BD runs away
Friday, 16-Feb-01 11:07:11
Hi!
I bought my BD four days ago. I have held him once. He runs away everytime I try to pick him up. Yesterday, when I finally caught him, he squirmed so much he jumped out of my hands back into the tank! Is this normal? I'm nervous about holding him tightly because I don't want to hurt him. He's about 10 inches long and still seems too small to be held firmly. should i just leave him alone for awhile?
Thanks for any help in advance.
allie
Reply by: Cindy
Allie ,
I would just be patient . I went thru the same thing with mine when I first got her . It took me 2 months of feeding her by hand before I could touch her without food in my hand . she would run all the way across her cage to get to my hand ..... but as soon as the food was gone so was she hehehe :o) but she slowly stayed on my hand longer and longer untill she finally comes to my hand with no food......Please don't try to force your BD into letting you pick it up you will only cause your baby stress...... patience patience patience is all i can say :o) you must gain some trust first hope this helps keep us posted as to how its going and congrats on your new baby !!! :o) Cindy P.
Reply by: Gene
hi. welcome to the wonderful behaviors of a young BD. my BD did the same thing for a long time and i was thinking the same thing you probably are. i started hand feeding crickets and petting his head before i would take him out and just one day he mellowed out. when they get older they tend to become very calm even if they are not when younger. mine even bit me several times when i tried to take him out a few months ago. just be patient and im sure he will calm down
Reply by: Stephanie
First off, all baby beardies are a little skittish, so dont think your doing anything wrong. Also, when you do try and pick him up, slide your hand underneath his body. A big hand coming from above can really freak out a baby beardie. My male did the same thing to me, and in time, when I get him out, he squirms a little, then calms down in my hands. Like Cindy said...patience!! Good luck and he will warm up to you dont worry.
Reply by: Scott
Young bearded dragons have a run and hide instinct. It is actually considered a good thing if your beardie is that active when you first try to hold them. It shows that they are healthy and alert.
Bearded dragons have great attitudes for handling.. but.. you still need to break them in slowly. Only hold the beardie inside the tank for a few seconds at first. Slowly increasing the time. After you can hold the dragon inside the enclosure for atleast a few minutes... start bringing the beardie out of the enclosure.
Make sure you beardie proof whatever room you have the beardie in. Their run and hide instinct will still be present.. so don't be surprised if the beardie takes off running. I highly doubt you can keep up with a dragon running at full speed (LoL I know I can't... they are quick little guys) so make sure the room is safe. They will most likely run towards dark areas.. so watch out under couches and chairs.. or other areas where it will be hard to reach the dragon.
Sleeping Lizard
Friday, 16-Feb-01 07:55:33
I often let my Scaley, my BD out of his tank for a little exercise and exploration, for about 10 or 15 minuites a day. After he runs around a bit, he invariably seeks out a cool dark place like behind a piece of furniture or under some shoes and settles down for a nap. He seems to enjoy this but I usually pick him right back up and put him back in his tank, as I know proper temperature is important for BD's.
His basking spot is always around 100 and the cooler side is around 80 degrees, and he also has a half-log to hide under for shade, but never uses it.
I am wondering if his tank is too hot and that is why he seeks out a cool dark place when I let him out. He seems to enjoy it, so is there any harm in letting him nap for a while outside the tank at room temperature?
Reply by: Mark
His tank temps sound fine.
Bear in mind that, at the moment, it is Brumation season. Being out of his enclosure in cooler temps may bring about the urge to sleep. Ours do this too during the winter months (sometimes during the summer too, if it is cloudy and gray outside).
If his appetite is good and he's not losing any weight then it doesn't sound like a parasite problem.
If he continues to do it during the late Spring/Summer then it might be worthwhile having the vet take a look at him. You may even want to take his next fecal in for a check, just to be sure. It doesn't sound like a problem to me at the moment though.
Dragons will seek a cooler spot to sleep in but it's a good idea to put him on your shirt or under a blanket if he's going to be sleeping outside his enclosure for a while. My wife made our lizards their own quilt and they all love to sit on our shirts under the quilt and sleep for a few hours.
