Digging?

[bigcahoonas10]

So I am a college student and I come home on the weekends and bring my beardie with me, Its only an hour drive home so if I come home at night I put a light on him. I used to put him in a 10 gallon tank on the weekends but that is too small so I put him in a big plastic storage bin so it is as close to his 40 gallon at school. Since we got home he is acting weird, I went out side and came in and he is under the paper towels and right now the reason I am writing is because he is sitting in the corner digging, I have never seen him do this before. Are his nails too long? is he trying to get exercise I just took him out and he sat on my chest and didnt move.

 

[PuffMagic]

I have heard dragons dig because they are too hot, so their natural instinct is to get under the dirt. My girl digs in her tunnel, so it would seem they cover up and dig to escape. Hope this helps a little.

 

[taransteve]

Sounds to me like your little boy might be a female who may be trying to lay eggs.. :dontknow: have you noticed an increase in his/her appetite and weight gain? Is his/her belly looking "rounder" that usual? You can usually feel if they are "gravid" by gently running your fingers under his/her belly, if they are eggs they will feel like little grapes. Do you know about how old your dragon is?

If you do suspect he may be a female and this is what is happening you will need to get her reeady to lay her eggs A.S.A.P.! Here's a great link for that.. http://www.exclusivedragons.com/Egg-laying.html
This is just my opinion and what I suspect may be going on with your beardie, I can't be 100% positive.

 

[bigcahoonas10]

well not sure if its a boy or girl he has the bulges behind his head like a male the doc didnt correct me when i called him a he and i bought him from petsmart in august

 

[PuffMagic]

My vet told me that you would be able to feel the eggs in the belly. It wont be soft and squishy there will be lumps that is one way to tell if he is getting ready to lay eggs.

I have a female and she is about 6 yrs old and has never laid eggs.

 

[bigcahoonas10]

I rubbed the under belly I felt no lumps I dont have a thermometer in the temporary tank but it only feels hot in his hammock not on the ground where he is digging and he was cooler to the touch then normal

 

[taransteve]

Here a good link for sexing your dragon...http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/sexing/ .....
http://repticzone.com/articles/sexingbeardeddragons.html

Also, most Male dragons have a wider head than females do.. Is he looking fatter than usual?

It could be he is looking for somewhere to hide and feel safe or cool off.. Does he have a cooler side of his tank or box where he can cool off if he's too hot?

My male dragon will go into his cave when he's too hot.. sometimes I find him digging inside the cave..

 

[bigcahoonas10]

Yea the plastic tub is 32 inches long and 19 inches high his lights sit on the top at the very end of one side so his baskign spot is right under that in the corner to it doesnt heat the other side. He just went to sleep its possible he could of just been getting ready for bed, he has never been much of a hider in his tank at school he has several places to go in or under he is more a random sleeper

 

[bigcahoonas10]

forgot to mention I did a sexting check and there appears to be 2 bumbs one on each side of the tail not very prominent but definitely two bumps

 

[taransteve]

It's a boy!!!! lol okies, no baby beardies then .... :lol:
My dragons both do the same when they get ready for bed, they have to be under they're "blankets" or they will find a place to burrow... :sleepy2:

Do you have a UVB light for him also or just the basking light?

 

[bigcahoonas10]

18inch reptisun 10.0

 

[taransteve]

awesome... sounds like he was just diggin his bed for the night glad he's ok...

 

[bigcahoonas10]

yea he is sacked out so who knows i guess if he does it again I will post again thanks for your help

 

[bigcahoonas10]

My beardie has begun to dig at night, he just goes into the corner and digs and then goes to sleep, I have tried getting him to lay on a blanket or some folded paper towels to burrow into, he has some cave structures in his tank but never go into them is this just a bed time thing"?