Back to basking

[ChileanTaco]

Today it's one day after Winter Solstice here in the Southern hemisphere, and guess who's back to basking the first time for 3.5 month?

 

[NickAVD]

Congratulations! I can imagine how you have been waiting for this moment.
I know this from my own experience.

 

[Chris.]

Lovely, I was just wondering about Taco, it feels so good to have them back. How is his activity and appetite doing?

 

[xp29]

AAHHHH sun and sand (I see the ocean in the window) it's a dragony kind of life

 

[ChileanTaco]

He brumated long but I didn't worry.
His appetite: I suspect two days before he grabbed some greens but I don't know as I didn't had the camera running. Today I just saw him up in the morning, but then I was away all day long. But he had food available of course.

Yes, we live very close to the ocean. Just five minutes walking distance from home. We're in the city of Antofagasta.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Again regarding the appetite: I asked my husband who was at home, and Taco ate 15 dubias (mixed size, small to the size of a cent). Stayed up basking until the second-last light went out.

 

[Chris.]

Again regarding the appetite: I asked my husband who was at home, and Taco ate 15 dubias (mixed size, small to the size of a cent). Stayed up basking until the second-last light went out.

Oh wow, that's quick, I remember my boy taking a week or two until he wanted to eat again. That's great

 

[ChileanTaco]

I showed him a dubia a week or so before (wasn't assuming he might eat it, just so he sees I have some) and he had no interest.

This night he stayed at one of his basking spots like he does normally once in 1 - 2 weeks. Makes him being active very early, obviously. (I was always wondering if he does this with planning ahead "if staying there, I'll warm up much faster tomorrow".)

 

[Chris.]

We are all waiting for the first headbob then

 

[ChileanTaco]

Behavior so far just like before brumation: Calm, likes to be pet...
If he likes, I'll take him out today.

 

[Chris.]

Behavior so far just like before brumation: Calm, likes to be pet...
If he likes, I'll take him out today.

Just give him time

 

[ChileanTaco]

@Chris.
I just take him out if he likes.
Today he's exploring inside his enclosure and watching the fish tank nearby. Didn't want to be taken out, but he rather rarely wants (usually a day per week, approx. 15 - 20 minutes). Fine with that

 

[Chris.]

@Chris.
I just take him out if he likes.
Today he's exploring inside his enclosure and watching the fish tank nearby. Didn't want to be taken out, but he rather rarely wants (usually a day per week, approx. 15 - 20 minutes). Fine with that

That's fine, let him guide you.
My boy did only want to come out once during his spring fewer. He rather liked to claim all his furniture by headbobing it

 

[ChileanTaco]

That's fine, let him guide you.

This is generally my approach, and also the structure of his habitat contributes to this: I would not even be able to just grab him. Most places in his habitat are so that I only could get him in an emergency, also where he brumated - that's not some hut I could lift off. I can take him out "normally" only from the upper part of his branch, and from the very right part of his climbing structure. (Enclosure opens from top, tons of hiding spaces there, he dug a deep brumating cave, and I'm a really short person - that with the size of the enclosure just makes I cannot reach everywhere. And that's fine )
Also with his brumation length: I was totally okay with that. Despite I made "out of service" jokes, I would not have grabbed him. I could see him a tiny bit down there, I saw he was alive, not looking slimmer, reacted normally (e.g.: more awake on brighter days) - and so it was his thing.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Was a pretty standard Taco day:

Was awake very early as he slept at a basking spot, watched us curiously (us doing the laundry, repairing something, eating pancakes and having dinner ), watched the fish, liked to be pet (inside the enclosure). Didn't eat today (wasn't surprised as he had a big meal yesterday).
He then went into his cave for the night (as he usually does).

I ordered more dubias as I usually keep them 2 - 4 weeks before feeding them to Taco. (Breeding dubias wasn't successful yet.)
Found a fat hissing cockroach in the bedroom, so there must have been more escapees when they opened the lid months ago. So that's four: one found behind a dresser a day after escaping, one dead by the elevator one day after escaping as somebody stomped it (that was a big hisser about 3 inch long and I really felt sorry ), and two in the bedroom about a month apart.
Found a fish that jumped out of the aquarium, and it looked dead to me with a very rubbery skin but immediately started to swim and acting normally when back in the aquarium. Still alive. Wasn't able to find a proper cover for the aquarium yet and will try even more on weekend.
So that was our pet action