I have had my bearded dragon for one month. When I got him the first person I spoke to said it was male. The person who finished my sale said they weren’t sure of the sex or age just that he was 2-3 months old. He used to constantly climb the glass when I first got him until I put some window cling on his terrarium. Today he only ate 5 crickets and he won’t eat everyday. Sometimes not even every other day but no longer than that. He seems a little smaller. When I try to take him out for cleaning or a bath he runs. Just recently he got defensive and jumped at my hand and tried to bite me. I snatched my hand away like a chicken but I eventually picked him up anyway. I have avoided picking him up since then its been a few days. Also he’s only shed one time since I had him. He sleeps a lot. Am I doing something wrong? Should I see growth in the time I’ve had him?
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I’m new to this help please
- Thread starter Ninalftn
- Start date
- Messages
- 572
- Location
- United States
Please post a picture of your dragon's underbelly and also please show me your enclosure set up. I need your lights specs too. I will try to give you the best diagnosis to my experience.
Your beardie could be not eating because he is tired of the same bugs over and over, you need to give him a variety of bugs. Some good options are superworms, dubia roaches, silkworms, or hornworms.
As far as your beardie showing aggression, how was the first two weeks you had him? Did you leave him in his enclosure to get used to the environment for a week? Have you tried building a bond through hand feeding? This establishes a great bond.
If you didn't do any of those things, your dragon could just be nervous around you. Take baby steps, start with the hand feeding, then gradually pick him up for longer times each day.
This is just my opinion assuming his medical record is clean, I will need to see more pictures of your dragon and his enclosure to fully understand the issue.
Your beardie could be not eating because he is tired of the same bugs over and over, you need to give him a variety of bugs. Some good options are superworms, dubia roaches, silkworms, or hornworms.
As far as your beardie showing aggression, how was the first two weeks you had him? Did you leave him in his enclosure to get used to the environment for a week? Have you tried building a bond through hand feeding? This establishes a great bond.
If you didn't do any of those things, your dragon could just be nervous around you. Take baby steps, start with the hand feeding, then gradually pick him up for longer times each day.
This is just my opinion assuming his medical record is clean, I will need to see more pictures of your dragon and his enclosure to fully understand the issue.
- Messages
- 572
- Location
- United States
Oh! Your beardie could also be in brumation, which would explain the sleeping and being less active.
This is like hibernation for bears except with your little lizard friend.
This is like hibernation for bears except with your little lizard friend.
Baby dragons do not brumate --- please let your dragon acclimate to his surroundings before handling - hes going thru relocation stress --- so his eating is going to be off ---- you need to be feeding salads every morning he may not eat them but we are going to help w/ that --- but first we need to get the lighting situated first --- the two most important things in the tank are the basking temps 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer NO stick ons they are inaccurate next is the UVB extremely important NO coils --- they are inadequate --- you need a long tube fixture -- what size is the tank --- if your using a 20 gallon now you will need to upgrade here soon to something bigger like a 40 gallon at the least I recommend a 75-120 gallong w/ front doors - you can try Craigslist or FB Marketplace but make sure if you get one from there sanitize it real good first w/ F 10 or Rescue or Zoo Meds Wipe Out --- if you have a 40 gallon tank now you will be fine for a while -- so the UVB should be a 24" fixture w/ a reflector like this
https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-high-output-terrarium-hood?variant=40651 24" fixture - this fixture comes w/ a 5.0 bulb which is perfect for the smaller tanks like the 20 gallon ---- it is considered to be a T 8 -- the difference between the T 5 and the T 8 is distance and placement of the fixture ------https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-100-uvb-high-output-bulbs?variant=40630 22" ---
Your dragon is going to grow at his own rate -- but you must have the correct basking temps and the correct UVB -- your dragons overall health depends on it
- Messages
- 572
- Location
- United States
My bad! I was under the impression your baby only had to be 4 months or older to brumate. Thanks for this!
- Messages
- 691
- Location
- Hogwarts
You may not be able to confirm your beardie's sex until he is 5 or 6 months old, it's hard to tell with babies.
