Hello everyone!
I am having trouble with my dragon Petunia, who is gravid.
BACKGROUND INFO: Petunia has a 36x20x18inch tank (a 40 gallon I think) that is 90 on the hot side and 80 on the cool side (70 at night) with a 100-105 basking spot. Since I work from home she is also accustomed to spend long periods of the day out of her tank in a basking spot in the corner of the room (always around 100 and a small enough corner that the lamp also heats up the surrounding air to 90ish). She usually eats 2-3 bowls of greens (that mid-sized bean shaped ceramic bowl at all the stores), 10ish large crickets, and 10ish medium-large Dubia Roaches every day. She is always happy and chills in her hot spot or explores freely without showing any kinds of stress.
THE GRAVID: So, around a week ago I noticed that Petunia was much more restless and not sitting still on her basking spot. When she was in her cage she would not sit still and was constantly glass surfing, but then when I took her out to her basking spot in the apartment she wouldn't sit still either and was constantly pacing back and forth (like running down and up a particular side of the room a lot). Her tail tip started to get darker and she has been displaying black beard (she never ever does that normally). I took her to the vet and after an x-ray he confirmed that she is gravid and said she should be having her eggs anytime (I was relieved to hear she didn't have tail rot).
THE PROBLEM: Basically I am worried that something is going wrong with her laying her eggs. She still will take a couple bites of greens and 4-5ish Dubia Roaches each day. She still goes poo each day although it is very small amounts and the urinate is pinkish. I put eco-earth (slightly wet with warm water) into the cool side of her cage and built a little hide-dug-out to get her started, but when she's in the cage she doesn't even go near the dirt and just scratches at the glass. I then made her a lay-box by filing a 20ish by 20ish plastic box with 8ish inches of eco earth (similarly wet with warm water and a hide-hole made) and her UV / heat combo above the box. When I put her in the lay-box she seems to chill out for a little bit but then just sits or tries to escape with NO DIGGING.
I am really not sure what to do at this point. Do you think she is not ready to lay the eggs, because she is still not digging? Should I leave her in the lay box all the time (right now I have been leaving her in there for 4-5 hours at a time)?
Also a side question - how do you keep the dirt in the lay-box warm? Because even with her UV / heat combo above it the dirt gets very cold - especially when I leave the tub overnight. Should I be making fresh dirt every day? And when should I be worried that she has egg-binding?
Please help! Thank you so much!
I am having trouble with my dragon Petunia, who is gravid.
BACKGROUND INFO: Petunia has a 36x20x18inch tank (a 40 gallon I think) that is 90 on the hot side and 80 on the cool side (70 at night) with a 100-105 basking spot. Since I work from home she is also accustomed to spend long periods of the day out of her tank in a basking spot in the corner of the room (always around 100 and a small enough corner that the lamp also heats up the surrounding air to 90ish). She usually eats 2-3 bowls of greens (that mid-sized bean shaped ceramic bowl at all the stores), 10ish large crickets, and 10ish medium-large Dubia Roaches every day. She is always happy and chills in her hot spot or explores freely without showing any kinds of stress.
THE GRAVID: So, around a week ago I noticed that Petunia was much more restless and not sitting still on her basking spot. When she was in her cage she would not sit still and was constantly glass surfing, but then when I took her out to her basking spot in the apartment she wouldn't sit still either and was constantly pacing back and forth (like running down and up a particular side of the room a lot). Her tail tip started to get darker and she has been displaying black beard (she never ever does that normally). I took her to the vet and after an x-ray he confirmed that she is gravid and said she should be having her eggs anytime (I was relieved to hear she didn't have tail rot).
THE PROBLEM: Basically I am worried that something is going wrong with her laying her eggs. She still will take a couple bites of greens and 4-5ish Dubia Roaches each day. She still goes poo each day although it is very small amounts and the urinate is pinkish. I put eco-earth (slightly wet with warm water) into the cool side of her cage and built a little hide-dug-out to get her started, but when she's in the cage she doesn't even go near the dirt and just scratches at the glass. I then made her a lay-box by filing a 20ish by 20ish plastic box with 8ish inches of eco earth (similarly wet with warm water and a hide-hole made) and her UV / heat combo above the box. When I put her in the lay-box she seems to chill out for a little bit but then just sits or tries to escape with NO DIGGING.
I am really not sure what to do at this point. Do you think she is not ready to lay the eggs, because she is still not digging? Should I leave her in the lay box all the time (right now I have been leaving her in there for 4-5 hours at a time)?
Also a side question - how do you keep the dirt in the lay-box warm? Because even with her UV / heat combo above it the dirt gets very cold - especially when I leave the tub overnight. Should I be making fresh dirt every day? And when should I be worried that she has egg-binding?
Please help! Thank you so much!