adopted a beardie

So...instead of buying a baby..I decided to adopt an adult that was not longer wanted by the owners. They gave me pretty much everything they had which was a 55 gallon and a bunch of lights.

Their husbandry wasn't quite right but I won't get into that. The UVB was god knows how old. He is quite stressed from the trip but is eating like a pig.

There is one thing that is concerning me. He is really aggressive. I can't even walk near his cage without him lunging mouth open at the glass. It is actually quite scary cause I have never been bitten by any reptile as of yet. Does it hurt when they bite cause I have to put his greens in and stuff. I ended up getting the carcboard box in which the LOng UVB bulb came in to move him to the side so I can put his greens in. He attacked the poop out of this box.

I dunno how I would fix this aggression problem. I was thinkin of offering a peace offering and hand feeding him some supeworms or something...but I really like my fingers attached to my body

Kudos to you for rescuing him! :gj:

Hand-feeding can help beardies get used to their owners, but with one as aggressive as yours, it is probably not the safest technique to start out with.

Beardies are unable to do much harm, but do have sharp little teeth that can break the skin. If you are the least bit wary of being bit, use gloves.

Give your beardie a few days to settle in before handling. Then, start to handle him for a few minutes a day, gradually increasing handling time. By the end of the second week, you should be handling him 10-20 minutes a day. Be calm and confident.

He will darken, puff, poo on you, hiss, snap, and maybe even bite (use gloves), but it is of extreme importance that you DO NOT put him back in his enclosure. This will show him that by showing signs of aggression, he gets what he wants.

Here are a few extra things that helped me in taming my beardie.

-Put a shirt that you've worn inside his enclosure. This may help him get used to your scent.

-Let him run around a room in your house while you sit on the ground and observe. This is a way for him to get used to you, while not as stressful as handling. (Note that this should be in addition to, not instead of your handling time.)

-Talk to him and stroke him while he's in the enclosure and while handling.

-Do not approach him from the back or the sides. To initially lift him, place your hand underneath him from the front. This will help him to understand that you are not a predator. Never sneak up on a beardie in any way or take them by surprise.

The main thing is being persistent and determined while being gentile. Mistreated beardies can be very aggressive, but will settle down with some time and regular handling. My beardie was extremely aggressive when I first got him, but now he's "dog-tame" and a joy to handle. It may take a while, but if you keep at it, he will settle down.

Good luck!! Keep me posted on how things go.