My little late bloomer

[Joe9216]

My little late bloomer is not growing much. Her clutch-mate has been growing like a weed, but she is still quite small compared to her sister. They both get fed separately and reciece food till they won't take any more. Is the size difference something I should worry myself about at this time?

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[Brezzy99]

Are you housing them together? It's best to have them in separate tanks. If they are housed together then it's possible the larger one is bullying the smaller one.

 

[Joe9216]

They are togetherfor now, but will be sseparated as soon as can get another Viv. The bigger one used to be the one getting bullied when they were hatchlings that is how the big one lost the tip of her tail. But now all the time that I am viewing Them, i don't see any bullying going on.

 

[Taterbug]

Glad to hear you will be separating them, they are both very cute It may not be related to cohabbing but it's difficult to rule out other causes of her slow growth with another lizard living with her.

You may not see obvious bullying but animals can have subtle behaviors that we may not notice. Once dominance is established, all it may need to be is body posture, eye contact or just the simple presence of the dominant lizard. It's good they are fed separate but they can still be competing for other resources (best basking spot, best sleepig spot, best view, space) and the submissive lizard can end up in a long term state of stress from her roommate.

 

[DragonsForBreakfast]

Keep an eye on her activity level, any weight change, and appetite.
My beardie is a runty runt but he runs around and eats and everything, so I don't worry.

 

[MamaTater]

I had this exact same issue with Stella and Stanley. Stan is twice Stella's size, easy. I think she got a little (ok, more than a little) insecure with him in her tank. I separated them just as soon as I could. They both exploded growth-wise and Stella's demeanor has changed. She's no longer in his shadow and I believe they're both so much happier. It took a few wks but she's her own dragon and it's very fulfilling to be able to give her what she needs.
Yours are SO darling! So cute