A beautiful day with Barrie

[Catherine]

Barrie is a good sized lizard. He is a full three feet long.
I am not joking about him eyeing my toes. I have seen him eat and he could bite a toe off. I can't handle him when he wants to be fed. He is too wild. So even though he was really mellow on Family Day I can't always handle him like that. He has to want to be held.
He is better if I handle him the day after he has eaten. He is feeling full and relaxed.
I have him at a good weight. I don't want him to be thin, but a fat lizard isn't good either.

I think the mellow days are more precious because sometimes he wants to be fed and nothing else will do. I can't put my hand anywhere near him on days like that. So when there is a mellow day I get to enjoy the soft loveable side of Barrie.
I think he is soft by nature and he responds to touch and comfort. However the big lizards have strong feeding responses and when it is triggered he is like a different animal. I always have to be aware of that. 

So it makes giving Barrie a hug a bit of an adventure.

He really was more mellow than I have ever seen him. He must be feeling very  good.