Has anyone experienced this?

[birdwriter]

OK, I'm a newbie, so forgive me if this is a dumb question and a well known "thing". I've had Elliot about 2 months now, and he's about 8 months old. Although I wouldn't consider him totally tame yet, he's always been super gentle and calm, and never showed any signs of aggression. He allows me to reach into his enclosure and pet him without incident, and he's beginning to accept being picked up and held without showing too much fear. A few days ago, I came home from work, changed into comfortable clothes, and went to pet him, which I do every night. Suddenly he lunged at me and snapped several times. I was shocked, and left him alone for a bit. I returned later, talked softly, and tried again. Same thing, lunging and bite attempts. Next night, same thing. I was heartbroken and trying to understand what I had done wrong, so I turned to Google. None of the obvious causes like fear, illness, etc. seemed to fit, but just when I was ready to give up, I ran across a small paragraph about black clothing upsetting beardies. I had worn a black tee shirt the night before, and was wearing it again. Seemed crazy, but to be sure, I went and changed into a light grey tee and approached him again. This time he stared at me for a moment, eyeballing my new sartorial choice, and apparently decided it was acceptable. I reached in and he was his old sweet self, allowing me to pet him without any issue. Do I really need to burn my black clothes?

 

[ChileanTaco]

I always wear black - really always, also for work (so when Taco sees me in the morning, or when I come back in the evening, it will always be either a black T-shirt or black hoodie with black cargo pants or black sweatpants for at home). My dragon does not fear me because of this. (Maybe he did super early on, but he was shy at that time nevertheless). In the pet store where he is from, they normally wear black T-shirts with their logo.
But different cloth styles can for sure scare them. My husband rarely wears black, normally wears "usual" colors of men's clothes. When Taco was younger and generally not trusting my husband much, we found out he liked him more (!) if he was wearing black clothes like I do then when there was e.g. a red, blue... shirt.
Also with other things that are new: My husband often wears sunglasses. Sometimes he puts them on already indoors, and when leaving, might go back quickly and check something - Taco really hated seeing him with sunglasses.

Over time, I had the impression, Taco doesn't mind anymore what somebody is wearing, being it colors of clothes, or other items like sunglasses, watches (reaching into the enclosure while still wearing a watch) or such.
Black might cause an extra fear, if worn not always, as for a dragon normally "black (beard) = angry". But they can unlearn that for sure and understand that in humans, it is not an indicator of mood.

What I would do: Continue with your black t-shirts, and maybe even show him how you change into one. My dragon also seemed to understand over time that we humans just put clothes on and are not actively changing our color. From then on, such things didn't matter anymore for him.

 

[Sue E.]

Kai seems much more hesitant when my glasses or sunglasses are perched on top of my head (I dont wear either very often). As soon as I take them off he is fine. They really dont like change!

 

[Sue E.]

Try hand feeding him a worm or two or some greens that he really likes while wearing a black shirt, see if that helps. Dont reach in to pet him, just offer the worm. Over time he may associate the black shirt with tasty bugs!

 

[ChileanTaco]

They really dont like change!

That, and of course they first start interpreting us with what is common in their own species. Like: black bead - angry. It might take a while to learn this is not true for humans.
Imagine we would have to learn "mouth open when basking is not being angry" just by experience but without somebody telling us.

Over time he may associate the black shirt with tasty bugs!

Clearly they can. I guess mine associated black clothes early with "attention" as I always wear them and they are often worn in the pet store he's from.

 

[xp29]

OK, I'm a newbie, so forgive me if this is a dumb question and a well known "thing". I've had Elliot about 2 months now, and he's about 8 months old. Although I wouldn't consider him totally tame yet, he's always been super gentle and calm, and never showed any signs of aggression. He allows me to reach into his enclosure and pet him without incident, and he's beginning to accept being picked up and held without showing too much fear. A few days ago, I came home from work, changed into comfortable clothes, and went to pet him, which I do every night. Suddenly he lunged at me and snapped several times. I was shocked, and left him alone for a bit. I returned later, talked softly, and tried again. Same thing, lunging and bite attempts. Next night, same thing. I was heartbroken and trying to understand what I had done wrong, so I turned to Google. None of the obvious causes like fear, illness, etc. seemed to fit, but just when I was ready to give up, I ran across a small paragraph about black clothing upsetting beardies. I had worn a black tee shirt the night before, and was wearing it again. Seemed crazy, but to be sure, I went and changed into a light grey tee and approached him again. This time he stared at me for a moment, eyeballing my new sartorial choice, and apparently decided it was acceptable. I reached in and he was his old sweet self, allowing me to pet him without any issue. Do I really need to burn my black clothes?

