My School's Bearded Dragon's Health, please help.

[Will Banks]

My school owns a bearded dragon and I take care of it a lot of the time (I love animals and taking care of them)

My school opens at 7:30 and closes at 4:00, 5:00 on wednesdays.

My questions is this: a teacher says that Morgoth (bearded dragon) is ok with his light always on (since we cannot have someone able to turn it off around 8 PM).

I disagree with this but I'm a shy person so I don't really question. Everytime I turn off his light to open his cage, he always closes his eyes, like he knows it's nighttime and he finally get's the rest he wants.

Right now I'm letting him sleep a little because I don't know what to do.

So, is it important for me to make sure his light goes off everyday? or is it something Isohuldn't worry about? If it is important, I can arrange something to be done to make sure the light goes out.

Questions:
-How many hours of night time to they need?
-How many hours of daylight do they need?
-Is it safe for me to leave the school at 4:00 and turn off his light? Will he be ok in the morning when I turn it back on? Or is this a bad idea?

Other Questions:
-He sometimes scratches on the glass
-Sleeps in the corner of his cage away from the light, under a shelter
Please help, I don't want Morgoth to be unhealthy in anyway. If this is tecnically animal cruelty, I didn't know otherwise.
-Sometimes he has a really hard time waking up and I think he's dead (he never is though)

Thank you so much for reading, and please respond with help

 

[Canicke]

Will - you're right to be concerned. Yes - they do need lights out time. The light time is kind of varying - like the seasons. More time in the summer and less time in the winter. He also should have a heat emitter (no light) if the room gets below 65 degrees F. You can buy a timer at any hardware store. They DO sleep hard! Some of them go through what's called BRUMATION - it's like a bear hibernating but it's called different for reptiles. If you cant't get a timer, turning the light off at 4:00 is much better than leaving it on 24/7. Glass scratching is common. It can mean several things - what kind of set up do you have? Can you send us a photo? Please share this with your teacher - we're all always learning - well, i know i am, anyway!! We have a lot of good folks on here, we'll get you the info you need. Any additional info you can provide would be welcome - what does he eat? how often? Is he bathed? how often? What kind of exercise ? What grade are you? How old is Morgoth? GOOD FOR YOU !!!

 

[Will Banks]

Will - you're right to be concerned. Yes - they do need lights out time. The light time is kind of varying - like the seasons. More time in the summer and less time in the winter. He also should have a heat emitter (no light) if the room gets below 65 degrees F. You can buy a timer at any hardware store. They DO sleep hard! Some of them go through what's called BRUMATION - it's like a bear hibernating but it's called different for reptiles. If you cant't get a timer, turning the light off at 4:00 is much better than leaving it on 24/7. Glass scratching is common. It can mean several things - what kind of set up do you have? Can you send us a photo? Please share this with your teacher - we're all always learning - well, i know i am, anyway!! We have a lot of good folks on here, we'll get you the info you need. Any additional info you can provide would be welcome - what does he eat? how often? Is he bathed? how often? What kind of exercise ? What grade are you? How old is Morgoth? GOOD FOR YOU !!!

Morgoth is about a year old, I'm 16 and in 10th grade.

this is his cage, two of the tiles are missing because that's where he made a stinky and we don't have any tile replacements yet. Currently I'm on spring break so I'm taking care of him for the week. He's in the right corner sleeping.

He eats large crickets once a day, and I try to feed him carrots and turnip greens as well. Sometimes tomatoes. We don't bathe him because we odn't have a place to, I can bathe him later tonight since I'm at my house. He get's excercise from chasing cricekts we feed him.

He doesn't get much excercise other than that, he's in really bad condition but I'm trying to change that.

 

[Will Banks]

Morgoth is about a year old, I'm 16 and in 10th grade.

this is his cage, two of the tiles are missing because that's where he made a stinky and we don't have any tile replacements yet. Currently I'm on spring break so I'm taking care of him for the week. He's in the right corner sleeping.

He eats large crickets once a day, and I try to feed him carrots and turnip greens as well. Sometimes tomatoes. We don't bathe him because we odn't have a place to, I can bathe him later tonight since I'm at my house. He get's excercise from chasing cricekts we feed him.

He doesn't get much excercise other than that, he's in really bad condition but I'm trying to change that.

Edit: I rarely see him drink out of his water too.

 

[drzebra]

For what it's worth, I never see my beardies drink. In fact, I don't bother putting water in their habitats. They get what they need from their food. You can also supplement that by misting them a couple of times a week and by bathing them.

And yes, it's absolutely a must to get those lights off at night. A cheap security timer from the hardware section of your local department store will work just fine. They don't cost more than a couple of dollars. I personally have my lights on 14 hours, off 10.

Scratching the glass ("glass surfing") is normal to some degree.

Dragons will sleep where they land. That's about all there is to say about that.

 

[PatsyB]

Good for you for coming to this site! Yes, he needs to have his lights off so he can get some rest. Like drzebra I do a 14/10 hour cycle but since he is in a classroom all day I would probably stick with a 12/12 cycle. Now you say light...does he have a light for heat and UVB? Both are very important. How long has he been the class pet?

As far as baths go, while you have him home give him baths in your tub or kitchen sink. At school you can always get a large dishpan and fill it with some warm water and give him a bath that way. Baths are good to for them, they drink from them, they get clean, it helps them when they shed.

 

[drzebra]

And even if they don't drink (Fenchurch resents her baths, and Arthur doesn't seem fond), they will absorb water through their vents (their version of the anus).

 

[Mushuandcricket]

Welcome! They sell timers at pet stores & Home depot that you can set up the lights to turn on and off at certain times. I am glad you are in this guys life to make a difference.

 

[jarich]

And even if they don't drink (Fenchurch resents her baths, and Arthur doesn't seem fond), they will absorb water through their vents (their version of the anus).

This is an unfortunate rumor that seems to have made its way around the reptile community, but is untrue. They do not absorb water either through their skin or their vents. However, spraying their face while in the bath will often lead them to drink from it, which is a good thing. As you said before, they largely get their water through their food though.

Will, perhaps a larger concern is the lighting and heating. Can you tell us what the basking spot gets to in temperature? Also, what UV lighting are they providing?