So my beardie, Soul Patch, has been acting a little wonky and I want to get a second opinion that nothing's wrong.
It has gotten a little chillier here, so I'm assuming he's considering brumation. A couple strange things though - less interest in greens, less activity in cage (but when I take him out he's active), shedding his face for the second time in 3 months, gaping a lot (no weird breathing sounds, and always when I have him out, so it's only around 70 degrees) and a few femoral pores have fallen out. Don't mind the stress marks - just from me holding him strangely for the pictures.
Blue circle is a couple pores that fell out a few weeks ago, red circle is one that fell out just this morning.
Hi there....it's not the femoral pores that fall out....they are the pits on his leg, what comes out of them is the waxy substance used to mark territory, and it's normal for that to be rubbed off. So there's no problem there, they are in good condition. As for his gaping, is it possible that he's cool in the cage and then you are also taking him out so he's too cold all the time and possibly beginning a respiratory infection ? What are the temps. in his tank ? Also,sometimes they may gape if they have a heavy parasite load, but I doubt it's that. See how he does in the next few days, if it's too cold in the tank you might bump up the temps. to see if that helps out.
I just checked his temps today and they are around 105 in the hot area and 80 in the cool area. He's been gaping for the past month or so. I only have him out once or twice a week for at most 2 hours, and usually that's in my 75 degree room. He did have parasites when I got him in July. They may have come back...
I wonder if he might be too warm then. How are you taking the temp., and what is the wattage of your basking bulb ? You might try getting the basking temp. down to about 97 and see if that makes a difference.