Newbies with a baby!!

[Gpcooke1]

Hi guys!

My partner and myself are super brand new to the world of beardies! We recently got our first on Sunday 19th March 2024 (A 6 week old according to tge store assistant) and we have been encouraged to handle the little guy every day, only issue is as soon as we take them out of their enclosure they seem to stay completley still and close their eyes..

Is there an issue at hand here or is this normal in baby beardies??

Thanks everyone!!

 

[xp29]

Hi guys!

My partner and myself are super brand new to the world of beardies! We recently got our first on Sunday 19th March 2024 (A 6 week old according to tge store assistant) and we have been encouraged to handle the little guy every day, only issue is as soon as we take them out of their enclosure they seem to stay completley still and close their eyes..

Is there an issue at hand here or is this normal in baby beardies??

Thanks everyone!!

First off, welcome to the forum
Your beardie is being normal, it's just scared. Remember it is only 6 weeks old, everything it the entire world is brand new to it. It doesn't know what it can eat, what wants to eat it, whats safe, what isn't, who's safe, who isn't ect. As it becomes more bold and self assured it will stop doing it in all likelihood.

 

[Gpcooke1]

Thank you so much for your help! Really put our minds at ease!

 

[KarrieRee]

Please let your dragon acclimate and get used to his surroundings - I recommend not taking him out of the tank - you can hold him in the tank but for now let him be- please go over your surface basking temps and how your getting them stick ons are inaccurate - uvb brand and bulb coil or long tube fixture? These will make a difference w/ him adjusting to his tank-

 

[ChileanTaco]

I can agree on KarrieRee and xp29.
We got our baby bearded dragon last year in August. The first weeks we did only what was absolutely necessary (feeding, cleaning up) and did not handle (touch, hold) him. We started with just sitting near the enclosure, doing quiet things like reading to get him used to us.
When he was not that shy anymore, we started with touching things close to him briefly, and then with touching him briefly, next step was holding him in the tank just like KarrieRee recommends. It was months after we got him when we took him out of the tank for the first time.

There is just so much to learn for those little guys. Even all the things happening around him.
The first weeks our baby bearded dragon immediately slid behind his branch once we entered the room - despite we never did anything like touching him or having to give medications or something like that, there are no other pets around, setup was correct from the beginning on... from an objective perspective, he was totally safe, but he just had to get adjusted. Phone or doorbell ringing? He slid behind the branch.
I had also recognized that it irritated him that people can wear different types and colors of clothes. Of course, to an animal who can puff up a beard, flatten its body and change its color...
Now he's so used to living with his humans (us) that he isn't even afraid of things that are really a bit scary, like once when we had to vacuum in front of his enclosure or unpack furniture in the same room. (We of course try to avoid any loud noises, but sometimes you just can't.)
They need their time