My baby beardie won't stop hissing and snipping at me :(

[Ashley_is_confused]

Hey so I got a baby beardie two weeks ago, and I've done everything right lol. He always snaps at me, hisses, and runs away from me when o try to pick him up. He is so skiddish. Like he will run into the glass to try to get away from me. I don't know what todo, or if this is normal. Any advice? thanks in advanced.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear your little one is being grumpy Sometimes it takes awhile to get them accustomed to being handled.. Could you please do a run down on what your set up is so we can better help. maybe just have your hand in the tank and not do anything until s/he calms down then work your way into You wear some garden gloves and in a quite environment just hold s/he for a couple of mins at a time until s/he stops squirming etc...You could also try hand feeding with tweezers so s/he see's you as a good thing. Sometimes just the littlest thing in their environment that makes them upset, from lighting to tank walls showing a reflection...

 

[Ashley_is_confused]

This is what my tank looks like. Thanks for the prompt reply! He seems at ease and comfortable in his tank. It's when I put my hand in to pick him up, he begins lunging at me and trying to strike lol. It's a 40 gal tank with a 150 watt uvb light, and a basking light 150 watt and a red 150. The tank on the hot side stays around 100 during the day and drops to 75-80 in the night time. The cold side of the tank is 76-80during the day. He has a log to hide, he's able to get close to the light with his hammock, and I feed him about twenty mealworms and a few crickets a day. I hold him often, some times are better than others.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Thanks for the picture and additional info... Having 3 sides of the glass covered with a background will help make it feel more comfortable. The red light is not needed are you using this for heat at night? If so the temp at night can safely come down to 65 if lower than that you should use a CHE (ceramic heating element) that gives no light to disturb their sleep cycle but gives the heat. How old is your baby? As a baby baby their basking temp should go up to 110-115 then the warm part down into 80's then the cool side down to the 70's
Be careful with the hammock's those dang things have a tendency of coming off and falling with them in it.. Next mealworms contain chitlin hard shell that is very hard for them to digest. I would switch to the crickets, dubia roaches (if your in a state that allows them) superworms once s/he is older/bigger to eat them, silkworms, butterworms, waxworms, hornworms, soilder flies....babies should be fed 3times a day they can eat quite a lot in a sitting.. Make sure your offering greens as collard greens, kale, mustard greens, dandilion greens etc...

that should be a good start.. just go slow

 

[Ashley_is_confused]

Thank you

 

[PatsyB]

Sorry you are having problems. Usually takes them a little while to settle in to their new homes. Make sure when you are reaching in to pick him up that you are not going over his head but scoop your hand under him with one hand while supporting his feet with the other. If he is lunging at your hands, try holding a piece of veggie, when he lunges at your fingers push the food towards him. He'll learn that your hand isn't a bad thing, it brings food. Try to limit handling. What worked for me with my boy was I would hold him for a few minutes at night right before his lights went out and he was sleepy. His defense was down and he realized I wasn't so bad. Each night I would hold him for longer, 5 minutes then 10 minutes, 15 etc. Eventually he let me hold him.

In your picture I don't see your lights. Where/how are they positioned on your tank? Also, you should really get either a digital probe thermometer or a temp gun to measure temps. You need to measure the temp exactly in the basking area, the analog thermometer that you have is only measuring the temp on the glass and your beardie isn't sitting on the glass.

 

[Hdrydr31]

How are you and your Dragon doing?? I hope that he has settled down for you.

 

[Ashley_is_confused]

Unfortunately, I believe we are getting worse I am doing everything correctly, I even out backgrounds on all sides of the tank so he or she can't see its reflection. I don't go over their head when I am trying to handle him but he always hisses and bites me which makes it difficult to ever pick him up. Once I get him out of the tank he tries to run away. Twice now he has gotten away and I have had to grab him quickly before he runs away from me and gets lost in my house. I'm at a loss and I'm very upset this isn't working out. I was so excited for my dragon and I to make a great relationship, but he or she doesn't want that. I know he is still young, but will this ever change? I'm picturing a foot long bearded dragon biting me...and that picture doesn't look so good. help!

