So my little Pastel Checkered 'girl?' has been with me for over a week now. She's settled enough to eat--hasn't refused food from me yet!--but remains the shyest dang thing. If I catch her out and about she freezes as soon as she notices I'm looking at her. As soon as I look away--POOF. In a hide.

I'm in her home every day checking temps, etc (72-85). Sometimes I hold my hand in there awhile, but she's up on a dresser in the moment so it's not very comfortable. I'm tall but not THAT tall. A couple of days ago I decided I didn't like the paper towel substrate for her, quarantine or not, and went ahead and gave her the same substrate I use for my King--and added extra hides, so she's up to 5 plus a plant. She now seems to move around more instead of just hiding under the paper towels on the hot side (the cool side was weighted down more by her water and a heftier hide, so I think she avoided it).

I've started hand feeding her. She took it last time--hopefully she will today as well. I'm half tempted to add worms back to her diet (she's on pinkie parts) and see if hand feeding her more often makes her come around faster.

Alternatively, she's so shy I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to just pretty much ignore her until she's bigger. This was the point where I started handling my king, but...he was out and about more, and well, bigger. Haha.