Hi everyone - bit of background.
Just before Christmas I welcomed little Praxis into our home, more than 6 years after the untimely passing of my beautiful dragon Feanor from a tumor.
Praxis seems to have settled in very well so far and is definitely a very active and healthy young dragon who I have a feeling is going to grow up to be huge! I am not sure of his exact age but he is about 3-4 inches in the body and a good 5-6 inches of tail.
I am looking for a little bit of advice on handling - Feanor was a very chilled out dragon from day 1 but this little chap is much more skitty and seems to be afraid of my hands.
He is ok with me putting my hands in his tank and will cautiously take worms and pieces of apple from my hands, but if I get too close or try and pick him up he gets frightened, gapes and puffs and has tried to bite me a couple of times. No black beard but I think he is too small yet.
I have read lots of advice online and opinion seems to be divided between the softly softly approach and just being more assertive and picking him up anyway - but I don't want to frighten him and would rather spend time and patience with him if that is the right approach.
Its strange because he was fine with me for a few days when I first brought him home, but all of a sudden started acting this way - just after I changed his fluorescent so maybe that is a possible cause? Using reptiglo 10.0 and white reflective 40w basking bulb.
I will post a picture and am happy to give details of the setup but am confident it is correct as it worked for my last beardie, its just a couple of degrees warmer as he is small.
Does anyone have any advice they could share with me please? Thank you!
Hope this works:
Just before Christmas I welcomed little Praxis into our home, more than 6 years after the untimely passing of my beautiful dragon Feanor from a tumor.
Praxis seems to have settled in very well so far and is definitely a very active and healthy young dragon who I have a feeling is going to grow up to be huge! I am not sure of his exact age but he is about 3-4 inches in the body and a good 5-6 inches of tail.
I am looking for a little bit of advice on handling - Feanor was a very chilled out dragon from day 1 but this little chap is much more skitty and seems to be afraid of my hands.
He is ok with me putting my hands in his tank and will cautiously take worms and pieces of apple from my hands, but if I get too close or try and pick him up he gets frightened, gapes and puffs and has tried to bite me a couple of times. No black beard but I think he is too small yet.
I have read lots of advice online and opinion seems to be divided between the softly softly approach and just being more assertive and picking him up anyway - but I don't want to frighten him and would rather spend time and patience with him if that is the right approach.
Its strange because he was fine with me for a few days when I first brought him home, but all of a sudden started acting this way - just after I changed his fluorescent so maybe that is a possible cause? Using reptiglo 10.0 and white reflective 40w basking bulb.
I will post a picture and am happy to give details of the setup but am confident it is correct as it worked for my last beardie, its just a couple of degrees warmer as he is small.
Does anyone have any advice they could share with me please? Thank you!
Hope this works: