I just recently aquired an adult beardie.. I was told it was a female. She is very aggresive. She puffs and gapes and would probably bite if given the chance. I don't trust her at all. I was told she was probably not touched or handled often. I'm also told she is overweight. Is there a big chance she will become a gentle lizard again? Or am I going to be stuck with a lizard we cant hold or touch without fear of biting?
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Is there hope?
Shadow4108
Oct 04, 2009 04:14 PM
Replies (2)
BDlvr
Oct 04, 2009 04:21 PM
Yes. There's lots of hope. Be gentle, be patient. Be meticulous about her husbandry needs.
Moonstone
Oct 05, 2009 07:40 AM
You say that you got the dragon recently. How recently? It may just need time to settle in. Also if you approach it from above quickly, even some of my babies will gape and puff, but have never bitten. I would give it some time to settle in. Having done parrot rescue/rehoming/rehab for 10 years now, approaching it from a behavioral point of view, although parrots function on a much higher emotional/mental level, showing this dragon that things are going to be better now than they were before is the key. Make sure your husbandry is perfect (yes subjective all), and then go to work. Here is what I wold do. Find a treat the dragons loves. My choice usually is a hornworm or roach. Start by dropping one in once and letting it take it. Remember, the treat has to be special, and not a staple food item it will eat all the time. A reward must be a reward. Make sure the dragon is aware that YOU are bringing it. Second time on, once you establish that the dragon loves this treat, you will hand feed it to the dragons. I would do this three times a week not daily, again keep your treat a treat. Dragons being much smarter than the average reptile, will quickly look forward to your approach because you have gone from threat to hero. I have dropdown doors on some of my enclosures, and when I have the horn worm pod, my dragons run up the door for them. Clearly they associate the pod with their favorite food. Your goal is to have them associate YOU with their favorite food. Once you have that down, we can work on handling it.
Good luck.
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