A few quesyions for those that can help!

[theimmortaljedi]

I have had my baby beardie for 4 weeks this saterday. she is 8 weeks old. SHe ate nothing yesterday and has not eaten yet today it is 300. The day before that she ate 7 crickets and one leaf. Every night sense I have had her I take her out at night and she wiggles into my hand and goes to sleep. Last night she ran like crazy from my hand and even opened her mouth?!?! Once she was out she was fine. This morning she did the same. The only diffrence is she is now at 105 not 98 at her hot spot. Also after her bath she lays flat in my hand. If I spritz her down in her home she lays falt on her rock for a little but and looks tired. And third when ever she was out she just sat in my hand looking at me like she loves me. Now she jumps from my hand onto the bad jumps onto my lap or I have to go hand over hand as she jogs? At night she does this right before curling up in my hands. During the day she just wants to keep doing this. Is she opening her mouth to bite? She hasn't yet? Is she running from my hand becasue she has just decided she hates me? Why does she lay flat after a bath?(she drank some of her bath water today for the first time) Why is she so active after 5 minutes or so of being out when she used to just sit calmly all the time? Even before she curls up on me and goes to sleep? Any help, thoughts, or ideas will be greatly apreciated!!!!!!!
THANKS :?

 

[Rachella]

Howdy!

Alrighty, well... I'm no expert but let's see if I might be able to help at least a little... What's her normal feeding routine? You said yesterday she ate 7 crickets and a leaf, are the crickets smaller than the space between her eyes? What veggie did you feed her?

It's hard to say what she's doing when she 'opens her mouth', often beardies will do this as 'gaping' to release heat if they're too hot. However, other than opening her mouth is she displaying any sort of unwanted behavior? Such as turning darker, stress marks on her belly, flattening herself towards you, trying to extend her beard? Those are all, I believe, signs of aggression and are ways for beardies to tell others to 'back off'. When you reach your hand in to take her, are you doing so from right above her? Try reaching in from the front of her, low to the ground. You gotta think, to her you look enormous and she may be afraid. Reaching in above and behind is very startling for a dragon, as that's how predators grab them. When you reach in, just lay your hand in there for a little bit, talk to her very nicely and then try to pick her up. It might even help to put something that smells like you in the tank with her, so she gets used to your scent.

I wouldn't be too worried about her skittering around so much; she's young and she'll be rambunctious. As for her flattening out I wouldn't worry about it either, beardies do this during bathtime or right after (at least mine do). Try gently wrapping a towel around her when she gets out of the bath and snuggling her to warm her up.

She doesn't hate you, it just sounds like she's become skittish, you need to let her know you're not a big bad monster out to eat her. This probably explains a lot of her sudden change in personality. Try some of the stuff I mentioned above and see if it helps. Feed her veggies from your fingertips also, so she knows that you're going to take care of her.

Hope this helps you out, if you have any more questions feel free to ask!

 

[theimmortaljedi]

It might even help to put something that smells like you in the tank with her
what do you think would work best for this?. She doesn't flatten or show beard. Right after this she latches on to my finger and is fine. Last night she ran at first but didn't open her mouth and still fell a sleep in my hand. What is a good veggie for hand feeding? IS one better tasteing then another? Thanks for the reply.

 

[Rachella]

It might even help to put something that smells like you in the tank with her
what do you think would work best for this?. She doesn't flatten or show beard. Right after this she latches on to my finger and is fine. Last night she ran at first but didn't open her mouth and still fell a sleep in my hand. What is a good veggie for hand feeding? IS one better tasteing then another? Thanks for the reply.

Hmmm! Maybe wear a clean sock on your hand for several hours and put it in there with her? xD Haha! Or an old shirt or blanket. Something that's going to smell like you. Just tuck it in there (probably around where she sleeps) and let her get used to it.

It definitely sounds like she's just being skittish. Just make sure to approach her carefully when you try to pick her up, speak calmly and gently and comfort her. For hand-feeding I use pieces of collard greens and dandelion greens, there's no real veggie that tastes better than the other and it's all up to the beardie's tastes anyways. Try using one and see how she likes it then another one, it's good to give her a variety anyways. Make sure to use small pieces, no bigger than the space between her eyes just to be safe. if you rest the veggie on your finger she should lick it up, maybe wiggle your finger a little if she doesn't seem interested at first. I've been hand-feeding my beardies all the time and never been bitten while doing it, even by my little meanie Jumper.

Good luck and definitely let me know how she does!

 

[theimmortaljedi]

she wouldn't eat from my hand. She ran from hand again at first jumped around then snuggled in and went to sleep. She has fallen asleep in my hands every night for 4 weeks. She should trust me by now. Funny thing is when I try to put her back at night she tries everything she can to stay holding on to my hand and it takes me 5 to ten minutes to get her saftly back in. If I put a piece of old t-shirt in there for her to sleep on her claws won't get caught on it will it? Becasue I want to to do that if it will help I just don't want her to be stuck to it and drag it around and hurt her self. I thought I might sleep in a shirt then cut a piece off to put in there with her. Thanks

Eric