Shedding behavior

Status
Not open for further replies.

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
At least I am hoping this behavior is tied to her shedding. The last two days, Sam has had very little appetite. She will only eat a few small mealies or crix and won't touch her salad or wax worms. She also is displaying very dark stress marks on her belly and a blackening beard. She has also been sleeping alot. I know she is too young for it to be brumation. (she is only about 3 1/2 months and about 12 inches from tip of her nose to tip of her tail.) She has been pooping like normal.

The shed I am noticing is on the base of her tail. Could this behavior be from her shed?

I did notice her eating more small crix this morning.
 

chrismnc

Juvie Member
Zig's appetite was always down when he was shedding or just about to. Have you ever had a fecal done?
 

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
chrismnc":dcee6 said:
Zig's appetite was always down when he was shedding or just about to. Have you ever had a fecal done?

yeah, had one done right after I got her about a month 1/2 ago.
 

Starforce2

Juvie Member
I was just going to ask this. I just discovered it closing one eye more than usualy lately, and this evening found a buildup of old skin. I gently removed it. I bet the baths and the fact that he's grown a half inch since newyears and is visably plumper means a shed is due. He hasn't shed since nov/early dec when I got him and displayed low appetite then that i thought was relocation stress (for a week?).

Whats the interval for sheds on average for young ones? mine is nearly 10 inch total.
 

fez09

Extreme Poster
lilblack94gt":06388 said:
At least I am hoping this behavior is tied to her shedding. The last two days, Sam has had very little appetite. She will only eat a few small mealies or crix and won't touch her salad or wax worms. She also is displaying very dark stress marks on her belly and a blackening beard. She has also been sleeping alot. I know she is too young for it to be brumation. (she is only about 3 1/2 months and about 12 inches from tip of her nose to tip of her tail.) She has been pooping like normal.

The shed I am noticing is on the base of her tail. Could this behavior be from her shed?

I did notice her eating more small crix this morning.
Alot of dragons get grumpy during a shed but I wouldn't expect stress marks, blackbearding, lack of appetite and sleeping just from a tail shed...Mine were in almost constant shedding from 3-5 months and they didn't have all of those signs..Can you go over your setup. Tank size, substrate, temps, UVB, do you have a digital thermometer....I think she's too small and too young to brumate.
 

chrismnc

Juvie Member
Starforce2":e1764 said:
I was just going to ask this. I just discovered it closing one eye more than usualy lately, and this evening found a buildup of old skin. I gently removed it. I bet the baths and the fact that he's grown a half inch since newyears and is visably plumper means a shed is due. He hasn't shed since nov/early dec when I got him and displayed low appetite then that i thought was relocation stress (for a week?).

Whats the interval for sheds on average for young ones? mine is nearly 10 inch total.

Mine shed in parts; tail then legs then head then body. Sometimes that woud be alittle different but that was the normal pattern. He grew from 7" to 19" in just over 5 months so he would shed, stay like that for a few days to a week then start all over. It got slower the larger he got. Now he hasn't shed since September but he's only grown abt 1/4".

The eye issue is most likely caused from the wrong UVB. Have you introduced yourself intros? Rather than steal this thread go there and list your setup.
 

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
fez09":b820f said:
A lot of dragons get grumpy during a shed but I wouldn't expect stress marks, blackbearding, lack of appetite and sleeping just from a tail shed...Mine were in almost constant shedding from 3-5 months and they didn't have all of those signs..Can you go over your setup. Tank size, substrate, temps, UVB, do you have a digital thermometer....I think she's too small and too young to brumate.

Tank Size: 40 gal breeder
Substrate: Paper Towel
Temps: Warm side - 95 to 102, Cold side - 75-85
UV: Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Bulb 24 inch - (18 Watt - T8)
I am using a digital therm with a probe.

I noticed this morning that she is starting to shed elsewhere.
 

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Well, Sam was acting/eating normal for a few days, but now she is back to little appetite. Could it have something to do with me trying to switch her to a different feeder? I have been giving her wax worms along with her salad and crix. (And by salad, I mean romaine. I can't get her to eat anything else)

Could her lack of appetite be caused by it the wax worms? Could they be taking longer for her body to digest?

I did give her a bath last night while I cleaned out her tank. The stress marks that have been present off and on were there before the bath, but went away with the bath. After I dried her and put her back in her tank, I put about 15 calcium dusted crix in with her romaine and she started chasing them.

I am perplexed! Is this just normal beardie behavior or should I be rightly concerned? Just when I think I am starting to get the hang of things, :banghead: lol
 

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Sam is still in the process of shedding. I gave her a bath last night. Afterwords, I had her bundled in a towel to dry. She actually fell asleep in the towel on my chest! :love5: This is the first time she has "snuggled" with me!
 

chrismnc

Juvie Member
I posted an entire new thread when Zig snuggled for the first time, I was so excited! Its so great, huh????? You will be a slave forever now. :)
 

lilblack94gt

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
chrismnc":bbb2a said:
I posted an entire new thread when Zig snuggled for the first time, I was so excited! Its so great, huh????? You will be a slave forever now. :)

Oh, I already am! I was completely smitten with Sam, long before I brought her home. She makes me smile everyday with her antics! :love5:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,897
Messages
1,255,656
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom