My good bearded dragon just went crazy and bit me

[kaylaw66]

Ok so my bearded dragon, Marty, has always been a friendly, calm male I trust around my kid (15 month yr old). (I have another one that does bite and I don't let around the kiddo and a really sweet rescue I just got last week). Anyways I just got home and was checking on each of the beardies making sure their timers switched over to night lights and they were all asleep. So when I went to look in marty's tank he jumped out from under his log and started running wild from one side of his terrain to the other wildly, which is extremely unusual, so I got him out and next thing I know he's opening his mouth and bit me. Now he has his beard puffed out sitting on me and when I pet him he opens his mouth like he is going to attack and if I look away he tries. He is also hissing and tail whacking like an iguana. I have no clue what is going on. When he calms down he still opens his mouth at me. When I had him out earlier and he was sweet as can be. He ate from my hand and everything. I'm really worried plz someone help. He is about a year old, 17 in front head to tail, 8 inches from head to hind legs, his poops are healthy, he eats Dubias and greens, he gets handled daily, his basking area stays at about 109, I use reptile carpet instead of substrate, and he gets repti-cal 2 times a week.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Maybe someone has had him out and hurt him when you weren't home.

Sound's like that, or he was startled / scared when half asleep by your intrusion.

I try not to disturb my lizards if they are asleep , even to wake them for a scheduled feeding session.

 

[kaylaw66]

I didn't disturb him. I looked in his tank to make sure he was ok because normally he sleeps on his hammick then he ran out like he was going to attack from one side to the other cage surfing so I got him out making sure he was ok. I didn't let him back in until he was calm. No one was home to get him out after I put him away that night. This morning I have him out and he's acting like he normally does, so I guess it was just a weird night or something. I'm getting him checked out soon just in case.

 

[kingofnobbys]

maybe he had a nightmare ?

 

[kaylaw66]

I just got him checked out. He is really healthy. He had recently released Phormones (marked his territory). What we think happened (almost positively sure) was that Marty tried to latch on and mount something, in this case my hand, to get his rocks off. I'm just relieved he is ok and acting completely normal today.