Hi everyone -- I know this is a common topic and I have read many posts, I am just curious if anyone can offer advice from personal experience on a case similar to mine - of course we all have our own experiences to share which is what makes this forum great!
My juvenile is about 4 inches long, I think he[not sure he is a he yet] is about three months old. He was socialized at the small shop I got him from, they actually cared about their beardies. He is in a 20 gallon viv and temps are right.
He has been irritable with me when I got him, I figured this was due to relocation stress, since I have done my best to bond. He finally trusts me enough to hand feed with me and many times he will let me pick him up fine. However sometimes he flattens out or gapes heavily at me when I try. He will gape at me but not ever bite me. He does not black beard me either. He has only black bearded me one time when I let him roam and he did not want to go back to his viv.
I have been bathing him to get him used to it and he seems to be liking it, he likes to be a beardie burrito too (wrapped in a cloth) and hang out with me usually. Tonight was not a good night and he would not be me pick him up, he kept gaping at me. When he does that I don't like to forcefully pick him up. When he gapes I usually put a bit of greens in his mouth (this makes him eat greens and shows him I am not scared).
Tonight that didn't help, he ran from me, I didn't chase him. He eventually let me pick him up but then gaped at me and ran back to his viv. I am just curious if this type of behavior is normal, it seemed like our bonding was going well but then tonight happened and I feel a bit sad. Has anyone had a similar experience?
When he gapes or acts like he doesn't want to be picked up is it best to back off or to persist?
My juvenile is about 4 inches long, I think he[not sure he is a he yet] is about three months old. He was socialized at the small shop I got him from, they actually cared about their beardies. He is in a 20 gallon viv and temps are right.
He has been irritable with me when I got him, I figured this was due to relocation stress, since I have done my best to bond. He finally trusts me enough to hand feed with me and many times he will let me pick him up fine. However sometimes he flattens out or gapes heavily at me when I try. He will gape at me but not ever bite me. He does not black beard me either. He has only black bearded me one time when I let him roam and he did not want to go back to his viv.
I have been bathing him to get him used to it and he seems to be liking it, he likes to be a beardie burrito too (wrapped in a cloth) and hang out with me usually. Tonight was not a good night and he would not be me pick him up, he kept gaping at me. When he does that I don't like to forcefully pick him up. When he gapes I usually put a bit of greens in his mouth (this makes him eat greens and shows him I am not scared).
Tonight that didn't help, he ran from me, I didn't chase him. He eventually let me pick him up but then gaped at me and ran back to his viv. I am just curious if this type of behavior is normal, it seemed like our bonding was going well but then tonight happened and I feel a bit sad. Has anyone had a similar experience?
When he gapes or acts like he doesn't want to be picked up is it best to back off or to persist?