Dark lines on beardies belly

[beardielovah11103]

So i bought my friend Tonie aka Mushu1, a new bearded dragon because hers lost its fight. It had a lot of problems because the previous owner didnt take care of it properly. I found a gentlemen selling some BD's on craigslist that he had accumulated in trade for some expensive snakes that he had. I went and pick her up lastnight and the guys wife told me that one of the dragons had been really stressed because it can see the other dragons in the room. She told me that a sign of stress it when the lines on their bellies become darker. I have never heard this before and i guess the BD books dont tell you mucg. So im just curious as to if it is true? thanks for your help

 

[Freeie]

Yep alot of things can cause the stress marks. Seeing to many dragons being moved to a new viv, new owners, they might be hungry or cold. When they bask they turn dark because they are absorbing the heat. When you get a new beardie it might take them a few weeks to go away. They need time to adjust.

This is one of our babys when we first got her she was 5 weeks old.

Now her tummy is all white. Took about a week and a half for her to get used to us.

 

[beardielovah11103]

OK because now i've noticed that my lil beardies belly looks just like the one in your pic. but i dont know why? she's been in her tank for about 3mnths now, eats fine, basks great...i dont know what could be stressing her other than the fact she can see her reflection in the glass. I have a new enclousure being built as we speek so she wont be able to see out the sides or her reflection thank god.

 

[munchkins9802]

Well too make you feel better, my dragon we have had 9 1/2 weeks now (oops my daughter's dragon). He still has stress marks, not as strong as they were but he has them. They get darker when a) he wants out b) he wants more food or c) he needs to poop and d) has not been held for a couple of hours
His stress marks TOTALLy disappear when my 10 yr old holds him or I pay attention to him. As soon as you put him in the cage he gets them again unless my 10 yr old or someone is in the same room with him

 

[ronni1221]

Well too make you feel better, my dragon we have had 9 1/2 weeks now (oops my daughter's dragon). He still has stress marks, not as strong as they were but he has them. They get darker when a) he wants out b) he wants more food or c) he needs to poop and d) has not been held for a couple of hours
His stress marks TOTALLy disappear when my 10 yr old holds him or I pay attention to him. As soon as you put him in the cage he gets them again unless my 10 yr old or someone is in the same room with him

I second that with Brutus. The "stress lines" have gotten lighter in the past few weeks- I've been taking him out once a day for 15min to longer than an hour to explore and hang out on the couch with us. I've found he is lighter colored in general now. I usually see darker stress marks now when it's time to eat, he wants more food, or I've taken him out before he eats. Yes, all related to food!

 

[beardielovah11103]

Yea i have also noticed that when i have her out her tank just haging out with us or walking around the the house that the lines do tend to lighten up and when shes in her tank they are dark. Maybe i should have my girlfriend take her out more while im at work. i work at night so i only see her during the day or at night when i get home to put her to bed. So i shouldnt worry about these lines?

 

[Freeie]

Nope they are normal as long as your beardie is healthy and getting the proper lighting and basking temps all is well.

 

[Elora]

His stress marks TOTALLy disappear when my 10 yr old holds him or I pay attention to him. As soon as you put him in the cage he gets them again unless my 10 yr old or someone is in the same room with him

If he gets stress marks when he is in his tank it would lead me to think that something is wrong inside your tank. Have you gone over your tank set up with anyone here? Perhaps it is too hot or too cold? Do you have a coil compact light bulb? Because animals cannot talk we have to listen to their body language and look for signs that can help us learn about how they are feeling and what is going on inside their bodies. then we can figure out why they are happy or sad and fix the problem. I remember one person on here said that their beardie got really upset whenever he put him in his tank and it turned out that he has a coil bulb which is dangerous and hurts their eyes.

 

[munchkins9802]

Elora
thanks for thinking that. I have gone over my tank set up with Tracie (drache) many times, so it is not his tank The last few days his marks are very faint, or non existednt .unless he is hungry or wants out to poop or for attention (he HATES to poop in his tank). Once you feed him or he goes the bathroom I can put him in his tank without getting dark again. Oh and I have learned that he likes his temps between 99.9 and 102.5. If it goes over 102.5 (taken with digital probe on basking spot), then he gets a little stressed but then we lower it to his comfortable range and he is happy.
But thanks for the thought. He has the reptisun 10 flourescent and a separate basking bulb, and his quite happy these days and entertaining. So I think he just likes to be with people.
If you read the rest of the comment, if he is in his cage and my daughter or I are in the room, then his marks are not there unless he is hungry again--he eats 3x a day right now. And he is such a loveable guy (wait did I just say that about a lizard

 

[mushu01]

So i bought my friend Tonie aka Mushu1, a new bearded dragon because hers lost its fight. It had a lot of problems because the previous owner didnt take care of it properly. I found a gentlemen selling some BD's on craigslist that he had accumulated in trade for some expensive snakes that he had. I went and pick her up lastnight and the guys wife told me that one of the dragons had been really stressed because it can see the other dragons in the room. She told me that a sign of stress it when the lines on their bellies become darker. I have never heard this before and i guess the BD books dont tell you mucg. So im just curious as to if it is true? thanks for your help

thank u nikki! xoxo :lol:

 

[beardielovah11103]

LOL u stalker you!!! your welcome we love ya