Separation Anxiety?

[SirBeardie]

I work in an extremely laissez-faire sort of an office, and my beardie spends each weekday in his tank next to my desk, and I cart him home every Friday night to his weekend home at my house. A coworker in the next office over has a beardie of her own and typically does the same thing. They seem to enjoy the change of scenery on the weekends and it ensures that they've always got someone tending to needs.

Recently, my coworker took a long vacation (just shy of three weeks) and left her little guy in my care. A temp worker used her office while she was gone, and instead of bringing them home with me I simply went to visit them at the office for an hour or so each Saturday and Sunday. I wasn't surprised to find that her dragon was a bit wary about the new person in his space, and he spent much more time in his hide than usual, usually only coming out after she'd gone home for the day. He continued to eat regularly and hasn't lost weight or exhibited any other signs of poor health.

His 'mother' finally came back from vacation and they were reunited this morning. At first, he seemed stoked: he gave her many more enthusiastic licks than usual, spent a great deal of time nuzzled up in the crook of her neck and shoulder, and just generally seemed back to normal. But around midday, she put him back on his basking spot where suddenly he sat, perfectly still, for roughly two hours while practically glaring at her through the tank. Finally, after noticing this rather unusual behavior (he usually moves fairly regularly throughout his tank), she reached in to stroke his head and beard. He immediately darted into his hide and stayed there, with his head completely obscured, for nearly four hours until a few moments ago when my she finally left for the day. He's just popped out and is currently nibbling at his squash and mustard greens. He isn't bothered at all by me watching him or even petting him.

So, the question is: did he somehow assimilate the notion that his owner had left him for a long period of time and is holding a grudge? Are reptiles even capable of this sort of behavior? I know it's tempting to ascribe human emotions to other animals and I'd like to avoid unwarranted anthropomorphism, but this little guy really does seem to be feeling angst! Has anyone else ever noticed this sort of behavior with their own dragons?

 

[CooperDragon]

I don't know that he is holding a grudge but he is probably reacting to the changes in his scenery and routine. They do seem to have emotions and he is probably just a bit upset by the changes. Once he settles back into a normal routine, I'd imagine his behavior will return to normal.

 

[quyllur]

I don't have anything to add, just wanted to comment, how awesome to have your guy at work with you! I would love to be able to see my guy bopping around in his enclosure during the day.

 

[SirBeardie]

I guess it probably just is the change in routine around him, but it did seem incredibly odd that they'd gotten along so well for the better part of the morning and then very suddenly his mood changed. It's as though he's very specifically directing this behavior at her, because it's been scarcely 45 minutes since she's left, and he's already emerged from his hide, demolished his entire bowl of veggies, and is contentedly napping in his basking spot - like nothing had happened earlier.

And yes, there's nothing like having a relatively easy to care for and yet quite interactive pet like a beardie sitting right next to you at work. They even give me the perfect excuse to take short walks around the office complex on these warm summer days - they perch calmly on my shoulder and take in the sights while I get a chance to stretch my legs and ignore the phone and emails.

 

[CooperDragon]

It is possible that he is directing his mood. I can't say that I haven't seen behavior that appears to be grumpiness directed at me for one reason or another. I wish I better knew what was going on in their minds sometimes.

 

[SirBeardie]

Yeah, it's fascinating to contemplate what they might be thinking. It's easier with mammalian pets, particularly dogs, since they've adapted so well both to being expressive and to expressing themselves in ways we understand.

Well, I'll just assume things will get better over the next couple of days. I'm sure I'm making more out of this than even my coworker is. Appreciate the replies!

 

[SirBeardie]

So it's been a few days and the little guy has finally seemed to come around. He's actually started eating his food when she's in the room, which is a great sign - particularly since he's one of those self-conscious eaters who will immediately stop and give a skeptical gaze if he notices anyone looking in his direction, the weirdo. :lol:

If anything, it's been interesting to notice the effect of her absence on his behavior, and at least the resolution period wasn't nearly as long as her vacation. A few hand-fed waxworms probably didn't hurt, either.

Thanks for all the replies and insight!

 

[SweetSpicyDragon]

Oh, something similar happened to my beardie when I left her at my grandma's for a week. Same routine and everything, but when I called to check on her, apparently she had been hiding more and only coming out to eat. She even did the strangest thing: she moved a strawberry to a different location. My cousin described it as "Like the poor thing is depressed". When I went back, she crawled into my hand, which isn't like her at all, and was just being more cuddly and licking me more than usual. I often wonder what's going through their minds, it's rather intriguing, actually. That'd be really cool if we could figure out their thoughts.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Sounds like she definitely missed you and was really pleased to see you again.