 

[Ashley_is_confused]

He also is super skiddish now when I put the tweezers with food on the then in his tank. He literally tries anything he can to get the f*** away from me. When I'm just sitting here watching him, he looks very nervous. He just stares at the walls of the tank and barely moves a muscle. He's started eating romaine lettuce though and he loves that.

 

[Paarthurnax]

Last week when we got Jim, the previous owner used the red light at night . This kept him up wandering around the cage all night, and he did not let us pick him up. Hissing and running etc. previous owner said he was just ornery.

After I changed to ceramic night heater he now sleeps all night till the timer clicks on the UVB and basking lights. last few days he lets us pick him up and does not hiss or flare up his black beard. Kinda funny as soon as the lights go off he crashes where ever he is at.

 

[PatsyB]

Do you have a digital thermometer and a basking light? It looks like you only have a UVB light on top of the tank. A digital thermometer or a temp gun will give you a more accurate temperature on the basking spot. The analog thermometers on the glass only give a reading of that area and will also give you the temp of the glass, not what you need to measure.

Also, here is a link to good veggies to offer. Romaine lettuce has a lot of water but no nutrients. http://greathousefarm.com/Greathouse-Reptile-Nutrition-List.pdf

 

[Canicke]

It sounds as if you do have your work cut out for you. a couple of things i'd like to have you try : 1) wear a scarf around your neck for a day or 2 - cotton would be good - get your smell on it, then put that in his cage - maybe NEAR where he sleeps - get him used to your smell. 2) this is a VERY SLOW and VERY TEDIOUS process : you wont even try to pick him up for a couple of weeks. (just a quick thought - do you have a "hide" for him?) put your hand in his cage and let it be in there for a few minutes. next day same thing. next day same thing. next day - move closer to him DO NOT TOUCH HIM. next day - same thing. continue getting closer until you can JUST touch his belly or beard for ONE SECOND with ONE FINGER. retreat. next day - same thing. repeat. then stroke the bottom of his beard. retreat. repeat. then touch 2 fingers under beard. retreat. repeat. then 3 fingers under chest. retreat. repeat. continue. He may have had a bad experience and need you to give him extra loves. Like i said - this may take several weeks. There is always the possibility that you 2 may not mesh. But - if you can get him to trust you - WOW !! That'll be a great bond. Please give it a try

 

[Hdrydr31]

Great ideas Canicke I was going to suggest the same.. VERY VERY slow introductions tiny bit at a time.. question do you wear perfume? is it strong? Do you whisper to him?

 

[Canicke]

ooh - yeah - smells and colors. if you use hand sanitizer, rinse your hands off. perfume, clothes detergent with smell, antibacterial soap with smell, deodorant. Jewelry? maybe take off rings, bracelets. try neutral colors - yes, they do see colours. not as we do, but they can differentiate. Do you have other pets? maybe the dog or cat or kid (not technically a "pet") is scaring him.

 

[Ashley_is_confused]

Thanks all of you. These are great ideas. I will try to retreat repeat set for now. I do have a basking spot for him and a hide. Like I said, I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything right thank you all so much I truly appreciate it. I really hope we can mesh as I really want this relationship.

 

[Candybugs]

I'm so sorry your guys grumpy. I thought it was the glare thing for sure but you fixed that so I'm at a loss. Best of luck and your in the right place for help.

 

[Hdrydr31]

Fingers crossed that in time your fella will calm down...They are such great creatures.. I have good feelings that one day your fella is going to be a great dragon that trusts you as you never gave up on him when he just needs time..

 

[Candybugs]

Has your new little guy gotten better. A mad dragon is just weird. I hope he's adjusted for you and him

 

[MillieD]

How's it going with the baby?