A Quick Few Questions for a first time beardie owner!

sw1tched":21348 said:

Greetings All,

Any help will be greatly appreciated!. I am a little overwhelmed with the process to make sure he gets good care! here are a few things i am unsure off

1. Does it need to have a water dish? I have read both ways of YES and NO

No. It can increase the humidity of the tank, and he's more likely to use it as a toliet than to ever learn to drink out of it.

2. Does he need cave / logs in the cool area of the tank? it's bare

Need? Probably not. Would he enjoy having something to crawl on/hide under? Probably. All of mine have furniture on both sides of their tank and all get equal use.

3. and the most important thing, he seems terrified if i try to touch or handle him. He runs around smashing his face in to all sides of the glass, and absolutely motionless in the bath i give give him. He came from a busy high traffic Pet store, and he's not tiny. IT was recommended i buy a more established beardie as my first....so i didn't buy a baby. I do notice he is shedding though...is that why? leave him be? and how long does it take. kinda concerned, i don't want to stress him out!!

How old is he exactly? Shedding can take anywhere from a couple of days on a baby, to a couple weeks for an adult. It can be a stressful time for them, but none of mine act like they want me to hold them any less... If anything they want me to hold and comfort them in their discomfort. It sounds like he's almost never been handled, and that can be really stressful for both of you to try and build the bond the longer he's gone without being handled. Helpful tips- After lights out, when he's almost asleep, take him out and wrap him in something that smells like you and cuddle with him for a while until he's completely asleep, then put him back in the cage still wrapped up... That way he gets used to your smell and realizes you didn't hurt him when he was vunerable. You can also get in the tub with him, don't try to handle him at all, and let him explore.. after a while he'll realize you don't want to hurt him and start to explore you. Also, how long are you giving him the baths for? Miss Priss will death glare at me for about 10 minutes straight after first getting in the bath, and then after she figures out water=fun & drinks, she'll play for about another 10 minutes before getting out. So don't give up in the first few minutes, and don't try to touch him except for putting your hand in the water so he can grab ahold and climb a bit further out if he wants. If he's gaping at you when you put your hand in the cage, have a piece of greens in your hand and pop it in his mouth. He'll be surprised and forget why he was scared while he eats it.

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