# Help - beardie acting very out of character



## Zorro's Mum (May 25, 2007)

Hi I've had Zorro, who is almost 18 months old, for almost 1 year now and he has always been a very chilled out beardie, even when he's been shedding.

Now he's shedding again though and I can't handle him any more. If I approach his viv he stares at my face with big wide-open, rabbit-caught-in-headlight-looking eyes. If I take him out and handle him he freezes in my hands but always keeps staring at me and looks as if he's about to pounce on my face, then he'll make a mad dash for his viv. Other times he'll puff up, turn black and hiss.

I'm wondering if this behaviour is normal for shedding at this time of year as this is our 1st April together.

OR, I'm wondering if his behaviour towards me now is a result of something that happened about a week and a half ago.....

About 3 months ago, my central heating broke and I was concerned for Zorro being really cold during the winter nights, so one night I took him into bed with me to share body heat. He used to wake up under the covers chilled out and orange, which made me think he was quite happy to be waking up warm, so the routine just stuck. Just the other week, in the middle of the night, I was woken by Zorro's jaws clamping down tightly on my lower lip, he wouldn't let go for a good 10 seconds and drew blood. I got a real fright and couldn't figure out why he turned on me like that in the middle of the night when I was sleeping. When I finally prised him off me I switched the lamp on and he was all black with a flat body. I told him off with a firm voice, which I haven't used with him before (I've never had the need to) and gave him a tap on the nose to show him that was wrong. He's my first beardie and I'm worried that, because of the way I disciplined him, I've totally traumatised him and broken the bond we had and now I'm not sure how to get it back, or if I even will be able to... 

Would appreciate any advice from experienced beardie keepers?!?!?

Thank you.

Zorro's Mum


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

Hi,
welcome to the forum.
Sleeping with your beardie really isnt the best idea...he should sleep in his viv.
if the viv was getting cold at night you could have got a heatmat, red or ceramic bulb to have on low over night.

How long have you been sleeping with your beardie?

Maybe you rolled over on him in the night so he bit your lip?

but yes a crushing, followed by a smack on the snout may have put you in his bad books...
have you till been sleeping together the past week since without troubles?


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## Adam_R (Sep 26, 2007)

hmmmm well i wouldnt say firm voice will disapline him just scare him and make him more aggressive to you coz he scared and tapping him on nose is making things worse tbh a bd isnt like a dog ya cant make it tame and handle by tapping it or telling it off lol to tame him you need to hand feed him and gain his trust now by hitting him you just lost all his trust and YOU broke the bond ........and taking him to bed wit ya well he probz did bite ya you might of knocked him or summit when ya were asleep and scared him so he bit


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## Reaper941 (Mar 21, 2008)

It's good to see that you are eager with keeping Beardies,

I think you just need to coax him slowly back to your hands, using very slow movements to try and get him used to you, and make sure he doesn't feel threatened by your presence, I'm not 100% sure what caused him to react like this but the bottom line is,

This is a WILD ANIMAL.

They still have free will, regardless of how much you can trust the animal.

Perhaps sharing the bed with the beardie isn't ideal.


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## rick01 (Apr 3, 2008)

Hi guys,

I think a point has been missed here - male, 18 months old, spring, a lot of attitude!
He sounds ready to mate and you're being lined up as either prospective mate or another male encroaching on his territory. I get this every year from my male - I've only got to go in the same room and he's ready to have me - he does calm down after a couple of months:lol2:


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

i still think its the sleeping with the beardie and snouting it that has prolly caused the dissagreement.
But indeed... spring..another reason to keep him out of your bed.


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## Finch (Sep 14, 2007)

sharing a bed with the beardie isn't ideal at all you could easy roll over in your sleep and kill it.


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## mcrickydiva (Mar 4, 2007)

well as said sleeping with your beardies isnt a good idea...
but i think its probs the time of year, iv never had a male beardie till now, and now mine is back to health he displays at me alot...his viv is next to my bed so i wake up and his tapping on the glass all puffed out and dark....and when i get him out he just freezes but iv put that down to time of year and he was housed with a female before i got him...so maybe youve just got a horny beardie?


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Zorro's Mum said:


> I told him off with a firm voice, which I haven't used with him before (I've never had the need to) and gave him a tap on the nose to show him that was wrong.


It doesn't work very well on dogs, and it REALLY won't work on lizards.

They're just not really bright enough to connect "I've bitten you" to "I've been prised off and now I'm being smacked on the nose".

Two lessons have been learned:

1. Lizards don't belong in the bed. He could have been sizing you up to eat you!
2. Male beardies get hormonal when it's springtime. He may well have bitten you for that reason - if not because you rolled on him in your sleep.


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## al_mcc (Aug 21, 2007)

surely this isn't real?! ...got to be joking!


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## rick01 (Apr 3, 2008)

> surely this isn't real?! ...got to be joking!


Which bit - the original post or our replies:lol2:


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## GRS (Feb 20, 2008)

al_mcc said:


> surely this isn't real?! ...got to be joking!


I do hope this is a joke !!!If not find someone who actually knows what they are doing and give the beardie to them.And double your medication!!


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## al_mcc (Aug 21, 2007)

rick01 said:


> Which bit - the original post or our replies:lol2:


haha, i hope it was clear i was talking about the OP! i mean they even highlight it was their '1ST APRIL' together...bit of a giveaway...though you never know, there are some proper crazies out there...:s


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## DeanThorpe (Apr 9, 2006)

well she logged off 20 mins afte rposting the thread and hasnt been back...
so who knows..but this is the "be nice" section so ssshhh.


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