Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a 6 month old bearded dragon that i have had for about 2 months now, when i first got him i was able to hold him, now he's getting bigger, i feed him everyday, his diet includes crickets and lettuce, sometimes crickets shaken in calcium powder, not often but have like twice, and superworms, he has a VERY nice cage setup, he is about 7" long. I just can never hold him, he always frills up and opens his mouth and has bit me a couple of times, no matter how much i try, he just doesn't let me hold him or even get near him when i'm cleaning his cage, i have to clean the cage with thick gloves cause he attacks my hand..

has anyone else ever had this problem? if so, do they tame or is this unusual? a pet store owner told me that it is very unusual for a juvenile to be so aggressive but i just don't understand?

thanks.

cage setup

Young beardies do have a tendency to act aggressive, but then again they see us as a predator and this should be taken into consideration.
First of all, a seven inch bearded dragon will not be able to inflict a serious bite and if they are handled properly there is no need for thick gloves.
Secondly, they will often bluff aggression before they will bite and generally they don't back it up.
Thirdly, keep at it! The secret to taming down any reptile is frequent gentle handling! When handling him try not to restrain him too much as this will make him uncomfortable. Just brave it and pick him up once every day or every other day and gently handle him. He'll tame down eventually.
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Roy Blodgett

1.1 Drymarchon corais
0.1 Coluber mormon
1.0 Masticophis flagellum piceus (black phase)
1.1 Lampropeltis getula californiae (desert phase)
1.0 Boiga dendrophila melanota
0.1 Candoia aspera (red phase)
0.1 Uroplatus henkeli
0.1 Corytophanes cristatus
1.1 Pogona vitticeps (snow and red/gold)
1.0 Iguana iguana

ok i guess ill just have to start trying to handle him more often like you have said thank you for your help

>>ok i guess ill just have to start trying to handle him more often like you have said thank you for your help

You also might want to change your approach to him. I assume you're using an aquarium-type tank that has you overtop him when you reach in. Try to pick him up from the side instead of over the top where his usual enemies (i.e. - birds) come from. Another technique is to pick him up gently while he's asleep. If you do this right he'll probably not even notice you have him until you've lifted him all the way out of the tank and are going to sit down with him. To which his answer will most likely be open an eye then close it again and go back to sleep.

Another possibility is that baby beardies go through phases where they like to bluff and threat a lot but basically do nothing. This is posturing they go through as they mature, and there's very little we can do about it except to show them we are not afraid of them. Persistence and gentleness pays off in the end.

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Dl

omg your dragon's so cute!!!! lol
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1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Rex- "normal" orange fire)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Glutany- German Giant Mix)
0.1.0 Okeetee Corn (Okatee)
1.1.0 Spotted Python (Hotdog and Shoelace)

Yeah, we took apart a harness that fit him and cut a pattern out of soft leather. Then we got 2 pairs of angel wings, large and small, from a craft shop, flipped the larger wings around, and sewed them into the top of the harness. Then we punched a hole in the leather and added a gold chain to it like a leash.

It's really secure enough to support his weight then some, and it looks great as a costume piece. He doesn't freak out or anything when he wears it, and he loves the attention he gets. He's only allowed to wear it on Halloween though.

That's my g/f in the picture in her leather "hobbit" costume. She wanted to put glitter on the wings, but I refused. Not only would it be dangerous if he ate them, but it's embarassing enough he wears it (I know, I know... I MADE the thing for him!!!)

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Dl

Hi
i think its cute to
if you look at a dragon very wel you see they have shoulder pads .
i always have a feeling these r left over what used to be wings in the passed.
and by evolution it go away .
byeeeeee
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www.dragoncave.nl

Sometimes juveniles can be aggressive for no reason at all. But, sometimes incorrect conditions can be causing him stress and this is his way of dealing with his discomfort. I would recheck all of the basics. He should be in no less than a 20 Long tank (30 x 12 x 12High) He should have a good source of UVB light. He should have a basking site temp. of about 105 to 110. Crickets should be dusted with calcium (No phosphorus or Vitamin A) every meal which should be twice a day.

If all this is good. Then I agree with the others and just don't take in to his bluffing. He will eventually give in. Try giving him a treat every time you touch him. Maybe a fruit he really likes. Mine like Mango, Papaya, Raspberries and apple. Unfortunately every Dragons favorite is different.

Hey i did notice you said lettuce and crickets...they need more in the veggie department than that...get him some squash, greens, kale, and zuchini. It sounds like his diet may be off and that might make him feel kinda sickly which will in turn put him in a bad mood...hows your lighting?

i have an included link to my cage setup to see if anyone can see anything that i shouldnt have or need he has his heat lamp and uvb light along with water in a dish i havent tried much variety in the veggie department though thanks for all your guys's suggestions and help

I'm not sure what you mean by a "link". I relooked at the picture with your original post. You may disagree, but I feel simple is better. I think your setup looks great but it may be better suited for an adult dragon. Looks like you are using gravel as a substrate. I have always used reptile carpet until they are at least 12" and would never use gravel at all. Even if you decide to use sand (let's not start this again) for a juvenile it should be sifted through a window screen to remove large pebbles. Doesn't look like any of yours would pass through a window screen.

I would consider starting over for a while. With reptile carpet, newspaper, paper towels, shelf liner etc. Then a simple basking log and a hide on the warm and cool end. Make sure your basking spot is 105-110 and that your tank is at least 30" long. Dust crickets twice a day with calcium (No phosphorus & No Vitamin A) and make sure you have good UVB running the length of his tank. If your tank is 12" deep you can use a 5% or 8% UVB if it's deeper use a 10% UVB.

Here is a good link for acceptable food.

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Didn't see the link to the bigger picture earlier.

Is that curved wood his basking spot? Does he use it? Maybe it's too thin for him to bask comfortably on it. Is it 105-110 there? Looks like the heat lamp is off to the side.

The tank should have a warm end ~85 degrees air temp and a cool side ~70-75. Looks like that curved wood is in the center but the heat lamp is on the right side?

the heat lamp is on the right side and the ground is crushed walnuts but under the heat lamp is a flat stone that he basks on. He does get on top of the grapevine alot though i see him up on top of it atleast 2 or 3 times a day.

Any more it scares me to give an opinion on substates. lol.

But, I don't feel that crushed walnut is an acceptable substate for a Bearded Dragon, especially a juvenile.

And you've measured the temp. at the basking spot?

i really agree that the more simple a set up is for a baby the better...they are so easy to kill off doing everything right that you don't want to up your chances at doing something wrong...i do agree the substrate should be changed to something a little less likely to cause a problem...

Wow, beautiful setup, but like the others have said, it may be a bit busy for a baby bearded. Someone mentioned your beardies diet and greens. But what about the crickets-- do you watch to make sure your dragon actually catches and eats all of the crickets? I know when mine was tiny, she was quite clumsy about catching the crickets, so I redid her tank setup so there was a lot of clear space for her to find and pounce on her prey.
Just a thought Good luck!
p/s- I 'inherited' a bearded who was about a year old, and he was VERY aggressive, thrashing his tail and clawing every time I picked him up. I tried the "give a treat" thing every time I tried to handle him but this led, I found, to him attacking my hand everytime I put it in the cate, thinking it was food! My girlfriend could put her hand in the tank with no problem, but I think 'Satan' (the beardie) associated me with food, and not in a good way!!! Maybe I should've used veggies when I hand fed him, and not mealworms...
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0.2 cats (Pandora & Journey)
0.1 bearded dragon (Kleio)
0.0.1 green tree frog (Squishy)
0.0.1 goldfish (Namoli)