My beardie doesn't really move

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Hello, I have a 8 mo beardie girl. She is very very sweet, but I am a bit worried cuz she barely ever moves. She eats roaches and hornworms very well, that is the only time she really moves. I've consulted this forum about lighting and temp, and everything is spot on. She has her head up and is alert too, but seriously she doesn't move. I'll put her in her viv and go to class, and when I come back a few hours later she is in the exact same spot. She walks around a bit when I take her out of her viv, but for the most part just lays down and usually starts dosing off, especially if it's around 7pm. Is this normal? Should I be worried? I took her to the vet over a month ago for a check up and everything checks out, including her fecal. Are some beardies just extra lazy?
 

PodunkKhaleesi

Hatchling Member
Some beardies are definitely more rambunctious and active than others, but it wouldn’t hurt to review your husbandry just to double check that there aren’t any environmental factors contributing to her lethargy. What UVB light are you currently using? What are her basking temperatures, and how are you measuring these? How cold does the room she’s currently in get at night (specifically, does it drop below 65 degrees F)? A picture of her setup would be really helpful. It’s always easiest to start there and then look at other possible issues (brumation, illness, etc.). There’s always the possibility that her personality leans toward the lazy side, but it never hurts to rule out other issues.
Side note: If there isn’t anything specific that’s causing her laziness, one thing you can try when you take her out is to set up a small basking station in your room (an inexpensive clamp lamp with a basking bulb and something to perch on beneath it). Some of my beardies like to run around the room and then recharge under the basking light near my bed before continuing their exploration). A beardie away from its heat is a bit like an iPhone slowly losing its battery, so I’ve found giving them the option to recharge at their leisure when they’re out greatly increases their energy outside the cage.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
I agree, I think it's a very good idea to go over your husbandry again, particularly your lighting and temperature zones. This isn't normal at all, yes some Dragons are lazier than others, but not to the point that they simply lay in the same spot and don't move from it day after day unless you move them. Behavior like this is typically due to inadequate UVB lighting and/or temperature zones that are either way too hot or way too cold. So if you could post some photos of her entire enclosure that show how you have her lights set-up over her tank, and then a photo of her, it would be very helpful...

How large is her tank/enclosure?
What substrate do you have in the bottom of her tank?

Exactly what UVB light do you have? How old is your UVB light? Is it sitting on top of a mesh lid to the tank? How far away is your UVB tube, in inches, from your Dragon's basking spot/platform?
(YOU CAN FIND THE INFORMATION PRINTED RIGHT ON THE UVB LIGHT ITSELF)

What wattage of Basking Bulb do you have? What color light does it emit?

What type of Thermometer(s) do you use to measure her temperature zones?

What are the CURRENT temperatures of the 3 temperature zones inside her tank? (Cool Side Air/Ambient, Hot Side Air/Ambient, and the SURFACE Temperature of her Basking Spot/Platform)?

What is her regular, daily diet?

How often do you give her a Calcium powder? A Multivitamin powder? Which supplements do you use?
 

pikachuomg

Member
Original Poster
Well, I already went over the husbandry on a different post, but I guess I'll go over it again..
40 gallon breeder.
t5 24inch bulb in reflective hood. covers 2/3rd's of the enclosure
2 heat bulbs on a dimmer.
all lights bought within 2 months ago.
103-108 basking spot
around 80-85 warms side
75 cool side
all measured with infrared temp gun at 2 inches away.
She has tile flooring.
give her collard, mustard, dandelion, and turnip greens daily. Add pumpkin, different squash, fruits on rotation throughout the week. She eats her greens very seldom.
She gets dubia roaches that I breed which I feed apples and premium dubia diet.
hornworms as treats a few times a week.
She gets repticalcium powder with d3 3x a week rep-cal multivitamins 3x a week and repcal calcium w/o d3 4x a week.
She poops every 2 days when I give her a bath. She is gaining about 10-20g per week.

Also, i should mention she moves spots in her viv sometimes if she gets too hot. If she is on the lower level, she will climb back up to her favorite spot, or stay at the lower level close to the lights. She certainly has the capability to move and her head is always up and alert as well.
When she gets out of her viv she does explore if it's during the day.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
When you say "heat bulbs", are they Basking Bulbs that emit a certain color of light, or are they just Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE's)?
 

pikachuomg

Member
Original Poster
EllenD":5e4699eo said:
When you say "heat bulbs", are they Basking Bulbs that emit a certain color of light, or are they just Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHE's)?
They are just basking bulbs that emit white light. They aren't CHE nor do they emit any colors such as red or blue.
 

pikachuomg

Member
Original Poster
96025-2164447205.jpg
Here's a picture of her enclosure.

96025-7219671267.jpg
The uvb recommended atleast 6inches away. She is about 10 inches away from the light.
uvb is mounted under the lid.

96025-9388124859.jpg
Here is a picture of her.
She is 16.5 inches 295g
 
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