Hey guys! A while back I had a dragon issue where Avery wasn't digesting fruits and veggies very well. I made sure the temps were fine, cut pieces up a little smaller, made sure he was well hydrated, and I'm working on getting a 10 UVB instead of the 5 that his viv came with (Pfft, Petsmart :bleick: ), and he's doing a lot better!
I did notice recently after a 4-day absence from home, that upon coming in he was sitting in his basking spot with a black beard and very black markings. I know that they get darker in color when trying to warm up, but what got me confused is that once I picked him up (no aggression at all, despite the black beard) and took him out of the viv, he toned down back to his normal colour again. It was definitely warmer in the tank than out. I also noticed when I first picked him up that he had stress marks darker than I've ever seen them, but within 2 minutes of holding him they were totally gone.
I put him back in the viv so I could eat dinner, and when I took him out again because I like to give him lots of running time when I've been away a while, his dark colour and stress marks were back. They faded once I let him chill in my hand for a while and he got some love and petting.
I know the temperatures aren't a problem (always between 95-105 for basking, usually between 80-85 on the cooler side), and he just recently shed all the scales on his head/face & beard so he's not just grumpy from that, so I'm wondering if maybe he just got cabin fever because he wasn't running around outside the viv as much as he was used to? I'm very new to the reptile world, so I'm still learning, and especially Avery's specific little quirks. He's a character!
Just curious of you guys think he just felt too cooped up, or maybe he just wanted to be held? I don't even know if separation anxiety in beardies is real, lol, but he is definitely very docile and loving, especially for having been running wild outside for who even knows how long. As someone who had only mammals all 22 years of my life, I quickly learned that dragons have personalities just as real as the more expressive pets, so nothing would surprise me, haha!
I did notice recently after a 4-day absence from home, that upon coming in he was sitting in his basking spot with a black beard and very black markings. I know that they get darker in color when trying to warm up, but what got me confused is that once I picked him up (no aggression at all, despite the black beard) and took him out of the viv, he toned down back to his normal colour again. It was definitely warmer in the tank than out. I also noticed when I first picked him up that he had stress marks darker than I've ever seen them, but within 2 minutes of holding him they were totally gone.
I put him back in the viv so I could eat dinner, and when I took him out again because I like to give him lots of running time when I've been away a while, his dark colour and stress marks were back. They faded once I let him chill in my hand for a while and he got some love and petting.
I know the temperatures aren't a problem (always between 95-105 for basking, usually between 80-85 on the cooler side), and he just recently shed all the scales on his head/face & beard so he's not just grumpy from that, so I'm wondering if maybe he just got cabin fever because he wasn't running around outside the viv as much as he was used to? I'm very new to the reptile world, so I'm still learning, and especially Avery's specific little quirks. He's a character!
Just curious of you guys think he just felt too cooped up, or maybe he just wanted to be held? I don't even know if separation anxiety in beardies is real, lol, but he is definitely very docile and loving, especially for having been running wild outside for who even knows how long. As someone who had only mammals all 22 years of my life, I quickly learned that dragons have personalities just as real as the more expressive pets, so nothing would surprise me, haha!
