Running into stuff...?!

[tomeglenn]

For the past few days (I only got my beardie last Friday mind!), I have noticed that Gizmo will sometimes try and run into anything white - both in and out of his viv.

For example, the back of his viv is white, and he will regularly headbut it for minutes on end. When we let him out of his viv, we have a white paper shredder that he will charge at full speed. When I take him in the bedroom, he will run up and down the wall, headbutting the white skirting board...

It's extremely strange, and he only seems to do it to things that are white?! Has anyone experienced this? Do they have issues with seeing things that are white, or a particular sensitivity to the colour (like bulls and red maybe...)?

I guess most of all I just want to know if this is something I should be worried about? I took him to my local reptile specialist pet shop 2 days after we got him (not for this reason) for a general check up and the guy said he was perfectly healthy.

Any help is much appreciated

 

[msmisty]

That is very strange i have never heard or seen some thing like this, I dont know what advice i could give you. But could you keep me updated on him.

 

[tomeglenn]

I actually spoke to a friend (who has had a beardy for over 2 years) about this, and she said her beardy also runs into things. Though she said she hasn't been able to attribute it to a particular colour like I have.

He will also try and climb the wall too (back of his viv AND bedroom wall).

 

[mickeysmomma]

Mine run into stuff too. Baby Mickey tries to climb the 'rocks' that are on the background of his tank ! LOL Never noticed is a color has anything to do with it.

 

[monie]

My beardie does the same thing too! I'll let him run around in my room sometimes and he constantly runs into the white walls full speed. I wish I knew why he does it but at least yours isn't the only one.

 

[jarett_harrison]

I think it could be due to the fact that white isn't in their natural habitat, so they see it as a blank space. They go to investigate the new space and whack it. Just an idea i thought of.

 

[TheWaveCarver]

My beardie head butts, but not against only white things in my room. So seems like we're all in a similar scenario.

 

[FrancoisBeans]

Francie's bathtub is a white/translucent and she has a tendency to swim up to it and slam her face into it! I was starting to think she was.. *ahem*.. 'special' because she does it over and over and it just doesn't seem to click. No idea WHY she does it, but I'm glad she's not the only silly one!

 

[Denise Bushnell (RIP)]

I'm afraid I can't explain why, but it is very common for beardies to try to run through anything in their path that happens to be white, especially when they're babies or if they haven't yet become sexually mature. Possibly they have no concept of the color white???? However, most of them do outgrow it, as they become adults, and develop more sense, and they rarely hurt themselves when they do it.

It's also very common for them to try to walk or run through the glass on the sides and back of their tanks, if you happen to have a background on their tank that looks like leaves or foliage, or even a desert motif that looks like wide open spaces. Just like human babies they have to figure out what works and what doesn't, and the wisdom comes with age! LOL

Also, just as a caution, if you do have a baby, or a young juvenile, be very careful when carrying them around on your shoulder, or when placing them down on a high surface, such as a kitchen table, or your couch or bed, especially if you don't have padded carpeting on the floor, because some of them think that they can fly too, until they get a bit older and wiser. If your little one sees something he wants to investigate, it wouldn't be uncommon for him to walk right off your shoulder, or off a high surface, into thin air, to get to it, so when walking around with youngsters, be careful to always have them under control so that they don't suddenly jump off and sustain a nasty fall and hurt themselves!

 

[TheWaveCarver]

i am going to message the Mythbusters to try this one out :laughhard: (not that this is a Myth) but it would b pretty funny if they did it.

 

[Smid]

I'm not sure they all grow out of thinking that they can fly. Smid will launch himself off of anything and he is 2.5

Liz

 

[TheWaveCarver]

One time (this still scares me today) Ellie ran toward the edge of our stair railing, over looking the front entrance, and jumped off the top floor between the posts (which i am realizing are white now). Luckily my dad caught her mid air by the tail, since i was sitting and she got by me, quickly pulling her up. That could have turned out very bad considering the 15 foot drop onto tile that was below her. I'm pretty sure after that she realized she had better give up trying to fly.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Mine did the same thing. I have my beardie just under a week. One day after I soaked him he jumped out of my hands and landing on the carpet. Then, he turned around and looked at me like it was my fault.... LOL On his first excursion out of his terrarium he ran in to my desk, the walls of my hall way and tried to climb up my bedroom door.

 

[slacker13]

Mine runs his head across the glass in his feeder tank. Back and forth. Bangs into it hard at times. I realized he was seeing his reflection on that side of the tank and thinks its another dragon.