I've had younger beardies that didn't like black, but like @ChileanTaco they got used to it.
My eyesight isn't what it used to be so I wear reading glasses when I give them water like @Sue E. it seems to confuse them and get a reaction from them also.

 

[ChileanTaco]

I always wear my glasses when awake, my husband also does so (both of us of the type "I'd run into things without glasses") - there were never problems with glasses. Just with sunglasses, as of different.
Trying to bite, hissing etc. was never Taco's reaction, but slowly going away and having stress marks.
(In the almost two years I have him, I saw him only once hissing, and this was when my husband - he did it instead of me, because of longer arms - did some work in Taco's enclosure while Taco was in, and it took a while. Taco watched patiently for minutes, backed off, until after that was already going on for really 15 minute or more, Taco did beard-hiss-superflat-tilted for a moment and then he went away.)

 

[Sue E.]

I always wear my glasses when awake, my husband also does so (both of us of the type "I'd run into things without glasses") - there were never problems with glasses. Just with sunglasses, as of different.
Trying to bite, hissing etc. was never Taco's reaction, but slowly going away and having stress marks.
(In the almost two years I have him, I saw him only once hissing, and this was when my husband - he did it instead of me, because of longer arms - did some work in Taco's enclosure while Taco was in, and it took a while. Taco watched patiently for minutes, backed off, until after that was already going on for really 15 minute or more, Taco did beard-hiss-superflat-tilted for a moment and then he went away.)

Kai has never hissed either and the only 2 times he bit me was once thinking my finger was a bug and once when I tried to open his mouth to look inside. @birdwriter, Im sure its more like your beardie didnt realize the person in the black shirt was you!

 

[birdwriter]

Thanks, this is all such great advice! I do wear a lot of black, but if I think about it, it's mostly to work and then I change into casual tees (a lot of grey) when I get home. I was just so shocked at his reaction! As soon as I changed clothes--just literally minutes after he'd snapped at me--he was fine again. Silly dragon...

I'll start introducing him to black gradually, and use bugs as a treat as suggested. I have noticed one funny thing about him. I always wear nail polish, and sometimes vivid colors, like black, green, or dark blue. When I go to pet him, he tends to stare at my nails for second before looking at my face, but he's never reacted negatively. It's more of a look like "that's weird..."

 

[xp29]

Thanks, this is all such great advice! I do wear a lot of black, but if I think about it, it's mostly to work and then I change into casual tees (a lot of grey) when I get home. I was just so shocked at his reaction! As soon as I changed clothes--just literally minutes after he'd snapped at me--he was fine again. Silly dragon...

I'll start introducing him to black gradually, and use bugs as a treat as suggested. I have noticed one funny thing about him. I always wear nail polish, and sometimes vivid colors, like black, green, or dark blue. When I go to pet him, he tends to stare at my nails for second before looking at my face, but he's never reacted negatively. It's more of a look like "that's weird..."

A free roam turtle in a reptile shop once tried to eat my girlfriends toes. The owner said it was the nail polish, the turtle thought her toes was berries

 

[OctoberSky37]

There was someone saying yesterday on FB that their Beardie was seeing their husbands beard as a threat

 

[Sue E.]

There was someone saying yesterday on FB that their Beardie was seeing their husbands beard as a threat

Makes sense! I mean, beardies may not know much about clothes, but they do know their beards! Hopefully her hubby didnt have a black one haha.

 

[ChileanTaco]

There was someone saying yesterday on FB that their Beardie was seeing their husbands beard as a threat

Yes, this can indeed be the case. Heard that many times and absolutely believe it.

 

[xp29]

I hate shaving, it's like mowing yhe grass, it's pointless because it's coming right back lol. That said my beard is usually an scruffy. The biggest issue my guys have is that it tickles their nose/face when they get close. It's iindda funny to watch actually

 

[birdwriter]

Makes sense! I mean, beardies may not know much about clothes, but they do know their beards! Hopefully her hubby didnt have a black one haha.

Elliott is apparently a fashion critic! He's his old sweet self again once I took off the black tee shirt.