LordFreezer
New member
I got a baby bearded dragon two weeks ago from PetSmart (yes I know the concerns about that but it was a gift from my mom). I gave her a week to settle in with little handling. Have a UVB and a heating lamp. Gets about 60-65 at night and it's about 90-100 in the cage with a humidity of about 20-30 during the day and about 40-50 at night(I am currently getting a small dehumidifier because I know the night-time humidity is high). When I handled her before she would sometimes close her eyes so I would put her back or stop petting her when I noticed it because I read that was a sign of submission and that they didn't want to socialize right then.
On Friday (the fourth) I saw some shed so I decided to give her a bath. She was a little skittish before this for those now two weeks but nothing big. I could pick her up and she would sit in my hand or she would chill on my leg or floor before running a few feet, looking back, waiting, and running again. I only picked her up and brought her back to where I was sitting when it looked like she was about to go under my dresser or under my heater so she could still run again. After her bath, I dried her off in some paper towel and decided to clean out her viv. I changed the paper towels and made some more water for later and I put her back in her viv to get warm again. (during this she was on my shoulder and opened her mouth to try and bite my shoulder but I kind of just attributed that to her being cold and anxious from having a new experience.
Later that night I took her out for some handing and to change her water bowl. She was perfectly fine and acted normal. I put her on my shoulder without a shirt on and she slid off after I had put the water bowl back in her viv. She scurried around like a madwoman but I was able to catch her fairly quick in my hands. She sat there for a second, and before I could put her back she jumped off my hand. All while showing me her pearly whites. Repeat the process twice. I finally cupped her up and put her back in her viv where she proceeded to run around her tank before settling in the corner after about two laps.
The next day I didn't try to handle her because I figured last night was quite the night for her but I fed her like normal (a few crickets and a bowl of greens that she ate one collard out of) and she ate fine but she did run away from my hand. For the past few days, I have tried to pick her up but she's having none of it. Running away refusing to be even pet.
Today I decided enough was enough and so after feeding time I tried picking her up again cause I read that if you let them run they'll always do it. I was just about to pick her up after her getting in a corner and she turned around and bit me! Yes, I'm a big scary monster who dropped you but I mean I feed you too! After she bit me I decided I would try to hand feed a cricket. Which she ate but I only think she got it because I was close to her and she was trying to take another chomp on me.
I decided that that's not how we were going to end the night so I put my hand palm up in her cage and just left it there. She stared at my hand and my face with her mouth open for a little while before eventually closing it. I waited for a few seconds then moved my hand closer. Rinse repeat. I was now about an inch from her face and she had just closed her mouth when I decided to try giving her a mealworm to show no harm no foul. Where... she bit me again. So I put the mealworm back and repeated the process only this time after being an inch away I just closed her viv and left.
Is there anything I can do to try and make her feel more comfortable and less anxious? I just got new stuff for her cage and plan on putting a basking hammock in, a background (currently it's paper), and reptile carpet in. Plus I do kind of need to clean up her poops and clean the paper towels again at some point!
Any help is appreciated, I'm a new beardie owner and research before getting her so I understand the basics, this is just a little unforeseen and obviously, my handling of the situation isn't very good... Thank you, everyone!
On Friday (the fourth) I saw some shed so I decided to give her a bath. She was a little skittish before this for those now two weeks but nothing big. I could pick her up and she would sit in my hand or she would chill on my leg or floor before running a few feet, looking back, waiting, and running again. I only picked her up and brought her back to where I was sitting when it looked like she was about to go under my dresser or under my heater so she could still run again. After her bath, I dried her off in some paper towel and decided to clean out her viv. I changed the paper towels and made some more water for later and I put her back in her viv to get warm again. (during this she was on my shoulder and opened her mouth to try and bite my shoulder but I kind of just attributed that to her being cold and anxious from having a new experience.
Later that night I took her out for some handing and to change her water bowl. She was perfectly fine and acted normal. I put her on my shoulder without a shirt on and she slid off after I had put the water bowl back in her viv. She scurried around like a madwoman but I was able to catch her fairly quick in my hands. She sat there for a second, and before I could put her back she jumped off my hand. All while showing me her pearly whites. Repeat the process twice. I finally cupped her up and put her back in her viv where she proceeded to run around her tank before settling in the corner after about two laps.
The next day I didn't try to handle her because I figured last night was quite the night for her but I fed her like normal (a few crickets and a bowl of greens that she ate one collard out of) and she ate fine but she did run away from my hand. For the past few days, I have tried to pick her up but she's having none of it. Running away refusing to be even pet.
Today I decided enough was enough and so after feeding time I tried picking her up again cause I read that if you let them run they'll always do it. I was just about to pick her up after her getting in a corner and she turned around and bit me! Yes, I'm a big scary monster who dropped you but I mean I feed you too! After she bit me I decided I would try to hand feed a cricket. Which she ate but I only think she got it because I was close to her and she was trying to take another chomp on me.
I decided that that's not how we were going to end the night so I put my hand palm up in her cage and just left it there. She stared at my hand and my face with her mouth open for a little while before eventually closing it. I waited for a few seconds then moved my hand closer. Rinse repeat. I was now about an inch from her face and she had just closed her mouth when I decided to try giving her a mealworm to show no harm no foul. Where... she bit me again. So I put the mealworm back and repeated the process only this time after being an inch away I just closed her viv and left.
Is there anything I can do to try and make her feel more comfortable and less anxious? I just got new stuff for her cage and plan on putting a basking hammock in, a background (currently it's paper), and reptile carpet in. Plus I do kind of need to clean up her poops and clean the paper towels again at some point!
Any help is appreciated, I'm a new beardie owner and research before getting her so I understand the basics, this is just a little unforeseen and obviously, my handling of the situation isn't very good... Thank you, everyone!
