Climbing walls

[Mountain67]

We got a 4 year old female bearded dragon from a rescue and have had her for 2 weeks. Recently she has started trying to climb the walls in her enclosure. She is in a 120gallon Dubia enclosure, with several stacked rocks and branches to climb. I thought mybe she needed to get more exercise, so I let her run around in a "safe" room a few days ago and she just went from corner to corner and tried to climb the walls. She did this about 10 times and eventually just stayed in 1 corner and stopped moving (?cold?) and after a little I put her back in her enclosure. She gets taken out to be held or move around a little a few times a day. Ideas?

 

[KarrieRee]

We got a 4 year old female bearded dragon from a rescue and have had her for 2 weeks. Recently she has started trying to climb the walls in her enclosure. She is in a 120gallon Dubia enclosure, with several stacked rocks and branches to climb. I thought mybe she needed to get more exercise, so I let her run around in a "safe" room a few days ago and she just went from corner to corner and tried to climb the walls. She did this about 10 times and eventually just stayed in 1 corner and stopped moving (?cold?) and after a little I put her back in her enclosure. She gets taken out to be held or move around a little a few times a day. Ideas?

Is she digging excessively as well or just climbing ? Has she laid eggs before? What are her surface basking temps and ambient temps how are you getting them? Uvb a coil or long tube fixture these all could be part of the behavior your getting

 

[Mountain67]

Is she digging excessively as well or just climbing ? Has she laid eggs before? What are her surface basking temps and ambient temps how are you getting them? Uvb a coil or long tube fixture these all could be part of the behavior your getting

No, not digging. We are waiting to see her digging to put sand in the enclosure. She has not laid eggs this year; not sure if she ever has. Basking temp 110 (far right side of rock platform), other end of enclosure 75, measured by surface temp gun, checked with cooking thermometer held to surface. UV is a long tube (see attached photos). Thank you!

 

[Chris.]

Both my dragons did and still do this. A little more when I got them but they still like to do this from time to time now.
The walls inside my tanks are climbable, they love those.

 

[KarrieRee]

No, not digging. We are waiting to see her digging to put sand in the enclosure. She has not laid eggs this year; not sure if she ever has. Basking temp 110 (far right side of rock platform), other end of enclosure 75, measured by surface temp gun, checked with cooking thermometer held to surface. UV is a long tube (see attached photos). Thank you!

I would get two digital probe thermometers - is that slate your using? Slate gets really hot - I would lower your surface basking temps to 95-100 adults like cooler basking temps than babies- I see the UVB is it a T 5 or a T 8? I am assuming its a T 5-- Does she use the bricks on the cooler side of the tank?

 

[Mountain67]

The slate is 100 degrees by digital probe thermometer, and the cooler side is 75 degrees. The UV light is Arcadia Pro T5 39W. No, doesn't go on the bricks. Spends most of the day on the basking rock.

 

[KarrieRee]

The slate is 100 degrees by digital probe thermometer, and the cooler side is 75 degrees. The UV light is Arcadia Pro T5 39W. No, doesn't go on the bricks. Spends most of the day on the basking rock.

I would take the bricks out then and get something else for a basking decor piece - do you know what the ambient temp is on the hot side of the tank? You can use a stick on for that if you want - shes got plenty of room to run and get around in the tank - do you take her out of her tank? Climbing walls could also mean she is wanting out

 

[ChileanTaco]

The walls inside my tanks are climbable, they love those.

The same is for my dragon. He's almost all the day up there somewhere, or in some niche in the climbing wall. Rarely to see him down during the day, unless he's going into a cave. Would always do it that way for any kind of reptile or other animal that can climb.

I thought mybe she needed to get more exercise, so I let her run around in a "safe" room a few days ago and she just went from corner to corner and tried to climb the walls. She did this about 10 times and eventually just stayed in 1 corner and stopped moving (?cold?) and after a little I put her back in her enclosure. She gets taken out to be held or move around a little a few times a day. Ideas?

My dragon does just the same.
What I made for him outside of his enclosure: A thick branch on the windowsill, and a ladder going up to that. He can climb up and down on his own (and does so). He likes to sit up there looking out of the window.
(Everything is, of course, secured very well, and I had chosen a window we never open so it might not be open by accident.)

Otherwise, if I had access to larger branches, I would build something like a cat tree but completely made of wood. Simplest form: Christmas tree stand, and putting in a large branch.