Beardie Hates Being in Enclosure

[connorp]

Hi all. My beardie, Hilbert, is about 10 months old now and a bit over a foot. His current enclosure is a 20 gallon long. He will be moved into a 40 gallon in about 3 months when I move to my new apartment. During the winter, he acted normal, just basking most of the time, and never really wanted to leave his cage. Now that warmer temperatures have come for around 2 weeks so far, Hilbert absolutely hates being in his cage. He'll sleep in there at night, but besides that, he not stay put in his cage for more than a few minutes without starting to glass surf like crazy. I let him out, and he just chills for hours. He eats his roaches well and eats some greens as well, and so far, seems to be pooping normal. His basking temp is around 105F, hot side is around 95F, and cool side 80-85F, and I'm using an IR temp gun to measure.

I'm worried that his digestion will start becoming screwy since he won't bask for more than a few minutes lately. My room is only around 75F but he doesn't seem to mind. Even if I put him on a towel under a basking light outside the cage, he just runs away to sit on some other surface for hours. Should I be worried about this behavior? Is it just so called 'spring fever' that is apparently seen in males often?

 

[VenusAndSaturn]

Scrap the 40 gallon, go to a 75 gallon at the very least. 40's, 50's and 55's are all too small for beardies that are a year old or more.

Him glass surfing it most likely to do with hormones and that his tank is way too small, most people upgrade to a adult enclosure or juvenile enclosure once they reach around 6 months or so, or they just start out with adult enclosure so they dont have to upgrade.
I'm pretty sure its breeding season for them or at least around there as well. My male often glass surfs, runs around, black beards and bobs his head (Especially if he can see one of my female beardies)... luckily he's not as hormonal as some males are around this time of the year, I've heard some have been trying to mate with stuffed animals and shoes.

He should calm down eventually... just try and leave him in his tank for a bit after he eats to make sure he's digesting his food and getting UVB.

 

[lizardmom25]

I agree, the 20 gallon long is way too small, and the 40 gallon will likely be as well. my 5 month old is in a 40 gal right now, and is rapidly outgrowing it. He is 300g and about 15 inches. I am sealing the rock work this weekend for his new 4x2x2 wooden viv, and will be moving him once it is done curing. In hindsight I wish i had done the 4x2x2 from the beginning.