Help - is my Beardie adjusting to new enclosure? Or is something wrong?

[TinaB]

Hi All,

Thanks for the patience, it's my first posting to this group. We have had a beardie for over 2 years, and he has outgrown his old aquarium tank that he came with. We got a huge enclosure, 4 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. Set it up with a similar substrate (green carpet), all his old climbing/basking/hide features, plus put in new features for him to climb and bask on. For about a week he was quite active, climbing and acting like he wanted to get out, so I'd bring him out, let him run around, then put him away. After about a week, he went into his hide and has not come out. It's been about 2 weeks. I can hear him scratching in there, turning around, etc. He's not fully asleep. I'm a bit worried, as he's never gone into estivation in the summer before, just in winter. So I wonder if this is not really estivation, but perhaps he is stressed about the new enclosure, or is something else going on? What should I try? Should I take him out of his hide? Will he come out eventually when he's hungry? He ate well the first week he was in the new enclosure. But he obviously has not eaten since.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[TinaB]

Yes, it's a male as far as we know. We only googled how to tell, and our guess was male. Plus, we've had him over 2 years, and he's our only beardie, so even if he was a female, there's no other dragons to mate with.
The UVB light is a bar light that is on top of the cage. It was recently replaced (May) and I have a note to remind me to replace in November (every 6 mo as per instructions). It's a 15W Reptile UVB 150 Desert Terrarium Bulb. From Exo Terra.
If he's in his hide, he's clearly not getting exposed to that bulb very much. We have multiple levels in the enclosure, so he could get within 6" of the top where most of the bulbs are, of course he would have to climb up there or we place him up there. But of course inside his hide, he's not getting close to the lights right now.

 

[TinaB]

Hi again, thanks for your response. I am not clear on why do you think it's a female? Can you clarify please. I'll check out the website. I think that was the one that we saw that we used to determine male from female, but I'll check it out again.

Just to be clear on the situation; Most of the time he/she has just spent quietly in the hide over the last 2 weeks. Not coming out, not moving, not eating. Sometimes I hear him moving around, and what sounds to me like digging (I have imagined he's trying to dig himself further underground) and then settles down again and all is quiet for a long time. Why would this estivating occur in the summer? Why when it's just after we placed him in a new enclosure? Especially after the first week in the new cage he was very active and climbing all around.

Thanks for the info on the UVB bulb, I'll make sure we're using the correct one.

 

[TinaB]

Update on the beardie. We've taken him out several times from his hide. Each time he eats. Then he just sits, he does not run around like usual. He does move around, but not a lot. I have put the UVB light bar inside the cage right over him, and placed him back on his favorite basking log right under the heat lamp to ensure he's getting better heat and UVB rays (the bulb is brand new). He stays there for the rest of that day, and sometimes night, basking and then sleeping, then usually goes back inside his hide the next day. I wait a day or so, take him out again, and same thing - he eats, hangs out, then usually goes back inside the hide the next day.
I've noticed now that he is starting to molt. Perhaps that is also the reason for his lessened activity and appetite. But he has not pooped in a couple weeks. I thought it was due to the fact that he was not eating. He has not lost weight. If he doesn't pass waste soon, I think I will take him in to a vet and see if he's impacted.
Here is a photo of the underside to see if anyone can help sex him. I still think he's a male.
I am starting to think more and more that he is just adjusting to his new habitat. This change in behavior coincided with that. But, any other feedback is appreciated. Such as, when changing a habitat, how long does it take them to acclimate? Thank you.