Sudden change in temperament? Weird behavior change.

[Bioactive]

Ok so I’ve had my dragon for about a week now. When I first got her she was already very friendly and was completely ok with me being in the room and sometimes even hand feeding. She was taking the move strangely well until a few days age where it’s like it all hit her at once. By the way nothing bad happened in between that should have made her scared of me. Now every time I enter the room I notice pretty heavy stress marks on her and during feeding she will quickly take the bug from me and run behind the wood in the tank like she is terrified of me. I know this could be normal for a new dragon but it worried me because she was so sweet and barely ever had stress mark for the first 4-5 days she was here until a few days ago when it kind of clicked for her and she became very stressed out. She is getting better with eating but becoming afraid of me. I’m not sticking my hands in the tank constantly or trying to pick her up very often but she seems very upset. Is there anything I should do to prevent her stress? I’ve already fixed all the minor issues with the set up so I don’t think it’s that and I don’t want her to me so stressed all the time. I’ve done so much research but behavior is so complicated and depends so much on personality, age, and environment it’s hard for me to understand why she would make such a sudden change.

 

[KarrieRee]

Ok so I’ve had my dragon for about a week now. When I first got her she was already very friendly and was completely ok with me being in the room and sometimes even hand feeding. She was taking the move strangely well until a few days age where it’s like it all hit her at once. By the way nothing bad happened in between that should have made her scared of me. Now every time I enter the room I notice pretty heavy stress marks on her and during feeding she will quickly take the bug from me and run behind the wood in the tank like she is terrified of me. I know this could be normal for a new dragon but it worried me because she was so sweet and barely ever had stress mark for the first 4-5 days she was here until a few days ago when it kind of clicked for her and she became very stressed out. She is getting better with eating but becoming afraid of me. I’m not sticking my hands in the tank constantly or trying to pick her up very often but she seems very upset. Is there anything I should do to prevent her stress? I’ve already fixed all the minor issues with the set up so I don’t think it’s that and I don’t want her to me so stressed all the time. I’ve done so much research but behavior is so complicated and depends so much on personality, age, and environment it’s hard for me to understand why she would make such a sudden change.

Sounds like late relocation stress -- put a piece of clothing or some sort of blanket in the tank in her hide w/ your smell on it -- thats going to get her used to you -- keep hand feeding her that too will calm her down --- time and patience keep working w/ her -- talk to her she will learn your voice --

 

[Badwolfe]

This is quite common. The first 4 days she was still probably unsure of her new surroundings and decided that you were the lesser of two threats - the big scary human or the unknown terrain / possible hidden predators.

Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't be frightened of sticking your hands in the viv - the more you do the more she'll get used to them. Definitely keep up the hand feeding attempts but don't chase her around if she scarpers. Eventually she'll associate those fingers with something nice to eat arriving (not your fingers! )

She's probably had a good chance to explore by now and feels secure where she is so is no longer worried about making a run for it and attracting the attention of a predator.

She'll soon calm down again and with a little bit of patience should become very tame.

I always spend a lot of time with new dragons. Just sitting in front of the viv talking to them and making sure my hands are in the viv with them regularly. 'Yowie' my latest baby arrived on the 3rd of January and is already at the point of taking food out of my fingers and happily chasing locusts around my hands as I'm putting them in.

 

[Bioactive]

This is quite common. The first 4 days she was still probably unsure of her new surroundings and decided that you were the lesser of two threats - the big scary human or the unknown terrain / possible hidden predators.

Just keep doing what you are doing. Don't be frightened of sticking your hands in the viv - the more you do the more she'll get used to them. Definitely keep up the hand feeding attempts but don't chase her around if she scarpers. Eventually she'll associate those fingers with something nice to eat arriving (not your fingers! )

She's probably had a good chance to explore by now and feels secure where she is so is no longer worried about making a run for it and attracting the attention of a predator.

She'll soon calm down again and with a little bit of patience should become very tame.

I always spend a lot of time with new dragons. Just sitting in front of the viv talking to them and making sure my hands are in the viv with them regularly. 'Yowie' my latest baby arrived on the 3rd of January and is already at the point of taking food out of my fingers and happily chasing locusts around my hands as I'm putting them in.

Thanks! This really helped I’ve started to stick around the tank more often and I think she is warming up to me a bit. She used to be very shy with eating her food (I’m assuming she felt exposed) but now she is fine eating in front of me and out of tweezers not quite with my hand yet.

 

[KarrieRee]

Thanks! This really helped I’ve started to stick around the tank more often and I think she is warming up to me a bit. She used to be very shy with eating her food (I’m assuming she felt exposed) but now she is fine eating in front of me and out of tweezers not quite with my hand yet.

please make sure you get her used to hand feeding --