Dark colors and stress marks

[thebeardedkid]

Hey,

I have noticed some days my beardie has dark colors and stress marks, but other days he has bright beautiful red colors and no stress marks. When I take him out of the cage to either handle him or give him a bath his colors turn bright and the stress marks disappear(if he has the dark colors inside his cage). I am almost sure it has something to do with temperature but not necessarily more heat. What is the cause of this color/stress mark change. The temperatures in his basking spot are between 105 and 108.

Thanks

 

[Fallencomrade2008]

There are hundreds of reasons he could have them, you have to tell us more. What kind of lights do you have general temp and cool side temp. What kind of thermomiter are you useing. How long have you had him? did you change his cage recently? What are you feeding him/how much. Calcium dusting?

 

[thebeardedkid]

I am using a reptisun 10.0 and a 75 watt heat lamp. I measured his basking spot again and it measured 100° . I feed him about 30 crickets a day and sometimes a couple of super worms. He is about 7 months old and is still getting used to greens but he is liking them more and more over time. I dust the crickets every other day. The cool side is 78° and no, he has not changed cages.

 

[gogga]

Hi,

thebeardedkid »

Sorry to but in on your problem, but i have the same problem with my new beardie

Some background info on my setup.... and maybe someone can help us both out here

First we live is SA,

VIV size is 79 Gallon cabinet type with glass panels in front

Have a repti sol 10.0, 900mm UVB tube that runs across the whole top of the VIV (Bought on 2 March 2010)

Have a 60W Repta basking lamp

Using that green grass like carpet as substrate

Have a heating pad for winter if the temps drop below 60

Do not or will ever use heated rocks.... have beanie bag to heat in microwave and hot water bottle for power failures

He can get any distance from 21 inches to 6 inches from his UVB tube depending where he climbs onto (has a log sloped from the floor to 6 inches from top of VIV across whole length of VIV)

Has a basking area with log and rocks, can get between 17 and 11 inches from basking lamp depending if he basks on the log or rock (he does both)

VIV temps
Cool side 82
Warm side 92-98
Basking spot 104

Has a water bowl permanently

Eats approx 25 crickets daily over two feedings per day. 1st feeding gets dusted with calcium daily exept Sundays (Then he gets a calcium break)

Has fresh salad daily (All day) consisting mainly of Swiss chard and rocket, with variety of either of the following added (snap peas, baby marrow, squash, okra, rose petals, cactus pad)

Bathe him 2x week. Mist him daily

He was sick, had parasites and worms. Got meds from Retile vet, and the marks went away....
Now theyre back :?: :?: :?: :?:

Did however replace his log yesterday..... Could this be the cause :?:
Is the rest of the setup OK for him :?:

Have had him since 1 MArch 2010, hes approx 5 months old

THANX 4 ANY HELP guys, i'm a big old dummy and learning daily, and dont want to do something to make him upset....

 

[gogga]

Hi, me again...

Found this info on http://www.rockinardragonz.com

Relocation Stress

Your new dragon has just undergone a very traumatic transition from one home to another. Most bearded dragons, old & young, will suffer from varying degrees of relocation stress when anything in their environment changes. This could also include a simple change to their cage set up. Relocation stress can last from just a couple of days up to a few weeks.

The following are some of the responses you may witness in your new dragon:

* Loss of appetite
* Loss of desire to bask
* A desire to stay in the cool end of their tank or in a hiding place
* Decreased activity
* Lethargic behavior
* Increased parasitic levels
* Stress markings on under side
* Duller, lower or darker coloration

As long as their environment is set up accordingly and they are receiving adequate care, relocation stress will be only temporary and it will be just a matter of time before they return to their normal healthy state.

It is imperative that you remain patient during this time and keep the handling of your new dragon to a minimum until they get past the relocation stress period.

:?: :?: :?:

Maybe this is it

 

[spikeswithskills]

I have the exact same problem, im not even joking..... and its really annoying, because when i try to show him off in his cage, he is very dark and has stress marks, so everyone thinks 'eww, its sooo ugly" BUT HE IS NOT, HE JUST HAS STRESS MARKS!!!!!!

 

[gogga]

Well

If its not because of the relocation issues and the new branch.... which btw hes accepted

I think its because hes SHEDDING AGAIN.....

Second time in a week and a half

Well see what happens when he's done......

 

[strangepet]

Well

If its not because of the relocation issues and the new branch.... which btw hes accepted

I think its because hes SHEDDING AGAIN.....

Second time in a week and a half

Well see what happens when he's done......

Our dragon had the same shedding problem. Our vet told us it was because of the parasites...they are trying to rid their body of them by shedding. We stopped giving her the crickets b/c they were giving her the parasites...she hasn't been sick since.
Good luck

 

[herpfreak]

Yes, sheds quite often times irk beardies enough to darken. When they feel threatened, upset, annoyed, or frightened, they darken, though dark marking can also be indicators of cooler temps, a certain time of day, or any number of other things. Both of your setups sound just fine, so I wouldn't worry about it. If they're constantly dark, that may be cause for concern, but it is perfectly normal for them to cycle colors.