Knight98
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 183
- Location
- Yorkshire, UK
Make sure your uvb and temps are spot on
I have 2 lights the temp on the cool side is usually around 77-80 degrees and the hot side is 102 degrees. When I first got him I only took him out once a week to clean. After that I have only let him sit in a warm bath once due to his aggression. I haven’t taken him out in about a week now. When I got him they told me he was healthy but they just didn’t know the sex for sure. I have never tried to hand feed him. I put veggies in his dish and fresh water daily sometimes he eats it. I tong fed him worms for the first week and started crickets cause I got worried when he wouldn’t take the worms. Today someone told me I should try handling more and just allowing him to sit in my hands in the sun so he will trust me. He’s not interested in food everyday he sleeps a lot. His lights come on everyday at 5am until 3 which is when I work. Sometimes I use a nocturnal light at night because of my ac because I live in a warm climate.
Attachments
What are using for a light? I see no UVB- unless your bulb is a mvb- please get rid of the nocturnal bulb - I am thinking it's a colored bulb--- please no colored bulbs they hurt their eyes and it disrupts their sleep- if you need extra heat get a ceramic heat emitter--- the stick ons are inaccurate-- please get a digital probe thermometer- your dragon looks young - your dragon needs to eat every day - he may be going thru relocation stress- but he should be eating something-- your basking temps and UVB are the most important thing in the tank
Please get rid of the red bulb --- ASAP--- the UVB is a coil -- please get rid of that as well - you need a long tube fixture like this https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-high-output-terrarium-hood?variant=40651 24 " fixture w/ this bulb
https://www.petmountain.com/product/zoo-med-reptisun-t5-ho-100-uvb-high-output-bulbs?variant=40630 22"
I would be getting these ASAP -- you want to mimic the out doors of lighting
You dragon will not eat w/ out the proper UVB and basking temps--- please get a digital probe thermometer ASAP -- you want basking temps 105-110 -- for a baby and he looks pretty young how old is he? These two things for lighting are the two most important things in the tank --- it controls the over health of the dragon -- When you get the UVB please come back and post and I will help you get it set up --- distance and placement is key here
- Messages
- 572
- Location
- United States
Get rid of the red nocturnal bulb, dragons aren't nocturnal.
They also don't need a light to sleep under in the while, so they don't need one in captivity. They do good with a temperature drop at night.
They also don't need a light to sleep under in the while, so they don't need one in captivity. They do good with a temperature drop at night.
Emilia Thuet
Bearded Dragon Veteran
- Messages
- 416
Like Sadie said about the uvb, definitely change it out. He’s too far away from it to be getting any. Without proper uvb, he can’t digest food properly and that’s probably why he’s not eating and will slowly start developing mbd if it isn’t fixed soon. Let us know when you get the proper uvb so someone can help you out and get your beardie back in shape asap.
- Messages
- 691
- Location
- Hogwarts
Regardless of the color or label on the light, reptiles can still sense it, and it messes up their sleep cycles. It's a waste of money and can be harmful in the long run-it's the same as being trapped in a room with bright lights on 24/7. If your beardie will get too cold at night, you'll need a ceramic heat emitter.
Emilia Thuet
Bearded Dragon Veteran
- Messages
- 416
In the meantime, what may be a good idea is to switch the 2 lights around so his uvb is right over his hide/cave thing and try and get him to be around 6” away from it. While coils aren’t good for them, if they are in close range they can be sufficient until you get the proper uvb light. If anything put a book or something under it to lift the cave so he can be closer to the light. Put him on a 12 hour lights on and lights off schedule so he’s getting enough sleep. And if you can try investing in a probe thermometer or thermometer gun so get a more accurate temperature. Also tomorrow try giving him a bath in a small Tupperware container. Just make the water doesn’t go past his knees, babies are prone to drowning. Sometimes they don’t like eating if they are dehydrated. Hopefully that boost his energy up a bit so he can start eating again
I have the new light and 2 probe thermometers.
