Scratching floor and hiding all day little appetite

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Hi all,

My dragon began new behaviors about a month ago of decreased appetite, and hiding more often. She is 9-11 months old, and was eating around 50 crickets a day just a couple months ago. She stopped eating them and went to just a couple a day. So we switched feeders to BSLF, dubia and I also got superworms, planning of offer BSFL and dubia as a staple and a couple supers a day. But now she is so picky she hardly touches any insects, unless I give her superworms. I offer everyday, multiple times a day. She will eat her salads maybe a bite or two a day, every now and then she'll chow the bowl down. The only time she excitedly takes insects is if she hasn't had any in a few days and I give her a bunch of super worms. So I have a couple concerns. I don't want her eating only superworms, I actually have invested in a dubia farm so I would be so bummed if she ends up refusing them. I only bought the supers on a whim, trying to do my best to vary her diet. Today she has held out for three days maybe eating a roach and a bite of salad. She has been hiding a lot under this hammock on the warm side. Because of the scratching and flattening herself to the floor I provided her a dig box. Simple sand and water. Put one of her hides over it. She jumps in digs for awhile and jumps out. She has also been glass surfing and looking like she wants to get out. I let her sit on the window sill for an hour or so and even took a car ride and went out to a park yesterday and when she gets back in it's glass surfing again for awhile the digging around before going to sleep early. I don't know if this is her becoming a teenager and hormone stuff going on or what.

Tank specs: 18 x18x36
22" internally mounted reptisun t5 10.0 HO
100w basking bulb
Probe thermometer readings are 105-108° basking hammock, 100° on tank floor right below hammock. Cool side is in the low 80s. Night time is 65-70°.

I know the basking hammock spot is a little hot. I could buy a 75w and try that to lower it. After eating she will sit on the hammock for awhile then will move to the floor where it's around 100. So it is just too hot in there? She can get to the cool side and cool down if she wants so I'm not sure. A few months ago I had a 150w and it was even hotter on the basking side, but she seemed to like it hanging out basking and mouth gaping. I decreased the wattage and thus lowered the temp, but maybe it's still too hot for her age? Any help is appreciated. Thank you for reading all of this.

Here is the current tank setup.
110867-3766870601.jpg
And if her loving this dig box.
110867-1767220376.jpg

I am sure to make sure her head is clean and offer her bugs in a ceramic dish so she won't be ingesting sand. The substrate is tile.
 

Gail

BD.org Addict
Its possible she is carrying eggs, the lay box was a good idea.
The digging, not eating and general off behavior is a sign of eggs. If you gently stroke her belly, off to the side, not directly down the middle, you may be able to feel eggs.

At her age, she doesn't need insects everyday, bugs two or three days a week is ok. Salad and veggies are more important.
 

Evergrowingfamily

Member
Original Poster
It is certainly messy. I will probably leave the box in a few more days and it she doesn't try laying eggs then I'll put fleece back in there. I had some fleece scraps, in her hide but I can try giving her a lot more so she can burrow with that instead. I keep getting concerned she's going to somehow end up getting sand in her food dishes. And I can't imagine it's as sanitary even though I use F10SC after every poop.
 
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