My Girl is Acting So Strange!

[Casablonda]

Rhodie is my 1 year-old beardie, and also our class pet! We got her last October, and she has been a beloved part of our class (and my life) ever since!

However, she has been acting really strange! Over the last month or so, she has definitely decreased the amounts that she is eating, and she has been losing some weight. At the beginning of the summer she was about 490 grams, and I know she's nothing near that now. She has also gotten REALLY active. I mean, glass surfing constantly until I take her out, and then she runs full out laps around the room!

I know that she has been trying to readjust to going to and from school, but this is really odd behavior! Last year she never struggled going to and from, but she has all hit quit eating. She's not dark bearded or anything, but she is antsy!

I had to feed her baby food for a while and now she is going back to eating a couple bites of greens and maybe a few roaches a day.

Am I making a big deal out of nothing?

She has a ReptiSun UVB that I got in February, a basking point of around 105 F and a cool end around 85 F. Heat is 75 watts in a 40 galling tank. Humidity is roughly 30% due to her water feature.

Thanks in advance!

 

[CooperDragon]

Which ReptiSun bulb are you using? A T8 would need to be replaced but a T5 should still be fine. Have you tried giving her a box with damp play sand and soil to dig in and see if she needs to lay eggs? It could be that or it could be that she's going through a restless phase in which case I'd let her roam around in a safe area as much as she wants to help burn some energy.

 

[Casablonda]

It's a T5! I heard those were good for around 9 months- is that about right? I also didn't know she was old enough to lay eggs... do you have any experience with that?!

 

[CooperDragon]

Yeah a T5 should still be in good shape for at least a year. Mine has been running for 3 years but I measure the output regularly with a Solarmeter to be sure. I'd replace it yearly to be on the safe side. At a year old eggs are a possibility but I'm not sure. I don't have firsthand experience with that - all of my guys have been boys. It's worth building a dig box and see what she does though. Just a mix of damp play sand and organic topsoil mixed to a consistency that easily holds a tunnel. She may dig a tunnel and lay eggs. She may just make a mess. It could be that or just an active phase which they go through sometimes. In that case I'd let her out to roam around as much as you can.

 

[kyleena29]

Just make sure your uvb is a 10.0 not 5.0 and you can always call around to find a vet or pet store that can test them for you. Make sure she can get within 12 inches of it if there is no screen, closer if there is.

 

[EllenD]

I've been seeing more and more females around a year old or so laying their first clutches of infertile eggs, so based on her behavior and age I would definitely make her a lay box and put her in it for a couple hours at a time. Just buy a plastic tub at Walmart, a good sized one that you can fill 3/4 of the length full with regular play sand from Lowes or Home Depot, and make it damp but not really wet. Make it into a hill of sand that takes of 3/4 of the container's length, and start a tunnel on the hill for her, usually if they're going to lay eggs they'll finish the tunnel. Put a clamp lamp with a bright white basking bulb over the lay box and put her in it, in front of the tunnel. Let her in it for 1-2 hours and see if she starts digging. If she's just struggling to get out after an hour or two then take her, and try again the next day, especially if she starts glass dancing in her enclosure. If she's at all digging let her in there. If she's trying to lay eggs you should see her digging in a couple of days.