Question About new baby beardie

[WarsawRiddler]

I am new to owning bearded dragons, so everything that they do i question if its good or bad. But this i am a bit stumped on.

In the morning, his lights turn on before i wake up so he can warm up. By the time im up he is ready to be fed, so i give him a fresh salad and after i eat breakfast i go back and feed him live feeders. Right now its cut up mealworms due to running out of crickets and i figure if i cut the mealworms up they wont be as bad as eating them whole. (I have a bulk order of crickets on the way ) I leave for work and come back after a few hours and he is laying down and looks lethargic with his stress marks showing. But when i come home and stay home for awhile, in the same room his stress marks go away and he is always keeping an eye on me.

i dont understand why he does this but i have a few thoughts maybe you can help me confirm.

First off, his color is getting dull, and i think that a shed is coming on. I have read that this makes them act different. I have been giving him baths every other day, to maybe help speed up the process of this is what is oncoming.

second, Maybe he just enjoys my presence? But he absolutely doesn't like me holding him. so Im trying to get him used to being handled.

Maybe there is another reason? maybe the mealworm do not set will with him, because he never acted this way before when he was fed crickets.

Any input with be greatly appreciated!

 

[AHBD]

It probably has to do with the mealworms. I used to breed mealworms and had a colony for about 5 years, I used them when food ran low,[ cricket delivery was delayed or doa due to weather], and sometimes for a stubborn eater, I would use the fresh shed mealies. They are hard to digest for little dragons especially.....how big is your beardie ? If you hadn't cut them up, he may have even vomited them back up. So, hopefully your crickets will arrive soon and things will be back to normal.

 

[WarsawRiddler]

Thats the reason im using them, and im glad i ordered the mealworms along with my first bulk order of crickets or i would be making some expensive trips to the closest pet store which is 45 miles away. The crickets just arrived as im typing this, im giving them about an hour or so to get a little of the gutload in them before dusting them and feeding my dragon. My dragon is roughly 8in tip of nose to end of tail. Still a youngster, and thats why i figured the mealworms were giving him problems even though i was giving him the softest ones i could find.