My beardie hates me

[cbgarner2002]

Okay, perhaps I'm being a tad dramatic. :roll: Luna is approximately 5 to 7 months old now (I would guess) and roughly 11 inches long. Maybe 12 nose to tail. When I open her enclosure to reach for her she bolts, runs around frantically, puffs her beard and will even attempt to bite me if I'm not vigilant. I have to get her by the tail and scoop her from underneath which I hate doing but she leaves me no choice. She really seems to dislike being interacted with and will have a black beard the entire time I have her out. Once she's in my hands she will normally calm down for short periods of time and not attempt to wriggle out of my grip but I dare not let her out of my hands for fear that she will bolt. Is this normal for a beardie her age? I've always heard they're so tame and easy going but she really seems to dislike interacting with me.

I've had her for probably 2.5 months now and watched her grow substantially into the little cutie she is becoming but I just fear that she will never calm down. Thoughts? Experiences? She is in a 55 gallon tank with a screen lid, 3 halogen basking lights, and two 18 inch Reptisun 10.0 T8s.

 

[SeventyGTX]

My guess is you got her from a pet store and not a breeder. I got my first one from a local pet store was that way out of control. Like yours, she would calm down, but at the first chance, would bolt off as fast as possible. I ended up giving her to a Beardie rescue because I did not have the time to spend with her. I don't think she hate's you.......she's just scared.

Wish I could help, but like I said, I gave mine away and got another baby from a breeder, and she has been awesome for nearly 12 years. I'm sure there are others in here that can give advice on calming her down. Good luck with her.

 

[Kessed]

How often do you handle her?

My beardie started off kind of terrified of us (but she's not aggressive so she just froze in our hands for along time). But I started making sure to pick her up everytime I walked by. I would hold her just for a few seconds and then put her down.

Also, what kind of container is she in? My dragon really settled down after we made her a new one which opens at the side. When she was in a wire lidded aquarium reaching down from above scared her alot.

 

[SpaceCadetEddie]

I've only had mine for about 3 weeks and hope to keep her friendly towards me. But when I was a child my brother just stuffed food into his mouth every time he hissed. After a few sessions of "anger therapy" he seemed pretty chill from then on. We even had him until old age took him.

 

[SukiLove]

I have to get her by the tail and scoop her from underneath which I hate doing but she leaves me no choice. She really seems to dislike being interacted with and will have a black beard the entire time I have her out. Once she's in my hands she will normally calm down for short periods of time and not attempt to wriggle out of my grip but I dare not let her out of my hands for fear that she will bolt. Is this normal for a beardie her age? I've always heard they're so tame and easy going but she really seems to dislike interacting with me.

I would strongly advise against grabbing her by the tail. Unlike most other lizards, beardie's do not grow back their tail if it comes off. It probably is a little traumatizing for her to if you think about it. At this point I would give her a break for a few days, maybe try putting a shirt that you've worn in her cage so she can get used to your smell, let her reset and then try and start over. Like Kessed said, sometimes reaching in at them from above is terrifying to them because it's almost predatory (as is grabbing by the tail). Also try hand-feeding her some of her favorite things so she can associate your hands with good things.

 

[Honeycomb]

I once had four beardies, in different tanks, and one girl was little and i was afraid of her running away and getting lost so i didnt handel her as much as the others, whoni played with several times a day outside the tank. One day i went to pick her up and her whole body was shivering and she was hissing really bad. I got her from a breeder and i didnt know why she was acting this way. I can only assume its cuz she had hardly ever been handled. My new dragon i cant help but play with every day, and hes just a baby but already begging to come out of his tank. Maybe handle her more often and hold onto her for like, 20 minutes then put her back. Do that several times a day and eventually she will get used to the idea of handling. Imnonly guessing though, no expert.

 

[Esther19]

When you are able to hold her, try holding her so that you are face-to-face and talk to her softly. This has helped mine to bond with me.

 

[diamc]

I have to say that 3 halogen lights are a LOT for only a 55 gallon tank. What are the wattages of each? Also, what type of thermometer are you using and what are the basking & cool side temps? If the temps are too high, that can affect their total behavior. Can you post some pictures of her and the setup?

I agree with SukiLove that you shouldn't grab her by the tail, it's not only painful but terrifying too. If you are forcing her to stay in your hands the whole time you have her out & she is struggling, she's not enjoying it & that's why she has a dark beard, sounds very stressful.

I also agree that you should try hand feeding her to help with the bonding and hopefully she will start trusting you. Would keep any handling at a minimum for a few days to give her time to calm down.

What are you doing about bathing her and how does she handle that? Have you ever tried wrapping her up in a towel and laying her on your chest to help her relax?