New beardie...really skittish

[cupcake143]

My favorite beardie passed away last week and i brought home a new one yesterday. I know hes probably still getting used to his new home obviously, about how long does it usually take? I dont even remember how long it took for my first one to adjust because he was sick when i got him, so he didnt have too many different behaviors. When i first saw him at the store, he was being fed and he ate like 20 crickets at a time and the woman told me hes definatly an eater and he needs to be fed a lot. Hes 7 months old by the way. But when i brought him home and gave him crickets, he ate just 2 and hid in the corner. When i take him out he runs away, and crouches his head down like hes scared. When can i expect him to be friendly and comfortable with me and my family? i guess im just wondering how long will this behavior be normal for a new beardie, and when is it crossing the line to the point where something may be wrong

 

[Ethelia]

Hi cupcake,
Sorry for your loss, I was following your topic and Im glad you opened your heart to another beardie.

Im not sure there is an answer to your question. I have read that it depends entirely on the beardie. Some will come home and immediately become KING OF THE CASTLE and stomp around happily, others are very nervy and take a couple of weeks before they will start to accept that you are not a threat. Id leave her for a day or so and just lower your hand into the tank without touching her so she see's your not there to grab her.
If you can Id also add a worn tshirt of yours to her tank so she can get used to your smell in a non threatening manner.

Holly

 

[beardie parents]

I agree, the t-shirt in the tank worked with me. Zoom Zoom, when we first got her, was a little skittish and she didn't eat much, didn't poop for a couple of days after we got her home. I put a T-shirt that is a little to small for me now that I had worn for a couple of days then put it in her tank while we went out for the day for a quad ride locally. When we came home and checked on our girls, Zoom came Zooming down from the top of her basking spot to were I had my hand. She was hungry and that day she ate more then she did before, just not as much as Redrock did at that same age. Redrock ate between 20 and 60 crickets every day. Zoom does eat small superworms that we were able to get from one of our suppliers. She also eat butterworms and phoenix worms when we have them.

As you can see, the t shirt think worked very well for me, even faster than I'd expected.

 

[cupcake143]

Yeah thats what I did with my other beardie (miss him so much, this ones not the same ), i actually ended up leaving the same t-shirt in his tank always..i would wash it of course, but he slept on it almost every night- so cute!! he was very attached to me and always looked excited when i walked over to his tank- im just hoping this beardie will be the same!
but........when i got home earlier, little Punkin had thrown up all of his crickets from this morning. They looked semi-digested. He looked happy as can be though, and was curiously roaming around the tank. I took him out and put him on the floor to let him run, and he was very active- but still skittish with me and got scared when i went to pick him up. Should i be worried? Can they throw up from being stressed in a new environment? The crickets were fairly small no bigger than the space between his eyes. :?: Im confused
Thanks a lot everyone

 

[cupcake143]

Ethelia, Im sorry for your loss also =( I just saw your post in the beardie memorials. Shes in a happy place now playing with all the other beardies