Digging

[smergy]

I am not sure if this has been asked here or not, first off my 3 beardies are thriving together but over the last few days the male and one of the females go in the corner and make digging motions. they are on tile, and there is nothing for them to dig under or anything so my question is i have found mixed sites saying the females will do this when prego, yet all of them are only a few months old, not even of breading age, but other sites say they do this when stessed, others say they do this when they are going in hybernation, but this year only the one female did any form of hybernation, and the others are now bigger than she is and well she is the one digging with the male, does it mean anything??~~?!@~

 

[Esther19]

Are they all housed together?

 

[smergy]

Yes they are and they have been living together their five or six months now was just curious about that behavior

 

[ashleyelsha]

irst off my 3 beardies are thriving together ..... yet all of them are only a few months old, not even of breading age,

If they are only a "few months old"....

Yes they are and they have been living together their five or six months now was just curious about that behavior

how have they been living together for five or six months?

 

[diamc]

They can start puberty as young as 6 months of age so it's very possible that the female is pregnant even though she is still a baby herself. I think you know that they need to be separated asap. What size tank have you had them in? In case the digging is because of temps, can you fill us in on the size of the tank, temps and what type of thermometer you're using?

others say they do this when they are going in hybernation, but this year only the one female did any form of hybernation, and the others are now bigger than she is and well she is the one digging.

If she is only about 6 mo old, she shouldn't be doing "any form of hybernation" also, not good that she is smaller and must have lost weight. It's very possible that she is either gravid, has parasites and/or stressed out from being housed together.

 

[smergy]

no actually we took her and the others to the vet when they all started sleeping more and eating less for a few weeks and that is what we were told, i have found that same answer other sites about her in some form of hybernation, and no they are all healthy but they just started doing the digging thing this weekend, and my question was about what kind of behavior means, i am not going to get into the seperating thing because i have been through this on other of the posts, many people disagree so leave it at that. anyhow the cage is 5x2x2 and they all have good basking spots, well lit, the temp usually stays around 100 in their side, i got the 10 uvb repti bulb for the uvb that i was told here to get, but with them being young i was told a ceramic heat bulb and the white heat bulb for the young ones untill they get about a year or so.

and yea the 5 months thing, when i posted this i was thinking we only had them a few months and well wife told me we had them about 5 months now, but the vet and everyone i talk to say they dont really reach the sexual maturity till about a yea so i wasnt sure i get mixed talk about that, some sites some people say less than a year some differ i was just curous about one thing, about how they have been acting for about 2 days. sorry i asked.

 

[snazzyglasses]

I agree with what diamc said.
Also- be sure to keep an eye on their front toes and nails too; tile is a really good substrate choice (in my opinion ) but digging at any hard surface too much can injure their front paws.
Edit- just saw your post! It's common knowledge that a male + female of any species WILL try to mate as soon as they are able. Have you considered at least taking out the male, and seeing if the two females get along? (it's rare, but ya never know ) It is a bit worrisome that the one female doesn't seem to be doing as well though. That suggests she's either getting bullied, or she's sick. Both of those situations mean it's in the dragons' best interests to separate. Treating one sick dragon is stressful enough, but she'll almost certainly spread it to the other two if it is a parasite or illness. So there's that too.

The reptile version of hibernation is called brumation, there's an awesome article on it here- http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/

Keep in mind that while there are definitely a lot of opinions out there, there are also facts. 99% of dragons not getting along together happens to be one of those facts. But I'm sure you will make the decision that's best for your dragons! Good luck with your young'uns

 

[smergy]

hence we took them to the vet when they started the whole sleeping more eating less thing, so i know they all healthy and yes i put them on tile because months when i brought them home i came here and found i should use sand, and i have been making sure about their toes and whatnot, and no she was growing all of them just fine eating just fine and runing around the cage just fine, she jsut up and decided to do the whole sleeping more eating less thing, they are all doing great actually but when she did that the other female we have didnt and neither did the male and both of them just grew a smige more than she did during that 2 weeks, and in that time we did take her in to have her checked out so all of them are healthy as can be, but please please dont flame me or make this into another seperate your dragons or we will crusify you post i just asked a question, sorry to sound frustrated but its turned into, they should be separated, and i didnt want that, please please if anyone has seen this behavior or knows the answer i would love to know.

lastly they are all three healthy, eating alot now, growing just fine according to the vet, no figthing, the one female we made the mistake of not enough calcium and the end of her tail died, just a small peice, the other female got out and into something and injured her tail and lost about two thumb lenghs, but other than that, they all have their limbs, all play, run around like normal beardies, and yes i know about breading, well i am reading more that i can since they are in the same cage to educate myself on what could happen.

anyhow thank you for your advice so far that was given but i really only came back to this site after months looking for help not an argument

 

[snazzyglasses]

and yes i know about breading, well i am reading more that i can since they are in the same cage to educate myself on what could happen.
anyhow thank you for your advice so far that was given but i really only came back to this site after months looking for help not an argument

You're doing your research, which is good! That's more than can be said about some people unfortunately. So props to you
I forgot if i mentioned this, but the digging could be from temps being a bit high. You could try lowering their basking spot temps a few degrees? Also double check that the cool side temps are low-ish, like in the 78-85*F range. I know my big guy sulks and refuses to bask if his basking-spot temps are even 3*F too high for his liking! :shock: :roll: He has me pretty well-trained I guess, lol.

 

[smergy]

well thanks and actually the wife got them into the vet today and i found what the digging was, not prego, not mating, not anything like that somehow they got a cold of sorts from what the vet said, i didnt know that could happen!! anyhow he said that sometimes when sick these guys will dig to get away and hide if they can, 200 buck bill but glad to know other than that they are growing fine, and so forth the hybernation thing he said what you all said yea they are young for that so i must have mis spoke and for that i am sorry but yea the one girl was only acting that way for about a week or more so i am glad we got them into the vet

 

[snazzyglasses]

anyhow he said that sometimes when sick these guys will dig to get away and hide if they can

Interesting! I learned something new today.
And I hope your little lady feels better soon!

 

[smergy]

yea us to but like i said the funny thing is they are in a 5x2x2 cage and tiled flooring..so no where to dig..haha