lets me mist or put his feeders in...but if he's on his vine basking, he leans to the side so far, he ends up on the side of the vine, as if to make it so I can't see him behind the vine....sooo cute!!!

Simba has stopped eating from forceps for some reason??? Will only eat wax worms if I put them on a leaf beside him. His other feeders he eats out of his cup or from the surrounding branches if they get that far!! LOL It doesn't bother me tho, can try hand feeding when he's bigger, as long as he is eating....don't think he's eating enough but I think that's my fault as I think the locusts I've recently got from Pets at Home are a bit too big for him. He's eaten a few of the smaller ones but only ate one today??? I can't seem to find hatchling locusts.
Have ordered another fly culture, calci worms and SMALL locusts from my online supplier. Also going to give butterworms a go. He definitely seems to prefer feeders with legs!!! LOL

You got any recent pics of Felix?

No pics at the mo will try to take some later in the week!

For hatchling locusts... http://www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php/locusts-hatchling-reptile-livefood-p-283

These guys are great very reliable, and nearly always next day delivery they come in healthy and lively. I go for the 100 pack which seems to be enough once a week for felix with some worms too and it works out about £8 inc postage. Even though they are in a standard live food tub, I'm sure there's closer to 150 (Although as it was so hot today they were super lively and about 50 got loose in the lounge . (and I get worms and bigger locusts etc there for Oscar)

Felix is definately greener since this last shed, and I think he's more than doubled in size and weight from when he came home

 

[KatCham]

Thanks for that

Thats where I got all my setup from so will have a look at them again for feeders.
Already have my order placed with silkwormstore.co.uk which should be here 2mrw. Can't wait to try Simba with the butterworms

I'll have a look at livefood now.

Glad Felix is doing well