Is he underweight?

I recently got a new battery for my scale and weighed my beardie last night. Apparently he weighs 526 grams. He's 17 inches, and 2 and a half years old. . Is this too thin how much should he weigh?

Hi there....a 17" dragon can be in the 350 gram range generally, up to 425-450 or so if they are really stocky in build. Getting over 500 is possibly creeping toward being overweight.

AHBD":woph0y03 said:

Hi there....a 17" dragon can be in the 350 gram range generally, up to 425-450 or so if they are really stocky in build. Getting over 500 is possibly creeping toward being overweight.

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He doesn't really look that overweight or stocky in general, looks quite slim actually. It's possible that the scale is inaccurate, though. Only when he lays flat or when hes sleeping does he even look slightly chubby. I'll try to get a picture of him when I get home.

Here's a few pictures I took a few minutes ago.. He doesn't look "overweight" at all.

He looks quite slim in the pictures. His arms and legs are well developed and it looks like he has the fat pads on top of his head. He's definitely not overweight but by looking at him I'd guess he's less than 526g. It's possible the scale is off. I'd test it against something with a known weight just to double check.

I agree with Cooper he does look to be on the thin side and can use some extra weight. I think that either your scale is off or your measurement possibly.

CooperDragon":1swu9syi said:

He looks quite slim in the pictures. His arms and legs are well developed and it looks like he has the fat pads on top of his head. He's definitely not overweight but by looking at him I'd guess he's less than 526g. It's possible the scale is off. I'd test it against something with a known weight just to double check.

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I just tested it with a plastic bottle of water, and a package of ramen (16.9 oz, and 4.3 oz respectively), and it was a tad off. The water bottle was 17.9 oz and the ramen was 5.3)

I weighed my geckos with this scale and the results seemed pretty reasonable, so it's strange that its more inaccurate with heavier items(or animals)

The water is in fluid ounces which is a different measurement. I'd try something like coins. A quarter should weigh 5.67g and a nickel should weigh 5g and a penny should weigh 2.5g (maybe weigh a few of each and average it). Try to use new coins because they'll weigh less as they wear out.

CooperDragon":rudjg5sv said:

The water is in fluid ounces which is a different measurement. I'd try something like coins. A quarter should weigh 5.67g and a nickel should weigh 5g and a penny should weigh 2.5g (maybe weigh a few of each and average it). Try to use new coins because they'll weigh less as they wear out.

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Quarter weighed 6 grams, nickel was 5 like you said, penny was 3, and dime was 2. . It doesn't show the exact number so I think it rounds.

I agree that it's rounding up. It sounds like it's accurate. If that's the case, then he's a good weight by the numbers and by looking at him.

CooperDragon":g0sno18g said:

I agree that it's rounding up. It sounds like it's accurate. If that's the case, then he's a good weight by the numbers and by looking at him.

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That's good to hear then, lol

That's still hard to believe that he's 17" + 526 grams. Are you sure on his length or does he have a tail nip ?

AHBD":12619t5s said:

That's still hard to believe that he's 17" + 526 grams. Are you sure on his length or does he have a tail nip ?

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So I just measured him again because hes sleeping and he was a whopping 20". Im not sure where those extra 3 inches came from since the last time I measured him two or three months ago.

I feel kinda embarrassed now lol

That's O.K, at least you got the right measurements now. Sneaky bugger grew a few inches while you weren't looking. So yes, he could use a little more weight on him but looks reasonably healthy.

AHBD":mhjihwjy said:

That's O.K, at least you got the right measurements now. Sneaky bugger grew a few inches while you weren't looking. So yes, he could use a little more weight on him but looks reasonably healthy.

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lol yeah apparently he did. I'll try to get him to eat more, he's just been kinda slow on eating because of the cold hes in a sort of semi-brumation right now, so he's not very hungry. How often should I offer crickets if he's not interested in them at all when I offer them? I usually hand feed because I don't like them running around the cage where they hide in the decor. I see his eyes focus in on the cricket and then focus back out onto me or just the environment. Doesn't even make an attempt to eat one, except for yesterday which he ate like 10.

He's still basking for about 3-5 hours, and in rare cases, more. Usually I come home to him under one of his hides, though.