What’s your Adult Beardie’s daily routine?

[Meg1998]

Hi everyone, we’ve had our 3/4 year old male rescue for 6 months now and I’m just curious to know what everyone else’s does daily/routine wise? And if ours is considered “normal/fine”? I’d hate to be not noticing something/or doing something wrong.

We have a camera so can watch him, and the average day will go:
•We leave for work at 7:30am, fresh salad is left although never touched - we have also tried feeding salad at different times of day etc but his previous owners never fed greens so it’s proving difficult at the minute, bug ban pending)

•10am - Basking & UVB lights comes on
•10:30am - Beardie slowly starts to come out & wake up - basking begins
•11am - LED light comes on
•12pm onwards - lots of climbing/running around/exploring vivarium
•We get home at around 5:30pm. We feed every second day (x4/5 large Dubias, as instructed by vet to keep to this as he is a perfect weight and it’s easy to overfeed if not careful).
However, some days he is still out in the Viv, but others he is already in his dark cold side cave and will stay there until lights out. If he is out of his cave then we will let him have free roam time out of his Viv which he loves.
•10pm - Lights out

My concern are the days he puts himself in his bedtime cave quite early? Is this normal behaviour? It’s not every day but I’m worrying is there something I’m not knowing. I’d really appreciate hearing some of your daily routines please! Thank you

 

[IAmAMirage]

7:30 - Basking & UVB lights come on
7:45 - 7:50 - Mirage comes out from his hide and begins basking
8:00 - Salad brought down and placed in tank
8:05 - 8:15 - Feeding salad with tongs
8:15 onward - playing inside the tank
1:30 - Comes out of the tank to play and be fed (4-6 small Dubias, sometimes a hornworm)
2:00 - goes back into tank to bask/play
6:00 - Feed pellets (Flukers bearded dragon pellets, normally 2-5) Then back into the tank after feeding
Normally by 8:30 - 8:45 he has put himself into bed
9:10 - lights out

Hope this helps! Mirage is about 5 years old.

 

[xp29]

My lights come on at 6 and go off at 8. I feed everyone greens first, bugs second. Adults get calcium 2 to 3 times per week, multivitamins 1 to 2 times per week. My baby gets calcium every day and multivitamins 2 to 3 times per week. She also gets protein morning and evening. Anything less than adult should have protein every day, they are still growing and need it to do so. Withholding protein can slow their growth and possibly cause them to not reach their full potential. (I'm not saying gorge or even over feed) they also need calcium every day until growth settles into adulthood.
Also make sure your using a quality uvb. A long tube not a coil/compact screw in, they are insufficient. At nine months old basking temp should still above 100 degrees.
Try to have your lights closer to the natural light in your area. Lights coming on at 10 is pretty late. Here it starts getting daylight at 4ish and dark at 9ish so I run my light 6 to 8.

 

[Chris.]

Not sure if every day is like this but I was working from home today so I'll describe today.

6am lights on

6:30 am I put Salad in the bowl

7am Luis goes basking

9ish he will climb down and start headbobbing randomly and climb stuff maybe sitting in one spot for 10 seconds at most

11:30am he will calm down a little and come to the glass and just sit there (he usually waits there for me as I come home from work to feed the baby). He poops around every other day but when he does he would do it now

1pm he goes back basking

2pm he climbs down and will explore but more calmly. Maybe be in one place for up to a minute and then move on

5pm he gets bugs twice a week and usually at this time when I get home from work. Also 4 to 5 adult roaches.

6pm on feeding days he will mostly bask now but otherdays he might already nap on a branch by now. If I take him out he will fall asleep on me, if not he will just dooze and open his eyes from time to time

8pm lights out

He is 19 months by the way

 

[Meg1998]

Thank you so much everyone for your efforts in replies, it’s hugely helpful!!

 

[Chris.]

Thank you so much everyone for your efforts in replies, it’s hugely helpful!!

There would have been a short answer as well.
It is common for them to take naps or go to bed early.
My girl is almost 3 months old and went to bed at 6pm today. Yesterday she was up till lights out.
My boy will also have days that he stays up even after the lights are out (not now though, because he gets really moody and tired when he sheds).

 

[Meg1998]

There would have been a short answer as well.
It is common for them to take naps or go to bed early.
My girl is almost 3 months old and went to bed at 6pm today. Yesterday she was up till lights out.
My boy will also have days that he stays up even after the lights are out (not now though, because he gets really moody and tired when he sheds).

Ahhhh ok! I didn’t realise shed can cause more napping, he is actually going through a shed at the moment so that could be it! Thanks so much! I think I just need to chill out and let him be, he knows what he’s doing

 

[Chris.]

Ahhhh ok! I didn’t realise shed can cause more napping, he is actually going through a shed at the moment so that could be it! Thanks so much! I think I just need to chill out and let him be, he knows what he’s doing

Shed can cause almost anything
My girl will puff up and bite, my boy will sleep all day, there really is no one rule that fits them all.
No worries, everyone here is happy to share their own experiences and help out. Most of us are also paranoid about their beardies, which is probably the main reason most of us joined this community in the first place. Or maybe thats just me....

 

[IAmAMirage]

Shed can cause almost anything
My girl will puff up and bite, my boy will sleep all day, there really is no one rule that fits them all.
No worries, everyone here is happy to share their own experiences and help out. Most of us are also paranoid about their beardies, which is probably the main reason most of us joined this community in the first place. Or maybe thats just me....

No! It's me as well! Being a beardie owner (especially when its your first time) comes with a plethora of worry and paranoia!

 

[Meg1998]

I know he definitely looks at me and thinks “Christ woman stop fussing and leave me be”