I’ve had my bearded dragon for almost a month, and he hates me. I treat him well, but he avoids me at all costs, and every time I try to pick him up he jumps out of my hands. I’m scared he’s not happy, should I look into re-homing him? I already love him, but if he hates it here I don’t want to make him stay.
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Re-Homing ?
- Thread starter honksbonk
- Start date
Your dragon does not hate you---- you need to give it time for him to adjust to his tank and surroundings -- have we gone over the lighting in your tank? UVB brand and bulb ? where is it in the tank and is it a coil or a tube? Basking temps? what are they are how are you taking them? No stick ons please
The UVB is a Zilla Slimline T8 bulb tube fixture, I just had it set up recently. Right now it’s sitting on top of the tank’s mesh lid in front of the basking bulb as I have no other place to put it - The basking temp is around 99°, which I know is low - I have a ceramic heat lamp set up but I’m too scared to turn it on for fear it’ll get too hot in there - temp is taken with a digital probe thermometer.
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How have you been treating the lizard, its all in the approach, have u hand fed it? Id start there, he needs to Habituate you with food rather than you’re coming in to wrangle him, its best not to handle ur new bearded dragon for about a month when u get them, how many hides does it have? If u have a 40 gallon they need 2, anything bigger than a 75gallon they need atleast 3 hides. They may not even use them, but they need them to feel secure , (try putting a dish rag with your scent on it in the enclosure where the lizard sleeps) just give em time, baby beardies don’t really like to be handled, just talk nice to him, start holding him in the tank, if he wants to run let him (dont chase him) let him het use to you, it might take another month.
I’ve tried to hand feed him, he doesn’t like it much. Now that I think about it I probably should have left him alone this whole time, I’ve been trying to put my hand in there and pick him up to get him used to me but it’s probably scaring him more than anything. He’s got a 40 gallon so i’ll need to get another hide, he only has one in there. Do you think that since I’ve been trying to handle him, it’ll ruin it? Should I start from the beginning trying to get him to trust me ?
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It all depends on his personality and yours, my beardie was a petco rescue, so she was getting handled by children all day long, (i left her alone for about 2 months, only handling her when I needed to clean the tank) this may have been the case with yours, does your tank walls have anything on them? Or are they all glass, baby beardies get startled by their reflections , I recommend covering all three walls with newspaper or a paper towel,... you have nothing to lose by backing off handling, id try it and see if anything changes, get a food dish thats rated “anti-escape” you putting bugs in there every day will help it to realize your a friend, how i started handling my girl was: first I offered food from my hand, then i started light handling (always go underneath them to pick them up, NEVER above, they’ll think ur a bird with ur claw hand) handle INSIDE the tank first, give him the option to run if he wants, let each session be no longer than 10 minutes, once hes no longer running then u can extend the time and take him out, just be calm talk to him, he most definitely does not hate you, he’s scared ur gonna eat him.
I have three of the walls covered by newspaper, but he still glass surfs on the front wall anyway- he’s a petsmart beardie so i’m sure he probably got handled quite a lot, maybe that’s why he’s so skittish. i’m gonna back off handling for now and see if he gets more calm when i leave him be, thank you
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My girl has glass surfed since we rescued her,...(she gets outside time every day , so i take her clawing as “i want out”) sometimes they just do it for no reason, or it can be hormonal, as long as ur beardie isnt black bearding and acting really really crazy, it can be normal, its an invisible barrier, id run at a glass wall too if my cognition was low lol.I have three of the walls covered by newspaper, but he still glass surfs on the front wall anyway- he’s a petsmart beardie so i’m sure he probably got handled quite a lot, maybe that’s why he’s so skittish. i’m gonna back off handling for now and see if he gets more calm when i leave him be, thank you
Please get the Zilla UNOBSTRUCTED -- the clear plastic cover off the fixture and the screen --- between the plastic cover and the screen your dragon is getting 0 UVB---- the basking decor needs to be directly under the UVB approx 6-8 inches --- either take your screen off or place it in the tank --- hang w/ these 3 M command Velcro fasteners- picture hanging wire – long plastic zip ties or this stuff I use it in my tanks it works great its like a Velcro strap cut in to strips and wrap around the fixture https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-15-ft-Cable-Ties-Hook-and-Loop-Spool-Black-10375/304220195
your basking temp is good you want 95-100 -- do not use the heat emitter unless your tank is falling below 65 at NITE --- I also recommend you change the Zilla UVB bulb out to a Reptisun 10.0 T 8 -- they are a way better bulb you can set the UVB up in the middle of the tank --- the dragon will go to the light he needs --- you can use a regular house hold bulb like a 40-60 watt NO LEDS either behind the UVB or in front of it -- temps need to be in the 90's w/ a digital probe being used to get that temp - it can be a second basking area for him -- make sure your cool side of the tank is in the 80's --