New (& concerned) owner of a baby beardie, Drago

[vrjrww626]

My two eight year olds have been begging for a bearded dragon for years, and they finally got one. We bought the very small beardie 2 1/2 weeks ago and had his setup all ready to go (at least I think it's good). Drago seems very alert and is having a bowel movement daily, but he stays on his basking rock almost all of the time and is not eating much. He will eat some turnip greens out of my hand, but he doesn't seem to care about the crickets. I've tried putting the crickets in his enclosure, taking him out and putting crickets in a small tub with him, etc. but some days I don't know if he eats any. Here's a pic of the cute little fella and his setup. I've read a decent amount of the forums and hopefully it's just him getting setlled in.

 

[CooperDragon]

He looks good but is still a little guy and may be a bit unsettled in his new home yet. Keep offering the food and give him time to run around and explore and settle in. If the temps and lighting are correct he should be OK. You may want to try offering a different bug. Try some Phoenix Worms or some silk worms and see if he'll go for those. Sometimes they can be stubborn and hold out for a preferred feeder. If he lets you handle him, I'd also take him out and weigh him regularly using a kitchen scale. If you keep track of his weight in grams it makes it easier to track his growth and detect possible issues that would be indicated by a drop in weight.

 

[vrjrww626]

I've actually already placed an order for Phoenix Worms, so I'm hoping he'll enjoy those when they come in. As far as handling a 6 inch baby, he lets us hold him, but I'm worried about him jumping and running into a toy bin or something where I can't find him. What do you recommend for holding and "playing" with a baby?

 

[CooperDragon]

The little ones like to explore so I try to let them as much as can be done safely. They like to jump so keep a close eye on him when he's out and provide him with a space to explore that doesn't have anything heavy that can fall on him, other pets, or any areas that he can climb and jump off of (more than a few inches) and get hurt. Supervise him closely until you learn where he likes to go and hide.

 

[vrjrww626]

Can you give me a suggestion as to what kind of container to put the Phoenix Worms in to feed to him in his enclosure. I had a small feeding dish, but the worms are really good at climbing out of that

 

[CooperDragon]

Try a curved dish like this one http://www.petco.com/product/111699/Lees-Mealworm-Dish.aspx