It was only recently that Zeke got used to being handled. He no longer fights me and will actually go to climb up on my shirt if I'm holding him. I've also started letting him roam around my room (supervised). While he is out of the tank, his colors become extremely vibrant and light. His belly is entirely free of stress marks. He also really gets into exploring-- no hiding at all. He seems geniunely happy when he is out and about. However, everytime I go to put him back in the tank, he squirms violently trying to get IN the tank. I don't get it. Does he enjoy being out of the tank or is he just wasting time until he gets to go back?
Sounds like he is having a wonderful time with you and also exploring. It's also a good sign that he wants to go back in his tank, shows that he also is happy with that.
Well, if that's the case, I'm very relieved. I was worried that I was going to find he actually hated being out! It took almost a full year to get him to the point where he really trusted me and I want to start having more fun time with him.
It definately took a while. Poor guy was neglected and never handled until he was 7-8 months old. But you're right. Now that he likes to perch on my shirt and doesn't hiss every time I move, I'm loving it. If only I didn't have a dog and four cats roaming the house, Zeke would be out a lot more!