She is digging in the water????

[booboo]

Okay so I have no idea what in the world is going on with her, but she has just started digging in the water?? She has been in the water for about 15 min and she just keeps digging in the water, I have absolutely no idea what in the world she is doing. I have never seen her even try to dig before (mind you i have only had her since saturday) can someone please tell me what she is doing?

thanks Kimberly

 

[diamc]

Hi Kimberly, my first thought is that the water dish is a small one and she is digging hoping she can figure out a way to fit into it. :? Do you bathe her in a container or sink where she can stretch out and totally soak? If not, I'd say she wants a full blown bath.

Any chance that the tank temps are too high and she is trying to stay cool to escape the heat? What are the temps and what type of thermometer are you using to check them? Also, what type UVB are you using?

One more question, is there any chance that she could be gravid?

 

[booboo]

her water dish is actually a small kitty litter pan, so she is actually inside the pan while she is digging in it. I have to replace the dial thermometer with a digital one, however pay day is on friday. the behavior did not start until today, she still gets under the basking area and basks for a while. the tank does sit by the window, and temps (on the dial) do not get over 105 on basking side or over 85 on the cool side. I do have a ceramic heater, but i only use it at night if the temp starts do drop below 75 (which doesn't happen in my room often.

and as far as wether or not she is gravid, i have no idea, i know that when i got her i also got a male with her that she has been housed with, and they are housed together now.

thank you

kimberly

 

[diamc]

Hi Kimberly, actually the dial thermometers can be as much as 20 degrees off so your 105 reading may actually be much higher. What size is the tank and what wattage basking bulb are you using? What about UVB, is it a coil, compact, strip fluorescent or mercury vapor bulb and what is the brand? Just trying to cover all bases.

How old is your female? How is her appetite been and does it look like her belly is any fuller? Had you seen them breed?

 

[booboo]

150w basking bulb (all living things), coil UVB bulb(it is the one you can get at petsmart,I am getting the fixtures to change this) 65gallon tank, as far as mating is concerned, i am not sure what i am looking for exactly, but she bobs her head slowly then he bobs his quickly, then he gets on her back. he stays there for a few then she moves. and she has egg shaped bumps in her belly.

 

[imnotabeardie]

lol sounds like my 2 beardies my female will do a slow motion push up bring her head really low hold it a sec than slowly push up and bring her head really high sometimes while walking around....looks really funny! the male head bangs like hes at a metal show :twisted:
shes probably digging in her water looking for a place to lay eggs see if she starts digging in other places than u know for sure

i also got a male with her that she has been housed with, and they are housed together now.

how do thay react to each other? if there is constant head bopping and chasing and little nips other places than the back of the head behind the ear there is a chance thay are fighting ...my male ended up biting to hard and taking a small chunk out behind her ear so i permanently
separated them also she got so stressed she went to skin and bones! beardies are not social in a friendly way thay are solitary creatures that tend to fight tank mates i and many other ppl would never recommend housing beardies together but it has been done!

 

[booboo]

Most of the time they just lay together basking, she lays on his back alot, or they are side by side and he has one arm on her back like they are cuddling or something. the only time i have seen him nip is when he is on her, and he doesn't do it often, i have only seen it once, and i am watching closely because of the digging. should i put them on sand or a different substrate? as of now they are on reptile carpet, and I have never had a lizzard lay eggs before so i am not sure exactly what to do.

 

[imnotabeardie]

ehhhh my female is on tiles and she lays her eggs fine in all sorts of random spots...i have a poofy blanket she could of somewhat dug and nested in but she didnt
but the only substrate i would ever use if i had to is aspen wood shavings cus unlike sand it can somewhat break down and be digested when she decides to lick the ground don't use cedar or pine shavings thay are harmful and shouldn't be sold as bedding for any creature