Hatchling to Juvenile

[Yimchaloi]

I purchased the mighty dragon Aku almost two months ago, and I guessed from his size then (about 8.5") that he was about two months old. Though I failed my math classes in school, I think that would now make him approximately four months old.

My question is: is he a juvenile yet? His head has filled out a bit more broadly since I first took him home, and he's grown fast. Gotta be about 10" right now, and he's gone through the second shed since I've had him. From looking at pictures online, he looks nothing like an adult of course, but he still looks so young! I just wanna know at what point is he a juvie so I can alter his diet a bit.

 

[Tigg]

How exactly do you plan on changing his diet?

I only ask because other than calcium suplimentation, his diet shouldn't change very much if at all from a hatchling to a young adult (Around a year of age)

 

[diamc]

At about 4 months old, he seems a little small. Since they continue to grow rapidly until about 1 yr and don't really reach their full size until about 1 1/2 yrs old, you should continue to feed him like you would a juvie. Have you been feeding him 2 to 3 times a day with all the live food he can eat each time within 10 to 15 minutes? And giving a diet of healthy fresh greens daily? http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html has a great list of good greens/veggies. He should continue to receive calcium dusted feeders 5 days a wk, but only dusted 1 feeding a day and vitamins on the feeders the other 2 days a wk, but only dusted 1 feeding a day. Since he has only shed a couple of times in 2 months, could you fill us in on the brand & type of UVB you're using, is it a strip fluorescent, coil, compact or mercury vapor bulb?

 

[Yimchaloi]

The only thing I would change is I would add a bit of variety to his meat. Right now he's eating only crickets, but at some point I've got to give'm mealworms'n superworms'n all that. He eats a salad everyday of mixed greens and fruit (bought especially for him since I'm a carnivore), and he isn't shy about it. And the most crickets I've seen him eat in a sitting has been more than thirty.

Also, I've heard that beardies will often chase a laser-pointer as a dog or cat might. Any truth to this? Because that would be a fun way to exercise Aku when he's roaming about outside his tank. Up his reflexes in case some turtles wanna start a fight or something.