Hello everyone,
I was able to get video of my beardie doing this eye twitching movement. Not sure if this is normal but i hope its nothing serious! It really freaks me out and thinking something is wrong with his eyes
I'm using reptisun T5HO 10.0 Linear Bulb and at the moment a 150w exo terra basking bulb. Looking to switch the exo terra basking bulb with a halogen floodlight :? Maybe the 150w is too strong for him perhaps? I have a 36" x 18" x 18" viv.
Hot side : 90-100 F
basking temps: 110 F
cool side: 80-83 F
I never seen him do this outside of his tank. Hopefully its simple as that and it goes away on its own. I've seen him do this first time i got him as i thought it was the lights since i got him from petsmart. That was 2 months ago, now today he is doing this weird eye movement.
Heres another video of me petting him, closing his eyes and then he closes his eyes on his own. Is this normal or is he bothered by the lighting? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHNZqKAIcCM
I've never seen this before, but I would definitely try switching out the EXO Terra basking bulb for a regular halogen indoor flood bulb and see if it stops it, because it does seem like it maybe due to the light...
They also have that third eyelid, which they do weird eye movements with when things get in their eyes, but I'm going with the light is bothering him. I have never used a "reptile" specialty basking bulb, only regular old halogen bulbs, so it very well could be the light, especially if she doesn't do it outside of her enclosure.
I've never seen this before, but I would definitely try switching out the EXO Terra basking bulb for a regular halogen indoor flood bulb and see if it stops it, because it does seem like it maybe due to the light...
They also have that third eyelid, which they do weird eye movements with when things get in their eyes, but I'm going with the light is bothering him. I have never used a "reptile" specialty basking bulb, only regular old halogen bulbs, so it very well could be the light, especially if she doesn't do it outside of her enclosure.
They sometimes do that when there's a speck of something irritating it, it doesn't seem to be bothering much right now. Almost like when our eyes are kind of dry and we blink them a bit more.
Can you post pics of the tank to show where the lights [ including the uvb light ] are sitting ? I doubt it's any of his lights but if either the basking bulb or the Ho t5 is too close that's a possibility.
I did some googling online and found this interesting article. http://www.ehow.com/list_6123595_bearded-dragon-eye-diseases.html
It might be Blepharospasm:
Blepharospasm is an involuntary eye tic or blinking that some bearded dragons experience.
I know one thing i do live in the desert but his substrate is not sand.
Really did not want to see anything bad as you know it just puts more of a bad negative thought and then you think its that but its really not that, etc.
If i am doing something wrong would love to correct it now before its too late and poor beardie has to suffer
I just gave him some of the leftover crickets and some of the BSFL and he is still eating a lot. He is active and alert, has his head up and he basks a lot - all day mostly. I lowered his basking branch and close to the UVB light lower so maybe that will help with his eyes. I think the T5 bulbs are stronger than the T8 bulbs so beardie doesn't need to be that high up.
There is a lot of variety in there in terms of distance to the UVB light so I'd leave some areas that are close he can choose that if he wants. The concern is intensity if he can't get away from it.