still angry

[weezie_martini]

last night i posted a thread about my 3 month old beardie going absolutly psycho when i tried to pick her up trying to bite me flaring all her spikes and trying to run away...some ppl said i just gave her a fright but she still hasnt really settled down she's usually not so cranky is there any reason she could be randomly angry? do i just keep taking it slow with her handling her a few times a day for short intervals?

[spottedjayne]

Hi it sounds like you may have just gave her a fright. I dont own one but i know someone who does and he said that they can take a while to get used to handling maybe just keep at it and she will come round when she is ready, handle every couple of days and then more often as she gets used to it. I m not sure what conditions may cause her to be so angry it could be if shedding i know snakes get more defensive as they go partially blind

[trouser_snake6]

I don't know much about beardies, but if their the same with snakes, she/he maybe under stress from a big tank/enclosure.

[weezie_martini]

hey tank is big...its 4 ft cuz i figured i might as well get the right size to start off with so do u think it may be too big for her? she doesnt really roam her whole cage mostly stays under the light

[waruikazi]

I doubt it will be the tank size. Some animals are just plain cranky and sometimes they just snap from cranky to happy or vice versa. Just persist at handling it.

[Chris1]

i doubt its tank size related, maybe shes coming up to a shed?

do u handle her much?

are u gentle with her?

i recently got a 3 yr old that had spent a horrible life being picked up by the tail and would flare up and try to ite when i opened her tank,..within 2 months of gentle handling and nice attention she settled right down, dosent flare up @ all anymore and has turned out to be the sweetest thing.

be nice, gentle and persistant, and she should come good.

[falconboy]

Have you made any changes in or around the enclosure recently? A change of environment can stress a beardie out - for instance mine were in a glass tank, and I bought of one those printed backgrounds (looks like the desert) and stuck to the outside of the tank - one of mine was nuts for weeks before calming down again.

[venus]

Maybe try hand feeding her...and leave her be in her inside enclosure for a while, maybe take her out one day a week. She might just be stressed from all the moving inside, outside etc.

[sweetangel]

how do you pick it up??
my bf has 2 in a 4ft tank, i dont think size is the problem.

when we pick thm up, just gently slide fingers under their belly and gently lift them out. they thn just sit on an open palm. occasionally they try to jump off, but putting ur hands one in front of another and letting them climb makes them happy.
do you have any other animals in the same room?
my bf's dog is in the room sometime and they are usually more flighty then.

so i recon just take them out for short periods,hand feed so they get used to ur hands being around them... and if that doesnt work i dont know what to do.

[Splitmore]

Don't you think maybe the animal might be trying to tell you something, i.e. it doesn't want to be handled? so many people insist on holding and handling reptiles when it's obviously stressing the animal right out. Your beardie may settle down as it grows and tolerate being handled but how about respecting the animal and leaving it alone.

[dragon lady]

you aint going to like this....

i think i may be tank related....
3mnth old dragon...4ft tank!

what is the temp AT HEAD HEIGHT....under your heat light
how tall is the tank...being that U.V would be at the top....& supposing you have branches in there for the dragon to get near the U.V to benefit from it
hatchies need to be warmer than advanced juvies or adults

so temp at head height under heat light is...?
and cool end is.....?
night time temp is (at 4 am when coldest)..?
how often per day are you feeding?...how many consumed at each meal time?

this has everything to do with temps....a unhappy dragon is generally a hungry one

dont take this personal!
sometimes its the smallest detail that helps
would your tank be glass?..a aquarium?...with full top as vent?

[alex_c]

most beardies are nice natured and quieten down with handling however their is a few who believe they are saltwater crocs. but really it just makes it more interesting.

[dragon lady]

nicer than most human varieties!...love those dragons!!!!!

[venus]

Beardies have to get used to handling, I have to handle my girl every day, to put her into her feeding tub and take her out again. Also once a week when I clean out her enclosure.

But excessive handling as a youngster will not make a happy beardie, it will stress them.

I think tyour beardie really just needs some time to settle in without being handled too much every day, but as I said, its probably already a bit stressed from being taken out of a warm enclosure inside to an outdoor one for a few hours, then brought back in every day...I just dont think there is a need for it myself.

You can also take your beardie out at night time (when they are sleepy) and put it on your chest, cover with a tea towel or similar so beardie feels safe. That way they get to know your smell, and being sleepy, they will usually just go to sleep on you.
Try hand feeding in the tank, without scaring her, just so that she will get to trust you.

Always approach from the side, and pick up under the belly, supporting the beardie on the palm of your hand, and hold the base of her tail if shes jumpy, or just cup your other hand over her so she cant jump.

My girl was pretty feisy and jumpy for the first 3 weeks I had her. She is now getting to trust me, and will often come up to the glass at the enclosure to see me, meaning she wants to come out for a run around. lol

[venus]

This is WM's beardie setup from a previous post

beardie tank