I have a few questions to ask and would love any and all feedback!
So, to begin, Pascal was purchased at a pet store in my local area. I have done a lot of reading as I am one of those people who want to provide the very best for their animal, but I get a lot of contradicting answers. I know beardies are all different but I feel like mine is an odd one out! So here we go!
1) Stress Marks: Pascal has had them from the time I brought it home a week and a half ago. They do not go away when sleeping either. I have read that it may not be stress but rather curiousity or interest in things. I have a 40 gallon tank and that has a desert side and a cooler side. I have a basking lamp and temps are anywhere from 85-100, I adjust as needed. I have a UVB lamp that Pascal hangs out under all the time also. I will post a picture of everything for feedback. Humidity has stayed in the range of 40 or below except when I turn the lamps off for the night. Then they get to 60ish. Temps stay 80 or above during this time also.
2) Bathing: Absolutely hates it. Will not for the life of me let me put him in any water. The one exception was when he was having a full shed, he fought with me for a bit, but I got him to stay maybe 4 or 5 minutes in it. I take water and drip it all over him at times and he doesn’t seem to mind that. I have a pool in his setup but he hasn’t got interested in it yet.
3) Doesn’t like to be handled much at all. Tries to scurry away a lot. Seems to be easier when he is tired though. Doesn’t mind being pet here and there but sometimes runs away from me when I try to pet him. Other times when he lets me pet him he closes his eyes. Not sure if he wants me to go away or actually likes it.
4) I have cats...3 to be exact. They like to stare him down any chance they get. They are finally starting to get bored of him, but from time to time I find them watching him intently. He just sits there and watches them and sometimes will jump down from his tree and try to attack them. And will sit there and stare them down for a good while.
5) Food: when I first got him I was feeding him crickets and mealworms. They were a little on the big side, so I switched to smaller ones. He has been passing stools fine and almost daily. I spray them with calcium before I give them also. Recently he has declined every insect I have tried to feed him other than crickets. No complaints but I just like giving a variety. I feed the crickets calcium food and calcium water thinkers. I offer a salad during the day when I’m gone at work which contains romaine lettuce, tomato, green pepper, strawberries, and occasionally carrots. I spray this with calcium also. It is all cut up rather fine also. I have only seen him eat the lettuce though.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, thanks for any and all responses! Oh and I don’t use substrate, just the reptile green mat stuff!