Aicara
Member
Hey guys! Sorry for what might be a pretty long post!
This behaviour has just been going on only this afternoon but I'm a paranoid mother and always fret about my baby when they're just not quite acting normal. Especially because they're my first Bearded Dragon. I have a good relationship with the reptile store's owner that I bought them from so I've gotten in touch with him as well, however I'm just wanting to get some more opinions while I wait for a reply.
So my Beardie, Haku is roughly 3 1/3 to 4 months old. Gender I'm not sure about. At first they were sexed as male (which I also agreed on) but as they're getting older I'm starting to think he might be a she as there are no particularly two prominent bulges but at the same time it's difficult to tell. They don't let me hold them in the right position long enough to get a torch up to them either.
To give a bit more background: They're tank correct with every specification recommended (temps, lights etc.), Haku eats 3 meals of crickets (dusted with calcium 5 days a week and vitamins the other 2) a day, but as of late they haven't been too keen on lunch and prefer to just eat breakfast and dinner with maybe some greens in between. I still offer him lunch and take out what crickets he doesn't eat. Haku isn't a huge eater of greens right now, it really depends on the day. Sometimes they will eat all of it without prompting, other days it's all I can do to hand feed him 4 pieces of greens. I also mist and bathe them regularly, I tried keeping a water bowl in their tank for a while but all it does is make a mess and Haku never drinks from it. Haku also sleeps well (lights are out at 8:30pm/9pm and back on at 7am every day).
Just today Haku has started being a lot more active than usual. They're pretty chilled out majority of the time, happy to bask under the UVB light all day. Haku also gets time out of his tank multiple times a day and loves to run around and explore, or just sit on my shoulder/head. It's winter here right now so he hasn't been able to have outside time in the sun.
What is really causing me worry however, is that Haku is digging in his substrate a lot. This is something they haven't done since I got them as a tiny baby when they'd burrow at night to sleep. The substrate I used is pellets of compressed recycled papers. It's what his breeders use for their Beardies and I've had 0 issues with it. Haku is good at spitting it out when it gets in his mouth on accident (which is rare) and the very few times he might have eaten a bit it hasn't caused any issues with being impacted and such. However, for the past... maybe hour and a half now I have been watching Haku dig in their substrate almost frantically. They keep digging even when they reach the wood on the bottom, which is past the paper towel I keep beneath the substrate as well. Haku might stop for a bit and burrow himself down or move to go and bask for a bit but then he will continue to frantically scratch and dig at the wood. They're doing this in the corner on the cool side of their tank. Haku has also had maybe a slight decrease in appetite, they're no where near as keen about being fed as they usually are but it's not like Haku is eating nothing at all, just slightly less. It's really worrying me to see Haku this way as it's just not like him?
I'm stumped on what it might be? There has been no change to his environment at all since I got him, except for the additional stick or upgraded basking rock/perch but Haku was never bothered by them in (haven't put anything new in the tank in a month or so). The temps are normal, absolutely no change there. If Haku is female, I thought they'd still be a bit young to consider that they might be getting ready to lay infertile eggs? I also felt around Haku's stomach and all I feel is the usual soft, squishy stomach they always have. I haven't been able to make out any lumps or anything. Is this behaviour possibly the beginning of brumating, seeing as it's winter and the weather the past week has been pretty cold? or is it possible that they're just bored?
Any opinions/suggestions are greatly appreciated!
This behaviour has just been going on only this afternoon but I'm a paranoid mother and always fret about my baby when they're just not quite acting normal. Especially because they're my first Bearded Dragon. I have a good relationship with the reptile store's owner that I bought them from so I've gotten in touch with him as well, however I'm just wanting to get some more opinions while I wait for a reply.
So my Beardie, Haku is roughly 3 1/3 to 4 months old. Gender I'm not sure about. At first they were sexed as male (which I also agreed on) but as they're getting older I'm starting to think he might be a she as there are no particularly two prominent bulges but at the same time it's difficult to tell. They don't let me hold them in the right position long enough to get a torch up to them either.
To give a bit more background: They're tank correct with every specification recommended (temps, lights etc.), Haku eats 3 meals of crickets (dusted with calcium 5 days a week and vitamins the other 2) a day, but as of late they haven't been too keen on lunch and prefer to just eat breakfast and dinner with maybe some greens in between. I still offer him lunch and take out what crickets he doesn't eat. Haku isn't a huge eater of greens right now, it really depends on the day. Sometimes they will eat all of it without prompting, other days it's all I can do to hand feed him 4 pieces of greens. I also mist and bathe them regularly, I tried keeping a water bowl in their tank for a while but all it does is make a mess and Haku never drinks from it. Haku also sleeps well (lights are out at 8:30pm/9pm and back on at 7am every day).
Just today Haku has started being a lot more active than usual. They're pretty chilled out majority of the time, happy to bask under the UVB light all day. Haku also gets time out of his tank multiple times a day and loves to run around and explore, or just sit on my shoulder/head. It's winter here right now so he hasn't been able to have outside time in the sun.
What is really causing me worry however, is that Haku is digging in his substrate a lot. This is something they haven't done since I got them as a tiny baby when they'd burrow at night to sleep. The substrate I used is pellets of compressed recycled papers. It's what his breeders use for their Beardies and I've had 0 issues with it. Haku is good at spitting it out when it gets in his mouth on accident (which is rare) and the very few times he might have eaten a bit it hasn't caused any issues with being impacted and such. However, for the past... maybe hour and a half now I have been watching Haku dig in their substrate almost frantically. They keep digging even when they reach the wood on the bottom, which is past the paper towel I keep beneath the substrate as well. Haku might stop for a bit and burrow himself down or move to go and bask for a bit but then he will continue to frantically scratch and dig at the wood. They're doing this in the corner on the cool side of their tank. Haku has also had maybe a slight decrease in appetite, they're no where near as keen about being fed as they usually are but it's not like Haku is eating nothing at all, just slightly less. It's really worrying me to see Haku this way as it's just not like him?
I'm stumped on what it might be? There has been no change to his environment at all since I got him, except for the additional stick or upgraded basking rock/perch but Haku was never bothered by them in (haven't put anything new in the tank in a month or so). The temps are normal, absolutely no change there. If Haku is female, I thought they'd still be a bit young to consider that they might be getting ready to lay infertile eggs? I also felt around Haku's stomach and all I feel is the usual soft, squishy stomach they always have. I haven't been able to make out any lumps or anything. Is this behaviour possibly the beginning of brumating, seeing as it's winter and the weather the past week has been pretty cold? or is it possible that they're just bored?
Any opinions/suggestions are greatly appreciated!