Hey guys. I am a new beardie daddy, so forgive me if this question has been answered a million times, or belongs in a different category. If it does belong in a different category, please put it there, and sorry in advance.
I'm not entirely sure about his age, but my little guy(?) Benedict is about 8" from tip to tip. I have him in a 30 gallon terrarium with a Reptisun 10.0 fluorescent, a basking spot temperature of between 100-110 degrees with a gradient down to 80-85 degrees on the cool side.
He has been doing really well so far, eating plenty and shedding(the shedding made him kinda grumpy). But today, I fed him his breakfast of Collard Greens and dusted crickets and he wouldn't eat any of it. He took a couple half-hearted shots at the crickets, then ignored them. I also noticed he hasn't pooped in a couple days. He is being far more active than usual: glass surfing and running around more than normal(he usually spends a good bit of the day basking). I tried to pick him up, and he wasn't having it at all. He didn't get aggressive, but clearly didn't want to be held.
Being new to this, I have looked to this page for a lot of knowledge on the topic. So, am I being paranoid? I feel like I am(I'm a bit of a worry wart), but I wanted to get advice from the more experienced.
Welcome to the forum. Sometimes they can get into moods that put them off food for a bit or make them a bit more aggressive than usual. It's often due to either a shed that's bothering them or hormones depending on age. Keep an eye on his weight to ensure it isn't dropping but otherwise just keep offering food and try to wait him out. More often than not they return to normal behavior in a week or two.
CooperDragon,
Thank you for the welcome! By later that day he had pooped(not the most adult term, but he's my baby, so I'm sticking with it lol!) and the next morning he was eating again like normal. In fact, he ate quite a bit. He is just finishing up his first shed while in my care. I have only had him since a couple days before Christmas, so all of these behaviors are new to me. His weight is going up steadily, his appetite is good, he's active, and his "droppings" look healthy and well digested. He isn't super keen on being held at this point, but he happily takes greens by hand feeding. I have a larger tank in the works for him, and I will be documenting that in a series of posts in the appropriate category.
Thank you for your knowledge. My girlfriend and I(She got a beardie the same day I did) have been looking to these forums consistently for advice and information. You guys and ladies are great!
If you want to see Benedict, I post Instagram videos of him every day. Just message me and I will give anyone interested my user name.
Thanks again!