Feeding time

So normally, my Taco is a guy where I can just chuckle about "feeding time" postings.
With Taco, you put in some food, he looks like "alright, fridge refilled" or I also call it "one-lizard buffet, can wait, nobody will eat it away" and might eat it later or much later.
He has no problem with being seen eating, but he just won't run for the bowl.

Now twice (within 2 months, so really not regularly), when putting in bugs as I do early in the morning before leaving (latest 6:30am), right after I closed the lid of his habitat and went on with other morning chores, I heard the scratching of nails when running, and Taco grabbed the bugs right away. Was surprised!
Also saw him three times doing morning beard stretches, not his usual routine but sometimes he does.

 

[NickAVD]

This is interesting, do you have an explanation for why his behavior changed?

 

[ChileanTaco]

No idea.
But, as young as he is, he's still experiencing certain seasons the first time as (somewhat) an adult.
Means for example: It's now getting significantly warmer during night plus he's now a "big boy" - same time of the year a year ago, he was a young juvenile.
But he really rarely does that. Saw him eating right after I put the food in only the second time today, and beard stretches were the third time.

 

[NickAVD]

Perhaps the sunrise began to occur earlier and he began to wake up earlier and feel a sense of hunger, as well as a desire to stretch his beard.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Perhaps the sunrise began to occur earlier and he began to wake up earlier and feel a sense of hunger, as well as a desire to stretch his beard.

This is of course the case, on some days he wakes up earlier as the nights are warmer. (Our apartment has no heating nor cooling, like it is standard here as it's just not needed regarding the heating and for hot summer day it's the norm to cope with fans, a siesta and airing out. With this, also the temp in the enclosure changes maybe a bit more as for an apartment where one would keep their 70-and-something F all year round, but of course is kept within a good range. But he's really sensitive to weather despite the difference from days that are the warmest and the coolest is relatively small here but still he reacts to this.)

But this is well before sunrise here yet. And: The "sunrise" is the same every day, as we have to close curtains on all windows because of super bright parking and harbor lot lights, and we thus have thick block-out curtains. So "sunrise" is when I switch on the light in the room (6am, before I start morning chores in that room like watering plants, feeding feeder insects, feeding pet insects and feeding Taco) and then the enclosure lights go on (6:15am - 6:30am depending on the season).

I'd say: Warmer nights plus experiencing them the first time as an adult. The time I saw him doing this the first time was about the first time this spring warm enough for leaving in the morning without jacket.
But he's really not doing it often, and many days he sleeps in despite it is warm.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Today he also went down for the bowl right in the morning, 6:15am.

 

[Chris.]

That is really interesting, mine are not really hungry that early...

 

[ChileanTaco]

That is really interesting, mine are not really hungry that early...

Mine normally also isn't - there are many days where he hadn't eaten anything until afternoon.
So I found this in particular interesting, too.

 

[ChileanTaco]

He now usually eats breakfast - means, insects as soon as I put them in in the morning. Today he had mealworms and dubias at 6:30am.
I'm fine with him eating insects first and early in the morning, as there are never enough insects to satisfy his appetite and hunger just with that, so he eats greens during the day.