Kazoku is angry

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Kazoku is my new bearded dragon, the last of his clutch available. We got him Sunday, March 7th, 2021 when he was 2 months old. A few days ago (either Friday or Saturday) he bit me, it was while I was taking him out and he jumped onto the lid, before he could bolt I grabbed his tail (I had no other option or choice), and no I didn’t put him back after the bite. We have bumped up handling to 2-3 times a day to eliminate this habit. We’ve only had him for a week. Since the day Kazoku bit me, he started opening his mouth at me and my mother every time we take him out of the enclosure.

In terms of picking him up he’s fast, and with the awkward light setup it makes it a pain. Basically we catch him in one specific side of the tank. We try not to pick Kazoku up from behind but it’s hard to do that. Anyways, we pet him and talk to him but he only wants to run off or act scary.
I really don’t know what I am doing wrong.
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
Nothing---- but I would let him acclimate to his tank and surroundings so he gets use to it-- start hand feeding him and work on getting him hand tamed--- I would only hold him for short periods of time - get a piece of clothing / blanket something w/ your smell on it put it in his hide so he gets used to your smell -- you will need to work w/ him -- he will probably go off his food not eat as much but he does need to be eating something - if he quits eating all together that is a problem
 

NightRaysMoon

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KarrieRee":q23yy1eh said:
Nothing---- but I would let him acclimate to his tank and surroundings so he gets use to it-- start hand feeding him and work on getting him hand tamed--- I would only hold him for short periods of time - get a piece of clothing / blanket something w/ your smell on it put it in his hide so he gets used to your smell -- you will need to work w/ him -- he will probably go off his food not eat as much but he does need to be eating something - if he quits eating all together that is a problem

Thanks for the help.
Kazoku never goes under Dio’s hide (or the replacement version) or the rock cave, usually I find him on the branch or on the replacement hide.
I fed Kazoku some dark meat chicken yesterday as a treat and a gateway to hand feeding. Later that same night I realized he’s been eating the freeze-dried adult crickets and grasshoppers because only mealworms remained in the dish. This explains why he doesn’t take live from us, not going to lie, me and my mom now hate live crickets since they are so hard to catch and could severely hurt Kazoku. But on the other hand he is so plump from those supersized meals.
A staff member at Pisces that talked to us when we got Kazoku and said any age beardie needs mostly plants but isn’t that only for adults? How much salad should he have? We have 50% of his dish as a kale and bak choy salad which seems like too much for his age. When can he have freeze-dried bloodworms?
 

KarrieRee

BD.org Sicko
Beardie name(s)
Hiccup he is 6 and Blaze is 4
I would get him some dubia roaches and if he is a baby or less than a year old he needs mainly protein- I would also get him some BSFL they are a great staple feeder for babies and he needs his veggies as well - take the BSFL and use them as lures and salad toppers -- do not dust them they are calcium enriched -- the dubias are a better staple feeder and will compliment the BSFL- they are easier to keep as well -- 10 gallon tote/ aquarium feed them dubia food along w/ water crystals and carrots and maybe some apple -- I have never heard of blood worms being fed to dragons -- diet should be 80% protein w/ 20% greens - then around a year old or so that will flip - but you want him eating his salads now too
 

NightRaysMoon

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Original Poster
KarrieRee":qx83pdsp said:
I would get him some dubia roaches and if he is a baby or less than a year old he needs mainly protein- I would also get him some BSFL they are a great staple feeder for babies and he needs his veggies as well - take the BSFL and use them as lures and salad toppers -- do not dust them they are calcium enriched -- the dubias are a better staple feeder and will compliment the BSFL- they are easier to keep as well -- 10 gallon tote/ aquarium feed them dubia food along w/ water crystals and carrots and maybe some apple -- I have never heard of blood worms being fed to dragons -- diet should be 80% protein w/ 20% greens - then around a year old or so that will flip - but you want him eating his salads now too

Sadly Dubias are illegal in Canada. I fed bloodworms sparingly to Dio as they are fine but I wasn’t sure whether Kazoku could have them yet. I only have a 4-5 gallon hermit crab enclosure and a 3.5 gallon tank that are empty, we have totes and critter keepers/carriers but those are being used to house slugs, snails, and isopods. Since my dad just got on strike BSFL are too expensive to afford right now. Of course I am substituting Dubia roaches and BSFL with whatever I can for the time being.
Thanks for the help and tips, I really appreciate it.
 

NightRaysMoon

Member
Original Poster
KarrieRee":2dmt06ec said:
Have you looked for discoid roaches in Canada? I am not sure if you can get them there- Fla has banned dubias and they have discoid -- silk worms is a option too --
try this website https://www.thewormlady.ca/buy-live-insects.php

Discoid roaches are illegal as well but can be found as an invasive in Ontario. I live Alberta which is pretty dry. Silk worms are 100% fine for me, I love a good moth in the house.
 

lisbetha

Member
Wow, must not have been handled much. Are these reactive bites, or aggressive bites?

You should start with building trust - cage only touching and offering treats. Never pull away if bitten as this reinforces the behavior and never approach from above as this is a predator behavior. If the cage is top only, put your hand in away from the baby and approach slowly with your hand level with their body.

Dried mealworms are great for hand feeding as they are enticing and can easily be grabbed without accidental biting. Dandelions too.

Start with under chin rubs and work your way up to chest and shoulders. Once he's confident with this, you can start resting your hand over his back and, eventually, lifting him partially or fully into your hand low to the cage floor or perch. Allow freedom of movement if he chooses not to stay.

It can take time and patience to tame a wild reptile, but keep at it and keep an eye out for open behavior such as head tilts and licking. Thus means he'll be open and receptive to new interactions. Licking isn't biting and can look the same - all the more reason to 'never' pull away if bitten or in anticipation of a bite.

Head bobbing is an aggressive display and hand waving is submissive, so keep an eye out for these cues too to better understand how your little man is feeling.
 

Kyzer

Member
Are you in Ontario around the GTA? I found a really good feeder supplier in the GTA that delivers to your door. I use to use the worm lady but with delivery for 1000 bsfl was like $65 the company I now use is $28 for 1000 bsfl if your interested the company port credit pets, they have pretty much every feeder that is legal in Canada
 
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