- Joined
- Sep 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,386
Okay, well Tuvalu and I are to the point where we trust each other pretty well. She came out about 15 minutes ago, and perched on her favorite spot after I squirted a tiny bit of plankton in for my snails, star and urchin.
I walked back over to the tank when I noticed her and lifted my hand toward her. She pointed her head up toward my hand, like she was about to swim. I lowered my hand and she rested. I put my hand on the glass, and she swam to it. I slid my fingers across the glass and she followed. So I rinsed my hands off and opened the lid, and put my finger in the tank. She slowly reached up and grabbed my finger, and I just kept lowering my finger in toward her instead of jerking away like I usually do (I'm still kinda freaked out by the whole "bee sting" thing) and she wrapped 3 legs around my finger and pulled them in toward the center of her legs... like maybe she wants to take a bite? I held my hand in there, but hesitated to allow her to pull my finger in any further, and she let go and backed off. Then she just sat there, so I stroked her mantle, and she didn't show any signs of distress or fear, best I can tell.
Soooooo, getting to my question. Does it hurt that bad? I really think we are "bonding" but then again, since I feed her with my fingers, what is the likelyhood of her thinking my fingers ARE food? I keep telling myself to just go for it and let her climb all over my hand but if I get bit and react poorly I don't want to freak her out and make her fear me, because she obviously trusts me.
Consensus?
I walked back over to the tank when I noticed her and lifted my hand toward her. She pointed her head up toward my hand, like she was about to swim. I lowered my hand and she rested. I put my hand on the glass, and she swam to it. I slid my fingers across the glass and she followed. So I rinsed my hands off and opened the lid, and put my finger in the tank. She slowly reached up and grabbed my finger, and I just kept lowering my finger in toward her instead of jerking away like I usually do (I'm still kinda freaked out by the whole "bee sting" thing) and she wrapped 3 legs around my finger and pulled them in toward the center of her legs... like maybe she wants to take a bite? I held my hand in there, but hesitated to allow her to pull my finger in any further, and she let go and backed off. Then she just sat there, so I stroked her mantle, and she didn't show any signs of distress or fear, best I can tell.
Soooooo, getting to my question. Does it hurt that bad? I really think we are "bonding" but then again, since I feed her with my fingers, what is the likelyhood of her thinking my fingers ARE food? I keep telling myself to just go for it and let her climb all over my hand but if I get bit and react poorly I don't want to freak her out and make her fear me, because she obviously trusts me.
Consensus?