My male is acting WEIRD!!

[Jacenta]

Hey everybody, for over a month and a half now, my male has been acting up. He's just been a year old for a month. Just one day he freaked out and started dashing around his tank like crazy, bumping into everything. After I eventually was able to pick him up, he calmed down after a minute. However, now, if I just open his tank, he'll run around like he's scared for his life. I can't go near him without him freaking out. If I pick him up, gently of course, he'll just jump out of my hands as quickly as possible. I'm afraid he'll do too much damage to himself as he has already caused a bruise on his nose before. Plus, now that I have a female, I am hoping to breed him in the next couple of months. When I introduce the two, they both seem interested, and they'd make noises and twitch their tails, then he'd run off and dash around the tank some more. This behavior just appeared and it's making me nervous to think that a) he'll hurt himself too much and b) he won't breed. Does anyone have any ideas of what might have caused this behavior or what might stop it?

[Nibs]

Have you bred cresteds before?

My male always acts weird.. he prowls all over the cage, stops, barks, tail-twitches with the female for a bit, then runs around again.

I thought he was just weird.. but he's never injured himself before. I always think he will, because i can hear him slamming onto the sides & window of the cage while he's jumping around.

M

[beth wallbank]

Sounds like he's in the mood for loving and he can't get none. I bet that the smell of the female coming into her breeding age is driving him nuts.
And Nibs is right....males are screwy with their actions as it is, running and slamming themselves into stationary objects.

[sara]

lol, it doesn't sound like he's going to have any trouble with breeding. I would advise you at this point to wash your hands before picking him up, especially if you've handled your female.... I don't really know how to put this delicately but there is always the danger of your hand being "violated" at his level of expertise. ;)
Good luck with them.

[Nibs]

Hmm... hands getting violated? Yet to experience that, but then i don't handle my adults very often.

Maybe it's time i start!

[herpetologist]

sorryits a bit off topic but when will my crested be sexually mature? hes 8 months now

[beth wallbank]

males are usually sexually mature at 8-10 months, females are 12-14 months. Sometimes sooner for some, but unless the females have good size to them, breeding is not advisable.

[Youkai]

I second the idea of washing your hands, as I <i>have</i> had my hands violated. O.O

[alan]

Originally posted by Youkai
I second the idea of washing your hands, as I <i>have</i> had my hands violated. O.O

lol..sorry Youkai, I just have to laugh at that..haha :D

[Jacenta]

okay thanks guys! I'll remember that.