So ive Had my beardy Mushu for 4 - 5 months. and ever since i brought him home for the first time.. Hes always puffing up , hissing sometimes nippy. Ive been trying to work with him by hand feeding him worms and veggies ( which he doesnt mind.. ) But when it comes to picking him up he wants nothing to do with it.. Any other suggestions would be great , id like to be able to bring him out , do you think he will eventually grow out of it?
im so lost.. i want my beardy to be happy instead of grumpy.
Do you know how old Mushu is? Bearded dragons enter a "moody teenager" phase between ~8-16 months, so it's possible that it's just hormones.
You might want to take a step back with him:
- Cover 3 sides of the terrarium with black construction paper so s/he feels more secure in their environment.
- Place a dirty shirt (worn at least 2x without washing, or a shirt you wore while exercising) inside the enclosure so s/he can get used to your scent.
- Rest your hand inside the enclosure and let it sit there for 5-10 minutes at a time. (Get a book, this can be boring.) Do not attempt to hold the dragon until it regularly walks across your hand.
- Start with short handling sessions (3-5 minutes at most), but don't return the dragon to its terrarium until it is calm.
- Gradually increase the length of handling sessions up to 30 minutes.
Is this your first dragon? Usually they have to be comfortable in their new homes before they start being sweet and docile. Do you have a good UVB light for him (like a ReptiSun or Arcadia tube fluorescent), and is his basking temp around 100 degrees F?
This is my second , My first one got really sick and passed within one day... didnt even get a chance to help her, ill try getting a new bulb see if it helps but the temps are set right. Thanks for the suggestions! gunna try my best to make s/he comfortable. would you recomend the strip light over a normal bulb?
The only way your beardie will get enough UVB light is by getting a strip fluorescent tube; the most recommended brands are the ReptiSun 10.0 and the Arcadia 12%.
I suggest you read the lighting guide on this forum, it's not too long of a read and very informational: