Melody

[Melody12]

Question about Melody....

She's been going through the terrible twos now and she's one years old.

She's doing the typical behavior of glass dancing (I've experienced it before, but only whenever something's going through a major change: Like the tree losing it's leaves and seeing birds flying around the yard).

Here's what I noticed: She's going to bed early: Which is okay with me. Waking up earlier than usual (She usually sleeps til about 9-10.) Pooping normally (unless you account for the extra water which shows me she's really hydrated) with white urates that aren't hard. During the day is a different matter. She glass dances all day, making a lot of noise and a mess of her greens. Then she settles down to bask and relax on her blanket.

But what I notice whenever she glass dances is her beard turning black and stress marks. (She's aggravated easily because whenever I take her out, she calms down, but when she runs to go somewhere, she gets mad and turns her beard black.) and today, I fed her collard greens and she didn't want them. She only ate two crickets today. Maybe she's maturing?

Advice? Insights?

 

[AmberC]

maybe she needs to lay eggs? Have you tried putting her in a lay box?

 

[Melody12]

maybe she needs to lay eggs? Have you tried putting her in a lay box?

No I don't have one.

I've got a bag of calci-sand that's open, but not being used. (I don't have any play sand.) I don't really have a lay box. How would I make one? There's another thing I haven't gotten.

Wondering: Does a one year old lay eggs?

 

[AmberC]

I have a boy so I haven't really researched egg laying. There are a ton of threads on it, as well as I'm sure someone with more knowledge about it will chime in

 

[Glitch]

Just get a deep plastic bin, big enough for her to turn around and move around in, and deep enough for her to dig down freely. I suggest getting vermiculite from a hardware store or such, since it holds moisture better, moisten it, and close her in there for a few hours.

 

[AmberC]

I would get her a lay box straight away though, because if she does need to lay there's a risk of egg binding which is life threatening and happens when they don't have anywhere to lay their eggs

 

[AmberC]

Ps. I don't think they meant close her in the dark, she would just fall asleep I think I've seen another member saying they actually put a heat lamp above the bin too

 

[Melody12]

Ps. I don't think they meant close her in the dark, she would just fall asleep I think I've seen another member saying they actually put a heat lamp above the bin too

I've found a digging box for her, but no sand or vermiculite around here. I've got calci-sand I don't use. I may have to take a trip to get vermiculite because they don't carry that here. They carry the perlite only.

What are the signs of getting ready to lay eggs?

 

[AmberC]

No play sand? They usually sell it at Walmart. If your American I think target has it

 

[AmberC]

I 'think' the classic signs are restlessness and refusal to eat

 

[snazzyglasses]

I 'think' the classic signs are restlessness and refusal to eat

Yep! Another sign of egg laying is only passing urates instead of whole poops.
Have you double checked your temps recently, with a temp gun or a digital thermometer w/ probe? Sometimes they'll also dig to get out if it's too hot in there.
I'm not 100% sure what beardie puberty looks like (or exactly when it happens, for that matter), but maybe that could be it? I thought they usually got grumpy towards humans during puberty though, and it doesn't sound like your girl is doing that. Hmm.
Edit: I don't think Calci-sand would work for a lay box because from what I remember, it kinda turns into a cement-type mess when it's wet.

 

[Melody12]

No play sand? They usually sell it at Walmart. If your American I think target has it

They've got it at the Home Depot.

I've got a thermometer with a long metal probe that you can use for meat. It's digital. (Don't know if all of them are accurate, but her temps range from 95-107. She'll bask under her hammock on a pillow case so it may be about 2-3 degrees cooler.) I've noticed she doesn't have any bulges or bumps so I'm just guessing she has hit a beardie puberty. :study: