First Beardie Owner!! Couple questions about general care?

[dystopoly]

I've wanted a beardie ever since I was little but my parents never let me get reptiles that were any bigger than leopard geckos. So, I've owned about 3 of those, but they sure didn't prepare me for the huge responsibility of being a beardie mom! I've done MONTHS of research, and set up a 40gal breeder tank with a mesh top that I've modified to only allow some of the heat to vent out, and mounted a reptisun 10.0 UVB strip light so that there's nothing inbetween it and the dragon, as well as a 60watt floodlight over the basking area that's held up with a little homemade basking spot that I put together with a cardboard base and some tile on all the sides. There's also a pretty big driftwood branch that spans the length of the tank for climbing, and a water bowl that she can soak in if she feels the need to. (I DETEST the use of sand with pretty much any lizard, I opt for lizard carpet instead) I checked to make sure all the temps were correct with a zoomed infrared temp gun - basking area around 100-105 for the 3 year old beardie I adopted, and a gradient with the cool side being about high 70's mid 80's. I adopted her two days ago, except I think I went and bought all the wrong foods by mistake! The store told me that they fed her yellow squash and carrots as staple foods, but I've been reading around that these are actually only something to be fed occassionally. I also got some collard leaves - and she hasn't been eating much due to the stress of relocation anyways - but would that be okay for one week to feed, or should I run out and get her something else? I know to buy things like collards, mustard greens, cactus pads, butternut squash, etc. What I'm really still wondering about is - at her age, what should my calcium and vitamin dusting schedule look like - and how many veggies should I be feeding to her with her greens weekly? Also, what signs or behavior should I be watching for to know that she's starting to be adjusted and less stressed out with her new environment? Also - does anyone have any good alternatives to crickets or roaches that can be fed as staple insects? Sorry for the overwhelming introduction - I just want to make sure my girl has the best care possible!

(here's a picture of her for reference sitting in her basking area )

 

[Gail]

I was going to suggest superworms but she is a bit over weight and supers are fattening. There are silkworms, which I always liked feeding. Then there are phoenix worms (aka calci worms) that are popular but to me, they are too small and expensive for a staple. I personally like roaches best.

The food you have is fine for now, maybe pick up a staple green but I would wait until she is eating better before you go and buy a large variety.
I've never had much luck feeding harder veggies but some favorites can be green beans, orange/yellow bell peppers and winter squash. Occasional fruit that is well liked, raspberries, mango, grapes.

calcium 3 times a week, vitamins 2 times a week. Thats on one meal that day, not everything she eats through out the day.

She actually looks pretty relaxed, how does she act when you handle her or reach in to pet her? I would suggest you get a harness and leash and start getting her some exercise so she can loose weight. Running a deeper bath so she has to swim a little will help to, just don't over do it.

Has she ever been around a male dragon? Have you read up on females laying infertile eggs? I can't tell if she is just plump in her body or if she may have eggs. Just be aware of the signs of egg laying so you can provide a lay box if needed. That might sound scary but its not, egg laying is no big deal and that is one healthy girl you have.

 

[dystopoly]

I was going to suggest superworms but she is a bit over weight and supers are fattening. There are silkworms, which I always liked feeding. Then there are phoenix worms (aka calci worms) that are popular but to me, they are too small and expensive for a staple. I personally like roaches best.

The food you have is fine for now, maybe pick up a staple green but I would wait until she is eating better before you go and buy a large variety.
I've never had much luck feeding harder veggies but some favorites can be green beans, orange/yellow bell peppers and winter squash. Occasional fruit that is well liked, raspberries, mango, grapes.

calcium 3 times a week, vitamins 2 times a week. Thats on one meal that day, not everything she eats through out the day.

She actually looks pretty relaxed, how does she act when you handle her or reach in to pet her? I would suggest you get a harness and leash and start getting her some exercise so she can loose weight. Running a deeper bath so she has to swim a little will help to, just don't over do it.

Has she ever been around a male dragon? Have you read up on females laying infertile eggs? I can't tell if she is just plump in her body or if she may have eggs. Just be aware of the signs of egg laying so you can provide a lay box if needed. That might sound scary but its not, egg laying is no big deal and that is one healthy girl you have.

Honestly she's incredibly relaxed about people and handling, she really doesn't shy away from anyone and only scrambles a little when I slide my hand under her so that she can readjust herself and feel comfortable and supported. She doesn't show signs of stress towards me in terms of running away or being startled, but I'm mostly worried about her lethargy and lack of appetite. In the three days I've had her, I've managed to only get her to eat a few bites of calcium-dusted collard leaves by handing them to her - and today she's started up the habit of resorting to her hide, digging around a bit, and then relaxing and kind of stowing away in there. I don't know for sure if she was kept with any males prior, but I don't believe that she was - and I've checked her abdomen for any kind of lumps and it just seems overall pretty squishy with no obtrusions. I'm kind of worried as I'm not sure if she's just dealing with some relocation stress, or if I should be concerned about her laying eggs. Her hide is under her basking light, but I built it to reflect most of the heat and after measuring it for three days the temperature in there never really rises past the really low 90's. I've been letting her hide away for little bits at a time and then moving her back to her basking spot - she'll sit there for a decent amount of time and then eventually climb back down to the hide, scratch around in there for a minute or two, and then settle down. It's also worth noting that she hasn't spent much time looking around the cool side of her tank either, maybe she's just choosing the hide to cool down instead?

I took an above view of her for body comparison, I'm not sure if her abdomen looks swelled at all - it doesn't to me, but I'm really new to all this. I'm hoping her appetite will perk up in a few more days - she is much older and was probably attatched to a former owner, especially for how tame she is, and I just hope that she manages to find herself comfortable in her new home.