Does Your Beardie "Hunt"

[xpresean]

I am wondering if I am alone. My beardie is about 4.5 months old. I got him at the end of August from a person who bred her pets and incubated a few clutches.

Except for my beardie eating reptiworms (or phoenix worms) out of a dish, he has yet to actually hunt anything (that is see, go to, and eat an insect on his own). I have tried dubias and crickets of the appropriate size, in his terrarium and in a large sterelite. He just stares up at me or off in the distance. The only time he has eaten dubia is if i put them in his rimmed dish but now he just ignores them, and the only time he eats crickets is if i smash them and hand feed them, which he usually eats.

Any ideas? Temps are to spec as outlined on here. UVB Reptisun 10.0 bulb is in place. It is 11-12" away from the basking spot, and about 15" away from where he rests on the cool side of his cage. I thought for a while I just had to hand feed him, but after seeing videos on YouTube of juveniles feeding, he is not like that at all.

 

[Jdsbeardie]

Our beardie is a passive hunter usually. He stands in one spot & waits for his food to come to him. A few times he has chased his food but not typically.

He's only been home with us for 5 days. His first day he only ate if I hand fed him. Then we decided to take him out of his viv & put him in a small tote. He likes newspaper on the bottom it seems. I was discouraged to continue to the hand feeding, because he would expect it.

 

[xpresean]

I'll give that a try again then, but my guy would stand there when they got to him and they would start to crawl on him and he wouldn't react. My issue with paper at the bottom was the crickets hid under it. Did you tape yours down?

Also, did your vet discourage you from hand feeding?

 

[xpresean]

Also, my issue is my guy has been with me for almost three months. I don't think it is stress from a new home anymore, however moving his cage into a smaller room seems to help with his stress.

 

[Jdsbeardie]

Sometimes I have to push the crickets to him & get them out of hiding. But no I don't tape it down. It does fit the bottom almost perfectly so that might help.

I was actually told by another beardie owner who has had them for years to not always hand feed or they will get used to it. I suppose they can be re-trained too? Maybe your bd has performance issues & wants to be left alone? (Did you say that? I can't see your post on my phone while I'm responding?)

And sometimes they crawl on our guy too. One hid under his belly today. But of he's hungry, he get them.

 

[cupcake0702]

mine actually loves to hunt and looks at me when I give him worms like "seriously mom?"

 

[snazzyglasses]

Our adult female gets crickets daily, but whether or not she hunts them that day depends on her mood!
Some days she just sits and waits for crickets to wander near her then gobbles them up, and other days she's on the prowl and stalks them around the tank (it's hilarious and adorable to watch)

 

[slashgash]

I have 2 babies. Puff is a very passive hunter. She stands in one spot staring at the crickets and waiting for them to come to her. Reptar on the other hand runs all over the viv snatching up crickets like a mad man. lol.

 

[smeegy]

Your viv may be too big for your baby? Sometimes with live food in a big viv and a little dragon, running around and searching for the food can be too much for the little one.

He might also just be spoiled :lol: just likes to be hand fed. cute.

 

[mrgoogls]

I mainly feed my beardie in a small container. he doesnt have to move very far to find the crix. once in a while i feed him in his viv. i would do it more but whatever he doesnt eat i then have to find and dig out in his heavily decorated viv which depending on how many there wre and how many he eats can take a long long time. but when i do feed in his viv he usually *hunts* pretty well. it may take him a minute to get in the "zone". sometimes if he doesnt eat in his viv for a while(like a month or more) he gets really lazy and wont chase/hunt. he will just wait for them to walk by. i fix this by only adding a few. and feeding in the viv for a few days in a row. he learns that if he wants the food, he has to move his lazy butt! it is pretty important to me that i get him chasing food because otherwise he is pretty lazy and doesnt run around all that much. he runs around at times but for the most part either for food or to get to a different heat zone.

 

[sweetpea1981]

my Baby D is a fairly passive hunter too.he will stand in one spot waiting for the crixs to walk in front of him, he hates being put in another container to feed even though it would be easier for him, he likes me to pretty much kill his crixs and leave them on his rock to eat when he chooses. I've just ordered some phoenix worms should get them on wed. hopefully he'll enjoy them. He's just lazy! Also I am so proud he ate some salad yesterday and today! Not a bunch but some I'm one proud mama!