Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, thanks for your feedback thus far. My baby dragon remains very skittish and flees anytime she sees movement in the room. Consequently, she is not going after her crickets as aggressively as I would expect. (I have only had her for 10 days, though, so she could be still acclimating.) I have fed her with tongs to make sure she at least gets some food, and right now she is eating 4-5 small crickets per day. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

Also, I haven't been misting her since I didn't want to make her more skittish. Is that correct?

Some additional details:
- She is around 6 inches long.
- I don't handled her yet and keep her in a very quiet home office.
- Cage is 36 x 18 x 18, melamine with a glass front. I covered 3/4ths of the front glass to provide additional security for her.
- Peak basking at 115*; ambient hot is ~90*; ambient cool side is 75*-80*.
- Reptisun 10
- Paper towel substrate
- Food: crickets (3/8"? Around distance of her eyes) and dandelion greens

Please let me know if I am on the right track or if I should be doing anything else. Sorry for the multiple posts on her acclimation period, but I definitely want to correct any husbandry issues and not let her condition deteriorate.

Many thanks!
Bruce

Hi Bruce....the thing about beardies is that some will remain skittish as babies but you can work with it and get it to be reasonably handlable. I would start picking it up...holding it in cupped hands or next to your body for periods of time...5-10 min.at least.As far as feeding,try putting the crickets in a can of some type [ I use empty oatmeal container ] rather than a bag and shake until the crix are stunned and wobbly.You can coat them with your calcium-powder at the same time. Then drop the crix,a few at a time,close to the baby. Sometimes this will get them to eat because the beardie has more time to see the bug wiggling in front of it and stimulates their appetite.Hope this helps...let us know.Oh,and I would gently spray the dragons head with a SMALL stream of water...I have done that for 16 years and all of my babies drink that way...don't " mist" and don"t " blast" it with the water.

I really appreciate your help. Btw, your animals in the marketplace look amazing!

Thanks Bruce...it is fun to see what can be produced with these critters. BTW, it is still good to soak a few times a week or mist lightly...that does aid in shedding. Another thing as far as handling goes,if the baby is REALLY terrified,you can try handling it WITHIN it's cage...let it sit in your hand,crawl on your arm...until it is comfortable.Sometimes that works as well as the other methods.

I agree with Angie. I would gently try to interact with it. Let it know that you are nothing to be afraid of.

I have always given water with a dropper and now never spray them for hydration. Some dragons just really hate to be sprayed. I don't think I bath him/her yet either. Some dragons just don't like the water either and new experiences can be scary.

Should I use some wax worms or something as treats? Or just hold gently and in a quiet environment?

Thanks!
Bruce

It probably won't want to eat if it's frightened while you hold it.Probably just let it get used to being held.Be careful of waxworms for a baby...they would have to be extremely tiny for a 6" baby...otherwise it may throw it back up and a too large prey item can paralyze it.

Thanks!

I also wouldn't offer waxworms at this stage. You have to be careful that he/she might hold out for only that. Well gutloaded crickets are the most nutritious food for baby dragons. I would use the Flukers grain gutload and apple (for moisture)to feed your crickets.

Thanks BDlvr.

I personally wouldn't recommend holding the dragon for 5-10min at all at this stage. It would be more effective to just accommodate the dragon to having you around outside the cage. As it does eat from tongs you hold, it can't be too skittish. Approach the cage slowly so if she's out, it won't flee to the nearest hide. Use food from tongs as a way to lure the dragon to the feed dish where you have more crickets. Once it sees crickets in the feed dish it may forsake the tongs to eat the moving crickets.

Also, since you have most of its caged covered, appearing suddenly really close in the small field of vision it has now may be more startling then just leaving at least half of the front of the cage exposed.

TO help encourage your dragon to get used to later handling, offer crickets held with your fingers...or hold a couple phoenix worms in the palm of your hand. Small butterworms would be good too as a treat for now, but can be added as a regular addition to its insect part of its diet as they are quite high in calcium.
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PHLdyPayne

I had a dragon who was pretty skittish and during feeding time (I would wait until he was really hungry)I would coax him into my hand with crickets...he became very chill over time and everyone thought it was hilarious to see a "trained" beardie! I would definately try it out...just lay your hand flat and hold the cricket over your fingers, then your palm, then your wrist...and soon he will be climbing into your hand and slowly you will see that it reinforces a positive connection with handling...without the fat content of waxworms. He eventually let me take him out of his cage calmly and because we only did this with a couple of his crickets a day he still eats them if they are running around, although he does still like it when he's hand fed...lol. So not TOO spoiled!

-Katt

Baxter just outside his cage...

Baxter & Mommy ... Ignore the couch...lol

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