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[devyn123]

hey i just have a few questions to ask, one is it normal that under my beardie her belly isent black its white but theirs like black circles everywhere is this norman? also is a single UV bulb ideal or should i pirchase one that covers the whole tank? lilly is about 6 months old 18" *with a little bit of a nipped tail* amd weighs 136.6grams as of right now i feed her crickets everyday three times a day 4x a week calcium and every sunday reptile vitamins when do i start not feeding her meat everday and start itroducing more greens i have a plate of greens in their 24/7 but im wonder when i should stop giving her meat everyday and how often i should give her meat thank you in advance

 

[dezismom]

Meat? Her protein should come from live insects; crickets are fine, but it is good to offer a variety--there are good dietary guides on this site. She needs at least 75% live protien, 25% fresh greens/veggies until a year or so old, then gradually shift to the reverse--75% veggies, 23% protein. Every Beardie is a bit different about that, because their growth patterns vary. As long as she is shedding every few weeks, she is in an active growth pattern and needs the higher protein percentage. When her growth slows (sheds only once a month or less) you can begin to encourage her to eat more veggies. But continue to offer them fresh daily, so she gets used to them.

The vitamin schedule looks good; be sure your calcium also has Vit. D in it for metabolizing. I offered my baby the crickets, waxworms, and smaller mealworms (not too many, to avoid impaction) dipped in the calcium/Vit.D. mix every day, and the general reptile vitamin twice a week. (Do not feed anything bigger than the space between her eyes; it can cause a serious bad reaction that is sometimes tragic) I hand fed mine every 4 hours, which was not really neccisary at that age, but He turned out well! In fact, he is now a year and a half old, and quite the big, healthy boy!!

Belly should be white, the spots and circles can be more pronounced depending on the individual, age and also on their state of mind--it is more pronounced when they are excited or under some form of stress. That does not necessarily mean "bad" stress, it could be just excitement. If she has a continuous black beard along with the vivid spots, there is somethimg amiss....

UVB: I prefer the flourescent tube light that runs the full length of vivarium. I use Repti-sun 10 and have been happy with it, but there are other brands out there that are good. All UVB lamps MUST be replaced every six months whether they are still working or not; the UVB becomes less and less, until it is no longer effective even though it puts out bright light. Also, the strength is affected by the closeness of the bulb to the basking spot, whether it is coming through a screen, etc.. Read the posts about lighting to be better informed. UVB is so important!

Another important factor is the temp. at her basking spot: she needs a body temp of around 105* to digest food properly. At her age, I would not let her vivarium go under mid eighties at night, to keep her appetite going strong. Night heating lamp should be blue or black; red is visible to Dragons and disturbs their sleep, which means health problems. If you post a photo of her and her Vivarium set up, we could offer any other suggestions, and we would love to see her! Welcome to the wonderful world of Dragons!

There are lots of great people here who are very friendly,helpful and knowledgeable. We all share a deep commitment to healthy, happy Beardies. I hope yours will give you as much love and joy as mine has given me. I did not know anything about beardies when I got Dezi by default, but I cannot imagine life without Dez, now...he is so affectionate, intelligent, funny, and snuggly! What a surprise! What is your new girls' name?

 

[devyn123]

thats what i meant by meat she gets mostly crickets with horn worms meal worms supers and the occasional wax worm as a treat witha fresh bowl of veggies daily the calcium does yes have vit D in in the baskin temp is 108f hot side 96f cool side 83f nigh temp hovers at 79f-82f i have night blue heat lamp and UTH already on all night to keep temp up i think shes not likig the uvb in the one spot i need to get te full lenght reptisun 1.0. her name is lilly and im trying to figure out how to post pics right now

 

[devyn123]

 

[devyn123]

 

[AHBD]

Here's how to post pics :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/
Then hit XIMG

By the way, did you say she's 18" and weighs 139 grams ?

 

[devyn123]

honestly i have it in my phone that on may 15th she was 18" long but thatnow in my head sounds ridiculous shes not over a foot long yet i cant find a tape measurer at the moment

 

[AHBD]

I see you added the pics. She looks healthy + alert, a tad thin but over all pretty good weight wise. I'm sure you just made a mistake on either her weight or length.

 

[devyn123]

yes and this is her belly

 

[devyn123]

u think thin!! i think shes a fatty ill post a pic of her belly from the top

 

[AHBD]

Not really thin, but on the lean side. Her muscle mass [ legs, tail, etc ] look good. Are you sure Lily is a female ? If you are in the least doubtful, post a few pics from behind with her tail arched up in the air....think of a dog at attention with it's tail arched almost over it's back.

 

[devyn123]

honestly i bought her thinking she was a female but theirs those two bumps i THINK im not sure i cant tell if its two bunps or an indent making it seem ile two bumps pic coming as wee speak

 

[devyn123]

 

[AHBD]

Definite male ...I thought so from the body structure + dark beard.

 

[devyn123]

cool i kinda wished i got a guy after the purchase they get more spikey and scary looking witch i thinks more cute but is the blackness on the bottom normal at a young age