My new bearded dragon wont eat and is afraid of me... please

Hi, so let me explain

ive just got my first bearded dragon yesterday. she is limp and missing one back leg so i adopted her. Ive allready done my investigation towards how to take care for theese animals but i dont want to screw up.

She had been living at the pet store for around a year and according to the manager she is considered an adult already. She moved into my enclosure yesterday and the first cocroach i gave her she ate it, but she wouldnt eat the second (according to the manager she ate around 3 when it was a live insect feeding day). today i decided to prepare her a salad: Canons,Carrots,Bell pepper and Zucchini. At first i would lay the small plate there but she wouldnt aproach so i took my tonsles and gave her a piece of Zucchini wich she ate. But just like the cocroach, she wouldnt eat any more!

Im worried and i dont know if i should be or not. She is also pretty scared of me and to be honest that makes me scared of her too. Ive only handled her twice, first time was yesterday and she was nervous and today she pissed on my hand out of what i believe is fear.

So please. Does she not eat because she is in a new enviroment? should i give it some days and see what happens? Is she affraid because im also nervous? help!

She is probably having relocation stress, and all the stress she had everyday from everyone staring at her. It’s going to take some time before she is comfortable. I would continue feeding her with the tongs. Do you have any pictures you can post of her in her tank. Most beardies like fleece blankets, I cut up One to make little Beardie blankets. Mine loves snuggling in the blankets at night. It’s great that you have adopted her.

Here is a good list of veggies you can feed her.
http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

I use my little blankets to pick mine up most of the time, that way I don’t get scratched up.

Terry15":25cr2n9a said:

She is probably having relocation stress, and all the stress she had everyday from everyone staring at her. It’s going to take some time before she is comfortable. I would continue feeding her with the tongs. Do you have any pictures you can post of her in her tank. Most beardies like fleece blankets, I cut up One to make little Beardie blankets. Mine loves snuggling in the blankets at night. It’s great that you have adopted her.

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I think it might be relocation stress too, but im starting to think it might be a temperature problem.
the thing is that ive bought two thermometres (made for aquariums so i dont know how precise they can be) and the cold side says to be around 26º celcius and the hot side around 30º celcius (on the top of the branch being the spot where she should bask its around 36º celcius.) im worried this might still be too cold or maybe even to hot because according to the guy at the store all she needed was a heat bulb. at the right i have a heat bulb and a thermic mat placed against the side warming it all up.Also the top of my terrarium is sort of hand made so i cut a little hole under the heat bulb so the heat would get sucked in by the metal wire. its not inside the terrarium but it is aligned with the top. is this safe? and more important, is the heat enough? please answer asap.

You will definitely have to get a digital probe thermometer. The other stick on ones are no good. I don’t know what you are using in the bottom of her tank, it should not be loose substrate. You could use non adhesive shelf liner, easy to clean and bugs won’t be able to get under it. The loose substrate habors bacteria. The shelf liner is cheap, 10$ a roll or less. The digital thermometer should be 10$ or so, online. There is a lot of good information on this site. Look under the lighting section.

She will need a UVB light. Most people are using the Reptisun UVB or the Arcadia. No colored lights at night. Look online for the best prices. In the pet stores here in the US are way overpriced.

Do not use that type of aquarium. Bearded dragons are desert animals. Plus, of course he is afraid of you. Almost every one is.

The aquarium is fine, maybe the poster meant the cage top ? That's actually excellent, just be sure the baby can't escape through the wire and that it holds the heat in . Terry made good suggestions, throw out the bedding and get the right bulbs ASAP.