My baby beardie won't let me near him

[Karabeardielover]

Every time I get near his cage he lunges at me and tries to bite me and puffs up at me, I tried just putting my hand in his cage without touching him and he bit me what can I do?

 

[Realcaos]

my mojo did that when we first brought her home. though she never actually bit any of us she as we now know bit the previous owner when we went to pick her up. i read that some people put a piece of their clothing in the tank to get them used to their smell. however mojos living conditions were so bad i had to get her out the next day after getting her for a good cleaning. i would often just stick my hand in the tank on the other side until she seemed more curious than aggressive. i also hand fed her. instead of putting salad and bugs in her tank i would offer by hand first. i dont know if this will help but it could be worth a shot. good luck!

 

[zandi202]

As mentioned above, wearing an item for a few days then putting it in their tank is a good idea.


No matter what, always do whatever it is you planned to do. If you went in there to pick him up and he bites at you, still pick him up. Wear gloves if you don't feel comfortable. If he gets his way, he will think he has won and will only get meaner and nastier to prove his point.

Next find an area that's safe for him or make one. Some people will do this in the bathtub, some make playpens, etc. Put him in the bathtub and you go in there and sit with him. Let him get used to you and it'll help him get over himself. Plus, you'll be warmer than the bathtub so that's appealing for this little guy.

 

[Taterbug]

Kara, how big and how old is your dragon?
Is your setup correct?

 

[Karabeardielover]

He's seven inches long from nose to tip of his tail and i have a basking spot and a cooler spot for him to warm up cool down and i have a hiding spot for him

 

[zandi202]

What temp is the basking spot? Sometimes if it's too hot that can cause aggression.

 

[Karabeardielover]

86 degrees right now

 

[Taterbug]

You will want to make sure the basking spot he sits on is closer to 105-110 degrees. What sort of thermometer are you using? If you have the ones that stick on the side of the tank they are not accurate enough. Your dragon may be upset about his cage, or maybe not but it's best to rule it out. Can you share a description or photo of your set up so we can help make sure it is ok?

 

[Karabeardielover]

How do I share a picture? I'm on my phone

 

[Karabeardielover]

Success! I actually got to hold him and let him without him biting or hissing and after a few minutes he calmed down