pink spot

[rex10]

my beardy is 8 months old,i am still learning ,but he is in good health,except for a pink spot that sits in the middle of one scale on the top of his head.does anybody know if this could mean something is wrong with him.i have read many books and never come across this as a symptom to A beardy problem. :

 

[killzinus]

bearded dragons have a sorta heat sensing organ on the top of their heads sort of like a third eye. that might be what this is.

 

[Gail]

Sounds like you might be describing what is called the third eye, there is a proper term for it but I can't remember what it is. Basically this "eye" helps reptiles sense light and regulate their time in the sun.

Is there any way you can post a pic?

 

[rex10]

wish i could post a pic but not sure how to do it at the moment.will do as soon as.thanks for the info .

 

[nair88]

there is a proper term for it but I can't remember what it is.

it's called the parietal eye

 

[DoubleJ]

ooo never heard of that before. Should we be able to see it? I havent noticed it on my beardie.

 

[nair88]

yes, you should be able to see it - though it is fairly small. i've seen it on falkor, but i don't have a close-up of it. here's a picture of one that i found on google images though.

looking through the various pictures, i don't see any where it looks pink. so i'm not entirely sure that this is what the op is seeing.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

ooo never heard of that before. Should we be able to see it? I havent noticed it on my beardie.

Yes, you should be able to see it. It's usually dead center on top of their head and looks almost like a grey dot.
The parietal eye also helps them to sense shadows going over head, such as a predator. This is why when picking up your dragon they say to come from the front and not overhead, so that you don't scare or startle them.

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

Good job with the pic Aaron :wink:

 

[DoubleJ]

Wow thank you! Lol I am totally amazed at how much benefit I am getting from being on this forum. I have a notebook that is very quickly filling up with suggestions and beardie facts.

Thank you all (again) :mrgreen:

 

[rex10]

Thanks loads for the pic ,i feel so much better now,its exactly the same,xits great being able to chat to other beardy owners . another thing i keep coming up against is the calcium sand he has in his tank,the guy in the pet shop i got him said no wood chippings :? just sand.but iv reacently read online that sand can cause impaction and shouldnt be in the tank,does anyone no what i should do.

 

[DoubleJ]

They say calci sand is digestible, but it isn't. I used play sand when I first got my beardie but quickly moved her onto paper towels. newspaper works as long as its the non-toxic type (have no idea how to check that though). Slate tiles are the best as they help to keep beardies nails from getting to long/sharp.

 

[rex10]

thanks for the info on sand.not heard about putting slate in the tank but makes sense. reacently when i get rex out he will just snuggle in to me and go to sleep,iv started cuddling him up in a blanket to make sure he is warm enough,and he will sleep on me for a good few hours,i can do anything and he wont wake up,he loves it,but he never sleeps in his tank,he has got a dark spot ,a cave he can go into but he doesnt use it,i hope im not making mistakes with his lighting,im following the pet shop mans advice but not sure what to beleive anymore.he seems healthy,happy,lively so thats good.but he used to run around when he would come out.iv heard about a type of hybernation they go into. :shock: again i heard this online,so if anyone can shed light on this that would be great. :study: no pun intended :lol:

 

[DoubleJ]

He's a little too young for brumating (the beardies version of hibernating) I think, but I may be wrong. What setup do you have?

The recommended (on here by experts not petshops) is to have the basking spot at 100 - 115f (depending on age of beardie and beardies preference). The cool end somewhere between 75 and 85f. The uvb should be a reptisun 10 tube (not bulb) Your beardie should be able to get within 6-8 inches of the uvb tube and 12inches from the basking spot (I think). use a digital thermometer not a stick on one as they can be out by almost 20 degrees sometimes. I also use a thermostat to control the temps.

Dont use coloured bulbs. Beardies need the bright white light from the basking light to protect their eyes from the uvb.

Hope that helps a little. I am sure I have missed heaps and others will chime in with advice.

 

[rex10]

thanks again for your advice jojo,seems again my set up is fine other than having sand in his tank,i think he just likes a cuddle when he comes out. :wink: he's been a bit naughty today thought he'd have a poo on my bed , cant wait to post pics,there lovely arent they ,beardies.