Progressively Skittish

[Tessa]

I've had my baby beardie for a little over a month now. He eats like a monster and is very alert and active. All in all a happy little guy (hopefully!)
But I have noticed lately that he's a bit skittish. He now runs away from my hand when I try to pick him up. I picked him up and he actually jumped out of my hand. He hates bath time as well. He tries to climb out of the tub pretty much the whole time he's in there. Lastly, whenever I approach his tank he goes and hides. It makes me really sad because he used to love being picked up. How can I fix this?
He seems very healthy, eats a bit of veggies and many crickets a day. His lighting is correct. Please help.

 

[Tessa]

Also I have him in a 20 gallon but I want to move him into a 40 gallon this week but I'm scared it will increase his skittish behavior.

 

[Canicke]

It doesnt necessarily mean he hates you - it may just be his personality. at the moment. my girl loves to love. most of the time. my boy - not so much. he'd rather be running and jumping and exploring. He tolerates me loving on him, occasionally, but it aint his favorite thing. Something may have spooked him - do you have any other animals? Maybe he smelled something on you at one time that he didnt like - and that could be anything : perfume, deodorant, hair spray, soap, hand sanitizer, another animal. Or maybe he's growing up and wants to show his independence. Or maybe ---- well, something else. ya just never know. I'd go back to the beginning - make sure you have no scents. maybe wear a scarf for a couple of days to get your smell on it, then leave that in his tank. where he sleeps would be good. Do you pick him up by sliding your hand under his chest / belly? That's better than coming at him from the top - predators fly down, so that can scare them. My girl tolerates her bath. My last male HATED bath time. My new guy - he's like a fish - sticks his head under and swims, drinks the bath water, likes having the water run on him. Give him time. He'll come around.

 

[Hdrydr31]

I agree with Canicke just give him time he's likely just being a boy My Izzy she loves to be held but there are times that she just want's down to run around, she loves her bath time she will swim around she will try and get out but does really well in the bath....And she prefers to do her business in the bath which is fine with me makes for easy clean up..

 

[Tessa]

I have a cat who is starting to lose interest in him. I put him higher up so that the cat can only look up at him. I he can also only see the room out of one side of his tank. I pick him up like you described. I hope he warms up again, he used to be so sweet

 

[Tessa]

Should I wait to put him in the 40 gallon?

 

[Hdrydr31]

Should I wait to put him in the 40 gallon?

It may calm him down with more room to run around..

 

[Tessa]

He seems pretty calm down that I have him in the new one! Plus I got him a taller table so he can be up higher

 

[Hdrydr31]

He seems pretty calm down that I have him in the new one! Plus I got him a taller table so he can be up higher

They like new things, like anything we can get bored of things so do they..

 

[Tessa]

True. Once his tank is complete, maybe I can rearrange it every once in a while. Do you have any experience with that?

 

[PatsyB]

We were always moving stuff around in Dexter's tank. Those vines in the pictures I should you in the other thread, as she got fatter we had to reinforce them so we had to add more to them. Also, everytime we cleaned the tank we could never put them back in the same exact way. She seemed to like exploring. Now she's just a big lump and just goes from her hammock to her basking log to maybe sitting on her hide.

 

[Tessa]

Haha aww. I can't wait until Sosa gets bigger but he's so cute right now!