RagingBunny
Member
Hello, since I am new here I wasn't sure where I should be asking questions so forgive me if this isn't the right place ^^' I will try to be as detailed as possible, apologies if it end's up being to long.
I got a bearded dragon 5 days ago (I believe it's a she but will re-examine once she gets bigger)
She is very calm, doesn't seem to be bothered to be handled at all, she shows no signs of stress (I've done extensive research before I got her to make sure I could provide her with a happy life).
She ate the first day she got here but now it seems like she isn't eating :/ She didn't get smaller, she bathes/drinks just fine and her poop is normal too.
I got the Zoo Med ReptiHabitat 20 gallon enclosure kit, so it came with the proper lighting as well. I am currently doing the 12h on 12h off light schedule (the night light stays on). The temperature of the enclosure is fine as well, I check it regularly. I am using paper towels for now until she gets the appropriate size for me to switch to the sand that came with the kit.
She will sometimes chase after crickets so it's not like she isn't eating at all, I'm just worried that she isn't eating enough (I was told she would consume anything from 15 to 20 crickets a day for now).I was worried that the 20 gallon would be to big for her but she will climb and chase after the crickets, but will just eat like 1 or 2. I have tried placing her in a separate smaller enclosure for feeding but she shows no interest in eating in there .---.
She has even eaten off my hand! I have a tree trunk looking thing sitting on my desk where I place her sometimes when I am playing and if I hold a cricket in front of her she will eat it. She also likes climbing onto my shoulder and going back to the tree looking thing (in the morning I take her out of the tank so she can catch come sunlight even though I have the lamp for her as well).
Behavior wise, she's calm, doesn't seem to bother being handled (I've noticed that she will scratch the glass for me to pick her up). She climbs onto her basking spot on her own, runs around in her enclosure as well. Never showed any signs of aggression. She has waved her arms once when she first got here but doesn't do it anymore. She closes her eyes when I pet her head, she likes when I pet her chin, and she has fallen asleep on me already. She will occasionally "lick me" (idk if that's the right term). I pet her chin when she is in her enclosure and she rarely runs away from my hand (when she does I let her be).
I make sure she has fresh water and her tank is clean everyday.
I've checked to make sure she doesn't have any lumps along her back and her tail base is sturdy as well. EDIT: I checked her belly, she does have some black lines going on(they are recent)
Crickets are sprinkled with calcium (I was told to mix the powder with water and mist the crickets).
According to my research, you should give them time to adjust (2 weeks but correct me if I am wrong), but things are going ridiculously good as far as I can tell. I've been very attentive to see any little sign of discomfort or stress.
This is the first time I own a bearded dragon (I have 2 budgies, 2 finches, a hamster and a cat, everyone has their own separate enclosure except for the budgies who are kept together and the cat who is kept out of my room).
Sobek is 2 months old and at the store she was with another beardie that was bigger than her (although they arrived at the same time, they're siblings).
Should I be worried about her eating habits? Should I try to force feed her? Right now she is just eating crickets, should I vary her diet with other things? Should I not handle her for a week and see how that goes? I am clueless please help
Thank you in advance!
I got a bearded dragon 5 days ago (I believe it's a she but will re-examine once she gets bigger)
She is very calm, doesn't seem to be bothered to be handled at all, she shows no signs of stress (I've done extensive research before I got her to make sure I could provide her with a happy life).
She ate the first day she got here but now it seems like she isn't eating :/ She didn't get smaller, she bathes/drinks just fine and her poop is normal too.
I got the Zoo Med ReptiHabitat 20 gallon enclosure kit, so it came with the proper lighting as well. I am currently doing the 12h on 12h off light schedule (the night light stays on). The temperature of the enclosure is fine as well, I check it regularly. I am using paper towels for now until she gets the appropriate size for me to switch to the sand that came with the kit.
She will sometimes chase after crickets so it's not like she isn't eating at all, I'm just worried that she isn't eating enough (I was told she would consume anything from 15 to 20 crickets a day for now).I was worried that the 20 gallon would be to big for her but she will climb and chase after the crickets, but will just eat like 1 or 2. I have tried placing her in a separate smaller enclosure for feeding but she shows no interest in eating in there .---.
She has even eaten off my hand! I have a tree trunk looking thing sitting on my desk where I place her sometimes when I am playing and if I hold a cricket in front of her she will eat it. She also likes climbing onto my shoulder and going back to the tree looking thing (in the morning I take her out of the tank so she can catch come sunlight even though I have the lamp for her as well).
Behavior wise, she's calm, doesn't seem to bother being handled (I've noticed that she will scratch the glass for me to pick her up). She climbs onto her basking spot on her own, runs around in her enclosure as well. Never showed any signs of aggression. She has waved her arms once when she first got here but doesn't do it anymore. She closes her eyes when I pet her head, she likes when I pet her chin, and she has fallen asleep on me already. She will occasionally "lick me" (idk if that's the right term). I pet her chin when she is in her enclosure and she rarely runs away from my hand (when she does I let her be).
I make sure she has fresh water and her tank is clean everyday.
I've checked to make sure she doesn't have any lumps along her back and her tail base is sturdy as well. EDIT: I checked her belly, she does have some black lines going on(they are recent)
Crickets are sprinkled with calcium (I was told to mix the powder with water and mist the crickets).
According to my research, you should give them time to adjust (2 weeks but correct me if I am wrong), but things are going ridiculously good as far as I can tell. I've been very attentive to see any little sign of discomfort or stress.
This is the first time I own a bearded dragon (I have 2 budgies, 2 finches, a hamster and a cat, everyone has their own separate enclosure except for the budgies who are kept together and the cat who is kept out of my room).
Sobek is 2 months old and at the store she was with another beardie that was bigger than her (although they arrived at the same time, they're siblings).
Should I be worried about her eating habits? Should I try to force feed her? Right now she is just eating crickets, should I vary her diet with other things? Should I not handle her for a week and see how that goes? I am clueless please help
Thank you in advance!