Black beard and black tail?

[suddensnoozing]

Hey everyone. I've had a bearded dragon for almost a year now. So I was going to buy him a new tank. I went on Craigslist and found a new tank that someone was selling because they were getting rid of their beardie. I told them I'd take the Beardie and the tank and now here I am with two bearded dragons. The new guy is a lot bigger than the old guy. I believe they're both males.

Well this new guy, Ivan Pavlov I named him, is a very odd character. He hates me holding him. I have to spend a good 5-10 minutes to get him out of his cage. Then he seems alright if he's on my chest, but eventually he starts running away. Sometimes while he's running away, he'll go over to Sigmun Freuds cage and try to eat him or head bob at him or whatever.

So yesterday I was going to give Pavlov a bath and he hasn't been pooing, so I thought maybe I can loosen some stuff up in there and massage his tummy to see if I can get anything out. Then I noticed his beard was jet black and half his tail was black too. So after his bath I put him in his tank and it's still black. Well, right now it's normal. He's pretty lathargic. He just sits on his basking spot all day. Except sometimes, he will run around his cage and jump into the glass and be freaking out. Like he'll do the head bob beard puffing dominance thing, and there's no other dragon around. I put Freud on the other side of the room and they can't even see eachother. I guess I'm just confused

 

[suddensnoozing]

Bump

 

[CooperDragon]

The tails and belly can change color along with the beard sometimes. It usually means irritation at something (likely your other dragon in this case). Do you know what kind of care he had before? If he isn't used to proper care or being handled, it can sometimes take quite a while to get him adjusted and settled in. Be patient with him and show him good care and he'll likely calm down around you.

 

[suddensnoozing]

The tails and belly can change color along with the beard sometimes. It usually means irritation at something (likely your other dragon in this case). Do you know what kind of care he had before? If he isn't used to proper care or being handled, it can sometimes take quite a while to get him adjusted and settled in. Be patient with him and show him good care and he'll likely calm down around you.

I don't know how well they cared for him. He looks healthy, but he seems afraid of me. Every time I put my hands near him he closes his eyes.

And I don't know why he would be irritated by the other dragon cause he can't see him

 

[CooperDragon]

If he closes his eyes then the hand coming near him is bugging him. It's something he can get used to though, just move slowly and ease into handling. I think dragons can sense eachother to an extent. If they see eachother they can sometimes go berserk but there can be irritation or stress if another dragon is sensed.

 

[suddensnoozing]

If he closes his eyes then the hand coming near him is bugging him. It's something he can get used to though, just move slowly and ease into handling. I think dragons can sense eachother to an extent. If they see eachother they can sometimes go berserk but there can be irritation or stress if another dragon is sensed.

Huh. Thanks for the help. I plan on building them both a new tank. I just am a little reluctant cause I don't want them to be able to see eachother. And unfortunately I can't figure a way around it

 

[Zeek]

You can blackout the sides of their new tank that face each other. They'll still be very aware of the other beardie, but at least they won't see each other.

I would say 80% of people getting rid of animals is simply from neglect, and no longer wanting the responsibility. It doesn't help when certain pet stores spread misinformation, causing people to have no idea what they're getting into. But I understand when there are legitimate reasons, and it's no longer possible to keep a zoo.

 

[CooperDragon]

If you're building a new tank, you could try building a double decker. They'll still be able to sense eachother most likely but wouldn't be able to see eachother. I've seen quite a few of the double decker setups for people with multiple dragons who don't have space to hold the footprint of two full sized enclosures.

 

[suddensnoozing]

If you're building a new tank, you could try building a double decker. They'll still be able to sense eachother most likely but wouldn't be able to see eachother. I've seen quite a few of the double decker setups for people with multiple dragons who don't have space to hold the footprint of two full sized enclosures.

Thought about the double decker. I just don't want the one on top to be too high up ta know?

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah, you'd want to take overall height into consideration but you could build the setup on stubby legs so the bottom tank goes from 1-3ft and the top tank goes from 3-6ft or something along those lines. That should be OK, especially if you're building a crossfire style enclosure with 3 of the sides closed in and only the front made of glass. There are a lot of ways you could go with it though. I think they'll be happy no matter what if you can provide them with plenty of space.

 

[suddensnoozing]

Yeah, you'd want to take overall height into consideration but you could build the setup on stubby legs so the bottom tank goes from 1-3ft and the top tank goes from 3-6ft or something along those lines. That should be OK, especially if you're building a crossfire style enclosure with 3 of the sides closed in and only the front made of glass. There are a lot of ways you could go with it though. I think they'll be happy no matter what if you can provide them with plenty of space.

Any ideas or plans you could give me for the tanks?

 

[CooperDragon]

I don't have any plans for a double decker on hand, but here are steps for building the popular crossfire style enclosure. It may give you some ideas to start from https://beardies.dreamwidth.org/2145.html

 

[Pixi]

A black beard is pretty normal. But his tail, was it black when you got him?

 

[suddensnoozing]

A black beard is pretty normal. But his tail, was it black when you got him?

Nah it's gotten better though

 

[suddensnoozing]

If he closes his eyes then the hand coming near him is bugging him. It's something he can get used to though, just move slowly and ease into handling. I think dragons can sense eachother to an extent. If they see eachother they can sometimes go berserk but there can be irritation or stress if another dragon is sensed.

I'd like to give an update. He is no longer closing his eyes when I pet his head!