Gogga- As I said before, your setup sounds fine. However, one thing caught my eye. You mentioned that your beardie had parasites at one point. After a few rounds of meds, did you get another fecal test done? Antibiotics may kill most of the parasites, and your beardie will appear to improve; but when he is taken off the antibiotics, the parasites will continue to reproduce and become a problem again. (All beardies normally have a small amount of coccidia in their systems all the time; this is normal. Let your vet be the judge of how many should be a concern.) It's a good idea to have two checkup fecal tests done a few weeks apart, as it is possible to have a false negative. You just want to be positive they are all gone.

 

[gogga]

HI all,

Well i think Pogie is confused... thinks shes a cameleon or something, cos she changes her colour a lot during the course of the day.

I watched her yesterday . . . . First when she woke up she was dark and had lots of "stress marks" then she went to her basking spot and pancaked and became lighter, then later she went yellowy with golden "stress marks", then dark again, then creamy coloures and just before she went to sleep she became dark again.

When she's asleep, she has NO "stress marks and has an orangy tint to her sides and upper arms and cheeks...

Chameleon in disguise this one :lol:

 

[gogga]

Oh sorry....

Gogga- As I said before, your setup sounds fine. However, one thing caught my eye. You mentioned that your beardie had parasites at one point. After a few rounds of meds, did you get another fecal test done? Antibiotics may kill most of the parasites, and your beardie will appear to improve; but when he is taken off the antibiotics, the parasites will continue to reproduce and become a problem again. (All beardies normally have a small amount of coccidia in their systems all the time; this is normal. Let your vet be the judge of how many should be a concern.) It's a good idea to have two checkup fecal tests done a few weeks apart, as it is possible to have a false negative. You just want to be positive they are all gone.

No i havent taken her for another fecal, as i said somewhere earlier (Cant remeber where) We stay approx 110Km round trip from the vet, so it takes a while to get there and the tests here are really expensive, the last visit cost me around R650-00 But if it doesnt improve. i'll go.....

But her poop seems better (Water with it but not smelly) and shes taken to salads eventually, eats approx half her bowl daily plus TONS of cricks.. :lol: Also changed her salad to green beans and butternut squash.... She LOVES it :love5: :love5: :love5:

So i think the reason for the water in the poop now is the moisture from daily misting and lots of salads, she never had that before this month (March)

 

[hdcrazy25]

Sorry to be the third hijacker. Do any beardies have like black ovals on sides and bellys or am i confusing this with stress?? I don't know "She" is only about 6 weeks old and I have only had "her" for about two weeks she eating, running ,playing. Her back always stays a beutiful brilliant red but her sides and belly always seem to have these ovals that are outlined in black is this normal. I will try to get a picture if that is what is needed. I lurked on here for awhile before I purchased my son one so I'm pretty sure the enclosure is fine.

viv size 3' wide 2' deep and 26" tall
solar glo 160 mercury vapor lamp 12" from highest perch and 14 and 16 for other perches
basking temp 105-109 with an auxillary CHE on thermostat
measuring temps with heat gun

thanks aaron

 

[gogga]

HI

hdcrazy25

WELL I THINK IT IS THE SO CALLED "STRESS MARKS" THAT EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT, SEE PIC OF POGIE AT BOTTOM OF THIS REPLY...

I WOULDNT WORRY TOO MUCH AS LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE SAY IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH STRESS, TEMPS, RELOCATION, MOODS ETC... ALL HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON THESE MARKS.

READ THIS ON THE INTERNET A WHILE AGO, MAYBE IT WILL HELP

Colors:
Many things influence a dragon's color including stress, genes, and time of day. Many dragons seems to show there best color when sleeping, or soaking in water; others may show their best color when they are basking, excited, or for older dragons, after they have been exposed to natural sunlight.

by gogga » Wed Mar 24, 2010 3:33 pm
Hi, me again...

Found this info on http://www.rockinardragonz.com

Relocation Stress

Your new dragon has just undergone a very traumatic transition from one home to another. Most bearded dragons, old & young, will suffer from varying degrees of relocation stress when anything in their environment changes. This could also include a simple change to their cage set up. Relocation stress can last from just a couple of days up to a few weeks.

The following are some of the responses you may witness in your new dragon:

* Loss of appetite
* Loss of desire to bask
* A desire to stay in the cool end of their tank or in a hiding place
* Decreased activity
* Lethargic behavior
* Increased parasitic levels
* Stress markings on under side
* Duller, lower or darker coloration

As long as their environment is set up accordingly and they are receiving adequate care, relocation stress will be only temporary and it will be just a matter of time before they return to their normal healthy state.

It is imperative that you remain patient during this time and keep the handling of your new dragon to a minimum until they get past the relocation stress period.

GUESS YOU READ IT ALREADY BUT WHAT THE HEY.....

STRESS MARKS ON BELLY

 

[hdcrazy25]

I have never seen my lady bug that dark the only thing she gets are the outlined ovals like the ones pogie is showing, but all you can see are the outlined ovals not dark inbetween.....I think she is always like this does pogie go "creamie white" for you.

 

[gogga]

Yeah she does....see