Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sydney is 17 wks old and weighed in at 146g yesterday. There is definately boy parts showing back there for sure now.

I've been handling him everyday but he is getting bitey. Bitey to the point he flares out, opens the mouth and gets me. I found out the other day how far his head can turn around and got nipped. Well, it doesn't really hurt yet but I'm a wimp when it comes to getting biten by my reptiles. The worse bite from a 9yr old rescued red tail boa that couldn't see very well and got me instead of the thawed rat on the tongs....that was nice!!..right on my hip and she wouldn't let go!!

So anyway, are males more prone to bite?? I've still been getting him out and the hubby laughs at me b/c I have on a pair of gloves. Doesn't help that I saw the pic someone here posted with his finger and sutures from a grown one. Sydney is still flaring out on me but less. I think the glove is making me braver eventhough they are just a thin knit pair and he senses that???

Also anyone use those lizard harnesses? Alot of his bites come after holding him for 10 minutes or so when he wants to wander around and climb me. I've chased this beardie thru the house so many times. Thankfully, I have no carpet so he just kind of slides but he can still move fast!! I'm afraid he's gonna run down the hall and under the door to where my cats stay when my parrots are out or I'm holding him.

I have a male beardie and he has never tried to bite anyone. He flairs up sometimes but nothing to back it up with. I would say if he wants to wonder around to let him do that. He might be scared or something and when you won't let him go he bites.

What do you think about a harness? When I let him go, he takes off. He goes under the salttank or climbs up in the sleeper sofa. The tank isn't bad b/c I could reach him but the sleeper sofa isn't fun.

Why do you want to handle him so much, I recommend getting a cat or a hamster if you want an animal to hold, reptiles will never be cuddly and it sounds like your's is getting really stressed from all of the handling and that stress is making him "aggressive"

Beardies love to be handled and dig the attention. I think you may handle him more than he is used to. You need to gain his trust first before you can handle him around all over the place. What you can do if he is trying to bit you right when you are grabing him is like any animal treats. They seem to love superworms. You could give him a superworm. Then just pet him like on his head and down his back. Get him used to being touched. Then pick try and pick him up. If he lets you then just hold him for a min or two like on your shoulder so he is comfy. Then put him back. Then after a little bit you do it again. Over a week or two try and work more time holding him. Do you have other animals? If you have other animals he may smell them or you may smell like them and he could be getting upset over that.

That's how I started out when we 1st got him was treats and getting him use to me. I'm not getting him out anymore than I started out with...15 minutes top. He did use to sit there on my arm and look around then close his eyes. I still give him treats that he takes from my hand and I can pet his head in his tank.

Yes, I have other pets but the cats get shut up in their room while holding him and the dogs are either outside or in their crates for dinner.

He sounds like a lot of teenage male dragons I've had. They usually grow out of it.
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Remember, you truly only say goodbye in death!

I think he is just smelling all the other animals and thats why he is trying to run and hide. Im sure after some time he will be alright. An alert beardie is a healthy one so you got that going for you. Just keep at it he will give up after time.

Ok thanks for all the nice replies. I'll keep doing what I'm doing Along with treats I started hand feeding him his crickets b/c they have been getting under his climbing rock. There was so many under there a few days ago.

Something hit me tonight while holding him??? I didn't have my knit gloves on and he started nipping but when the hubby took him, he stopped. My hands are always cold. Wonder if that's his problem???

Dragons don't typically like to be held. Some may tolerate it better than others but for the most part they rather just be on one's lap or maybe shoulder.

I don't like having dragons sitting on shoulders, too easy for them to fall and seriously hurt themselves. Lightly held against the chest is fine, as you have one hand there to make sure they don't slip or jump.

Dragons like to have their feet supported, to feel secure. If they don't' feel secure they tend to struggle or bite. Also, if you want to give your dragon space to run around, cording off a section of your floor where he can run around but not get under things where he could be hard to reach, or can get into something you can't get him out of. (my dragon managed to climb up through the wall by the floor space heaters...I didn't know she could get under the cover and up where the pipe feeds heat to the heats. By the time I realized she could climb up there, she was too high for me to get her down...not without possibly ripping her tail off...I thought she was lost for good but she came down on her own and heard her scratching about the other floor heater and caught her before she could run again. That was the last time I ever let her out of her cage without first making sure she can't get under the couch (didn't want to risk loosing her again)).

17 weeks isn't very old either...a little over 4 months old..most dragons this age can still be flighty and defensive, especially males as they reach puberty. Most do get more aggressive but again calm down as they get around a year old so this could just be him entering that time.

Other than that, from what I have heard, Males are not more bitey than females.
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PHLdyPayne

It's best to say they are indifferent to handling. Most will tolerate, some will not. Approaching dragons from overhead will almost always make them more a little more cagey and prone to aggression. This method of picking up a dragon mimics a bird-of-prey going for the catch.