At least I am hoping this behavior is tied to her shedding. The last two days, Sam has had very little appetite. She will only eat a few small mealies or crix and won't touch her salad or wax worms. She also is displaying very dark stress marks on her belly and a blackening beard. She has also been sleeping alot. I know she is too young for it to be brumation. (she is only about 3 1/2 months and about 12 inches from tip of her nose to tip of her tail.) She has been pooping like normal.
The shed I am noticing is on the base of her tail. Could this behavior be from her shed?
I did notice her eating more small crix this morning.
I was just going to ask this. I just discovered it closing one eye more than usualy lately, and this evening found a buildup of old skin. I gently removed it. I bet the baths and the fact that he's grown a half inch since newyears and is visably plumper means a shed is due. He hasn't shed since nov/early dec when I got him and displayed low appetite then that i thought was relocation stress (for a week?).
Whats the interval for sheds on average for young ones? mine is nearly 10 inch total.
At least I am hoping this behavior is tied to her shedding. The last two days, Sam has had very little appetite. She will only eat a few small mealies or crix and won't touch her salad or wax worms. She also is displaying very dark stress marks on her belly and a blackening beard. She has also been sleeping alot. I know she is too young for it to be brumation. (she is only about 3 1/2 months and about 12 inches from tip of her nose to tip of her tail.) She has been pooping like normal.
The shed I am noticing is on the base of her tail. Could this behavior be from her shed?
I did notice her eating more small crix this morning.
Alot of dragons get grumpy during a shed but I wouldn't expect stress marks, blackbearding, lack of appetite and sleeping just from a tail shed...Mine were in almost constant shedding from 3-5 months and they didn't have all of those signs..Can you go over your setup. Tank size, substrate, temps, UVB, do you have a digital thermometer....I think she's too small and too young to brumate.
I was just going to ask this. I just discovered it closing one eye more than usualy lately, and this evening found a buildup of old skin. I gently removed it. I bet the baths and the fact that he's grown a half inch since newyears and is visably plumper means a shed is due. He hasn't shed since nov/early dec when I got him and displayed low appetite then that i thought was relocation stress (for a week?).
Whats the interval for sheds on average for young ones? mine is nearly 10 inch total.
Mine shed in parts; tail then legs then head then body. Sometimes that woud be alittle different but that was the normal pattern. He grew from 7" to 19" in just over 5 months so he would shed, stay like that for a few days to a week then start all over. It got slower the larger he got. Now he hasn't shed since September but he's only grown abt 1/4".
The eye issue is most likely caused from the wrong UVB. Have you introduced yourself intros? Rather than steal this thread go there and list your setup.
A lot of dragons get grumpy during a shed but I wouldn't expect stress marks, blackbearding, lack of appetite and sleeping just from a tail shed...Mine were in almost constant shedding from 3-5 months and they didn't have all of those signs..Can you go over your setup. Tank size, substrate, temps, UVB, do you have a digital thermometer....I think she's too small and too young to brumate.
Tank Size: 40 gal breeder
Substrate: Paper Towel
Temps: Warm side - 95 to 102, Cold side - 75-85
UV: Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB Bulb 24 inch - (18 Watt - T8)
I am using a digital therm with a probe.
I noticed this morning that she is starting to shed elsewhere.
Well, Sam was acting/eating normal for a few days, but now she is back to little appetite. Could it have something to do with me trying to switch her to a different feeder? I have been giving her wax worms along with her salad and crix. (And by salad, I mean romaine. I can't get her to eat anything else)
Could her lack of appetite be caused by it the wax worms? Could they be taking longer for her body to digest?
I did give her a bath last night while I cleaned out her tank. The stress marks that have been present off and on were there before the bath, but went away with the bath. After I dried her and put her back in her tank, I put about 15 calcium dusted crix in with her romaine and she started chasing them.
I am perplexed! Is this just normal beardie behavior or should I be rightly concerned? Just when I think I am starting to get the hang of things, lol
Sam is still in the process of shedding. I gave her a bath last night. Afterwords, I had her bundled in a towel to dry. She actually fell asleep in the towel on my chest! :love5: This is the first time she has "snuggled" with me!