Two gliders, had them about four months. The bolder one climbs onto my hand, sniffs around and then licks me, quite enthusiastically, usually along the fingers. Then after a while the licking turns into little nibbles that genuinely pinch.
Everything I find online is about why they bite, which is not quite what this is. Is the licking a good sign, and is the nibbling the start of something I should be discouraging?
The third reason is scent. They identify colony members largely by smell, so licking and sniffing is partly them learning who you are, which is why scent bonding works: put a small piece of fabric that smells of you in their pouch or sleeping area and your scent becomes part of the furniture.
Four months in with a glider that climbs onto your hand voluntarily is good progress. Keep handling in the evening when they are actually awake.
Skip scented lotion before handling too. Strong smells confuse them and it is not great for them either.
Worth knowing what real biting looks like so you do not confuse the two and slow your own bonding down. A proper bite is hard and comes with crabbing, that loud harsh chattering noise, and it means fear or defensiveness. The answer there is slower bonding, never punishment.
Separately, the thing that is actually a health question: constant licking of their own body in one spot, or fur loss there. That points at stress or skin irritation, and with lethargy or eating less alongside it, an exotics vet.
@bonding_pouch · 5d ago · 3 replies
Good sign, and the nibble is part of the same behaviour rather than a different one. They live in colonies and grooming each other is a big part of how they bond, which includes nibbling at fur while they work. Doing it to you means you have been filed as colony.
The simpler half is that you taste salty. Human skin carries salt from sweat and plenty of animals enjoy that, particularly after you have been active or handling food.
Reply
Report
@lick_then_nibble · 4d ago
What do I do when the nibbling gets properly sharp? Pulling my hand away feels like the wrong move.
Reply
Report
@bonding_pouch · 4d ago
It is the wrong move, you startle them. Stay still, then gently redirect with another finger or offer something treat-sized as a distraction. And wash your hands before handling, because food smell on your fingers encourages exactly this.
Reply
Report