Scale discoloration/brown patch. Please help! :(

Hi all,

I was hoping someone can give me insight as to what is bothering my little guy.

-Age: 10 months
-Size: 17 inches
-Size of enclosure: 40 gallon
-Temperatures: Basking 110-115, Ambient 90, Cool Side 80. (Reptisun 10.0 for uvb & 75 watt halogen flood) Humidity is usually 40%. However, this past week has been really humid here in New Jersey because of all the rain and thunderstorms. A few days ago (before the discoloration happened), the humidity had reached up to 80% in the tank, and he was in there for half of the day until I got home. I closed my windows and turned up the AC, which eventually helped the humidity level go back down to the 40's.
-Type of substrate: Tile
-Diet: Dubia roaches, collard greens & dandelions as a staple. Superworms & hornworms occasionally. A few wax worms a week. His appetite has been decreasing but surprisingly he ate 8 roaches today, after only eating 5 roaches in the past three days and a few bites of his greens.


I woke up two days ago to see that my 10 month old beardie, Terp, had a small patch of brown discoloration on his back. He just went through shed on his legs and the top of his head. The last time he shed his back and tummy was in December, so I didn't think much of it because I thought he could be starting a shed. His scales turn distinctively light grey when he's about to shed, but I woke up today and the patch has become much browner and bigger in size. I also found him laying under his hammock with his eyes half closed around 8pm. He also pooped in the bath that I gave him a couple of hours ago and his urate had a pinkish tint to it. I couldn't get a picture of it though because it went down the sink.






Does anyone know what could be wrong with my beardie? I'm going to call the vet tomorrow to make an appointment. I won't have a stool sample for another two or few days because he just pooped a few hours ago during a bath, and he hasn't been eating properly either. I'm scared that it is some type of fungus and that it will spread or grow bigger before the vet can find out what's wrong with him. So if anyone knows any home remedies to relieve him for now or has any insight on what could be wrong, please let me know Thank you!

Hi there, it really looks like a large patch of uneven shed developing. Bigger dragons really shed in some strange patterns at times.

If he loses his appetite for a bit that's O.K too, he is really large and a short period of not eating won't hurt him at all.

The only thing you should do is get the basking temp. down to 100-105. No dragon needs it over 105, despite what some people recommend. Can you post pics of his tank BTW ?

Yes, I agree with AHBD!

My dragon, scared me like that too, it was a precursor to a shed... She's a brat....%#$&, Peaches!

AHBD":rusrqfxn said:

Hi there, it really looks like a large patch of uneven shed developing. Bigger dragons really shed in some strange patterns at times.

If he loses his appetite for a bit that's O.K too, he is really large and a short period of not eating won't hurt him at all.

The only thing you should do is get the basking temp. down to 100-105. No dragon needs it over 105, despite what some people recommend. Can you post pics of his tank BTW ?

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Wow, that's great to hear! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.

I almost ruled out shedding because his scales usually turn a lot more grey/white, not dark brown.
And what would explain the pinkish tint to the urate?

I definitely will get the basking temp down to 100-105!
Here is a picture of his tank.

Sometimes the poo can have a slight off color, at times it's something they ate , other times just unknown. If it would continue to be discolored for a while then you might suspect something, but a few discolored poos is not unusual.

And yes, sometimes the shedding area is lighter, sometimes darker. It's pretty odd when these sheds pop up overnight like they do.