lighting issue?

[peaches]

hello
my beardie, peaches, loves to bask she has been fine and healthy. i got her from a breeder two months ago. just today she was basking and i saw her mouth was opened wide (first time shes done this). i think she was just hot because i used a dimmer and dimmed the light then gave her a little bit of misting (second time today) and she closed her mouth and hasn't done it again. so just in case she was just hot right? can anybody tell me? :?:

thanks, Teddy

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Teddy, yes beardies do what is called thermoregulating. Kinda like us sweating. So yes it is their way to leave off excess heat in their bodies. Could you go over your set up with us so we can see if everything is correct? Also how are you measuring the temps?

 

[peaches]

thank you
my lighting setup is a zoo med ceramic heat emitter, zoo med basking light, and zoo med reptisun 10.0 bulb
again, thank you

 

[Twobeardieguy]

You are very welcome. How are you measuring the temps?

 

[peaches]

i'm using a 2 flukers digital thermomometers

-measures 85-90 degrees under the basking light

-measures 73-78 degrees in the cool side

-mearsures 60's or 70's at night

this was the first and only time she's done this
and thanks again

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Does your thermometer have a wire and probe at the end? If the thermometer is the type that sticks to the glass and has no probe... you are more than likely only getting the ambient temps. You need a probe so that you can set it directly on the basking spot for accurate basking temps. Your temps could actually be off by quite a bit.
If you don't have the digital thermometer with wire and probe... Walmart carries one called AcuRite. It is roughly $12 and will be in the home thermometer section of Walmart, not the pet section.
As Lance mentioned... the gaping(thermoregulating) is a normal process for a beardie. As long as they are not doing it all the time.