Beardie Likes It Cool?

Hi Everyone,
My dragon is almost 7 months and I guess he's going thru some changes. Gryphon starts glass surfing immediately upon waking at 6am and continues all day, so after he eats his mealworms I take him out & put him on his window sill to bask in real sunlight. He used to sit there for hours but lately he only stays put for maybe 20 min. then gets down & finds the coolest, darkest spot; which is under a bench in my kitchen corner. He is spoiled, loves to be out of his viv even though it is a large 6ft x 3ft x 2 1/2 high, so I thought his frantic behavior was due to him wanting to free range all day. After witnessing his avoidance of natural sunlight, I'm concerned. Weather has been hot, 90 degrees, but everything I've ever read about beardies says they need mostly 100 degree temps in basking area to stay healthy. I have since lowered temps in viv to 93-95 basking, but his cool area only goes down to 85.The herp vet said to let him choose where he wants to lay, but Gryph will lounge under that bench ALL DAY if I let him. This can't be healthy, can it? He is very spoiled, will eat mealworms out of his dish but won't touch greens or crickets unless I hand feed. He is otherwise energetic & alert though his appetite radically diminished immediately after a vet visit due to coccidia. I have a 100w mercury vapor bulb in one corner of viv, a regular 100w basking light towards the middle of the hot side, and the 10.0 T5-Ho 34" UVB along the back of the hot side. He has ample space to get away from all light & heat sources but still rarely basks & only calms down around 4-5pm. I have timers set to shut off all light & heat at 8pm because I feel he is not getting enough of both. Has anyone ever owned a dragon that prefers 80 degree temps in dark corners?

I would lay off the meal worms- and no not basking for at least 4 hrs per day is not good as he is not getting his food digested--- is he pooping? He needs another staple- have you tried feeding him dubia roaches - how long has he been off the medication ? His behavior seem light related but I am not sure - some one else is gonna haft to chime in on this one- are you dusting his bugs w/ calcium D3 and vitamins? 7 months old he should be eating as many bugs as he can in 10-15 minutes - and a salad offered every day of greens--- meal worms are too hard on their digestive system-- hes too young -
Karrie

It sounds like his setup is good. As long as he has options available, I'd let him do what he wants for the most part. Room temps aren't harmful for them so if he wants to bunker down in a cooler area, that's fine. I've found it helpful to set up portable basking spots around the house so my guy can warm up when he's out and about if he wants to. Sometimes they go through restless phases and glass surf like that and it may be just that - a phase. As long as he's eating and generally alert he's probably OK.

Before vet visit in mid April, Gryphon was eating 70 3/4 inch crickets daily. He has had an enormous appetite his entire life until that visit but has not touched a cricket since that day. I took him back to vet, who is a well established herpetologist, one week later and was given an appetite stimulate. Didn't help. No meds since then. Gryph will only eat meal worms; lately he's been picky with those too. Ignores dubias. He is pooping regularly and is very alert with lots of energy. I don't see how, since some days he barely eats. He always has fresh greens, I change and spritz them twice a day, but he only eats a few bites from my hand. I dust his worms with both vitamin & calcium. Vet said he looks great, 22in. & 312 gr. Coccidia is gone. I have basking, ceramic, & UVB lamps set up for him around the house but he always stretches out under that bench. If I put light & heat under the bench he finds another cold, dark place to lounge. It's raining today so Gryph decided to stay on his window sill with just UVB on. It's 65 degrees in the house but if I turn on his black ceramic heat or basking bulb, he'll climb down within minutes. It's weird. It seems like he only likes temps under 80 degrees, though around 5pm he winds down & dozes in his hammock directly under the merc vapor bulb at 93 degrees. Earlier, I had kitchen chores so I put him on the counter beside me. He squeezed his large self onto the tiny kitchen window sill with no heat or light and was perfectly content to watch me & glance out the window for over 4 hours. Could he just be very spoiled? Do you think I should make him stay in his tank regardless of his glass surfing? Though he isn't getting sufficient heat/light while clawing at the door. Any input would be appreciated.

If he wants out, I'd let him out if it's safe to do so. If he wants to bunker down under a couch, that's fine as long as he is alert and somewhat energetic the rest of the time. Keep a close eye on his weight. 312g is a bit small for a 22in dragon so I wouldn't want to see him lose much. I'd keep track using a kitchen scale and build a chart so you can track his weight. That should be pretty stable or increasing as a whole. As far as food goes, keep making it available and try to rotate and find something that catches his attention. Something wriggly like black soldier fly larvae or something bright like horn worms might do the trick. Probably worth a shot.

Yeah I've been letting him out; it's very safe with no kids, pets or dangerous areas. I'll try both hornworms & black soldier fly larvae. I would be more worried if it wasn't for the fact that he has boundless energy & his bright eyes notice everything. Thank you for the advice!