Beardie won't bask and doesn't poo

Hi All!

I'm new to this site and have learned a lot from reading the topics in the different forums but think I need your help now! I have had my beardie, Ms. Billy Jean who is about 1 and a half years old, for about 2 weeks now. She came from my sister in law and was previously in a 40 gallon glass terrarium. I purchased a 4x2x2 and set up a basking spot but she refuses to sit on the warm stone! She likes a high spot on a branch close to the UVB but the temps there aren't sufficient. She is black all the time, including at least some darkness to her beard, and doesn't poo unless I put her in a warm bath and even that isn't a given. I've bathed her probably 5 times now and have only gotten two (extremely large) poos this whole time. She seems to eat well and likes to dig on occasion. I've taken her outside to bask in the sun and she seems to like that and to explore a little.

I'm not sure if I've just changed her life too drastically (as she was never bathed or taken to bask outside and I've changed her home) and she needs more of an adjustment period? Or if I need to implement more changes to get her on her basking rock. I hate to take that branch away as it's her favorite place.

Thanks for your help!

Suzanna

And if someone can tell me how to post pics I'll post one of her and her terrarium.

***Update*** She finally pood on her own in the terrarium but it's a lumpy, large watery blob

She looks pretty content in the photos and she looks healthy which is good. What are the surface temperatures under the basking light? How about on the log and over on the other side of the tank? If she has a good gradient to choose from she'll move and get what she wants. The basking light looks very close in the photo How far above the log is it?

It's not uncommon for an adult dragon to take a while between poops so just try and get her on a regular feeding routine with a nice big salad every morning and give her time to settle. Once she has a routine things may sort themselves out a bit.

Hi CooperDragon,

Thanks for your reply! It's encouraging to hear she looks happy and healthy. On the rock and part of the log closest to the basking light temps are 97 to 105. Where she likes to sit is closer to 90 and on the other side of the tank (not pictured) its low 80's. The basking light is 5in, at the closest, from the log and is on a ZooMed heat controller so it goes off and on all day. I'm getting a lower watt bulb in the hopes that it'll stay on a little more consistently.

Those temperatures are pretty good so I wouldn't worry about that much. 5'' is a bit close for a basking light. I'd make it further away if you can. At least so it's out of reach. I try to keep mine at least 12'' away from the basking area but I realize you're limited by the fixed ceiling on your tank.

Yeah, that's the only thing I don't like about that tank is how low the basking light hangs. I just replaced the 100w with the 75 watt basking bulb and the new one is about an inch shorter so that helped with the distance. Thanks so much for your feedback!