Size and skin questions

[Ashlet007]

My beardie, Eragon, is a little over two years old and he seems to be smaller than he should (about 9 to 10 inches I'd say).I honestly do not know how big he should be. I've heard that adult beardies should be anywhere from 12inches to 15 inches long. my other bearded dragon, Cicero, was about 13 inches.

Plus, his skin seems very tough. It's been that way since I got him. I'm just concerned that they're could be something wrong with him. But, he's very active and eats and drinks a lot. When ever I put food or water in his tank he goes right after it. Should I be worried?

Any thoughts?

 

[chels1983]

Yeah, that is smaller than he should be.

Do you mind answering these questions so that we can help you better?

How old is your dragon?
How long have you had your dragon?
How long is your dragon?
What is the sex of your dragon?
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in?
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank?
Do you use UVB lights?
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb?
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)?
How old is your UVB bulb?
How close can your dragon get to the UVB?
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage?
What are the basking temps?
What is the cool side temp?
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun?
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps?
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad?
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific.
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)?
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc?
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them?
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)?
Do you bath your dragon? How often?
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath?
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon?
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done?

 

[Ashlet007]

How old is your dragon? 2 years old
How long have you had your dragon? 2 years
How long is your dragon? I've haven't measured him, but I'd guess 9 to 10 inches long
What is the sex of your dragon? Male
What size enclosure do you have your dragon in? 35 gal. tank
What type substrate do you have on the bottom of your tank? Calci Sand
Do you use UVB lights? Yes
If so, Is it a coil, compact, fluorescent tube, or Mercury Vapor bulb? tube
What is the brand name and number of your bulb? Wattage (if MVB)? 150 Watt
How old is your UVB bulb? A month old at most
How close can your dragon get to the UVB? Very close. He likes being close to his light
Do you use a separate basking bulb? What kind and what is the wattage? No
What are the basking temps? It's usually around 105 degrees
What is the cool side temp? In the 60s
Do you take the temps with a stick on thermometer, a digital thermometer with a wire and a probe end or a temp gun? thermometer
Where exactly are you taking your basking temps? near the top of the tank
Do you use a heat rock or heat pad? No ( I heard those could be dangerous)
What do you feed your dragon? Please be specific. Crickets (the freeze dried and live), bananas, grapes, lettuce
How often do you feed and what time do you feed (morning, afternoon, night)? I try to feed him three times a day, but I always leave a tiny bowl of 'kibble' in his tank.
Do you gutload (feed) your crickets, worms, etc? Yes
Do you use vitamin or calcium supplements? What brand(s)? How many days a week do you use each of them? I have a vitamin D and calcium supplement. Plus, an electrolyte supplement. I use Fluckers
Is your dragon having regular bowel movements (poops)? Yes
Do you bath your dragon? How often? Yes. He loves water. About twice a week
Do you mist your dragon or offer water other than in the bath? He has a bowl of water in his tank at all times
Does your dragon share an enclosure with another dragon? No
Have you gotten a vet check and fecal done? No

 

[chels1983]

Calci Sand is dangerous for bearded dragons and can cause impaction. They tend to taste things a lot, and can accidentally ingest it. I would recommend putting him on either non-stick shelf liner or tile.

Do you know the brand and type of UV bulb? ReptiSun 10 is probably the best tube; unfortunately, a lot of the types you find in pet stores aren't very good. Do you have a tube and MVB? I couldnt tell from the post.

Lettuce isn't really good for them, it's better to feed something like Mustard or Turnip Greens as a staple with fruits and veggies mixed in. Here is a really good site with foods recommended for your beardie with nutrition info http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

When you say 9 or 10 inches, is that including the tail?

 

[Ashlet007]

Yes, including the tail he's about 9 to 10 inches. When I go back home (I'm currently at college dorm), I'll get the exact measurements

Acutally, I was just reading about Calci Sand and how bad it can be for them. I'll make sure to change that right away.

 

[protiemama]

You should measure the temps ON his basking spot, not the air temps. If you are using a stick on thermometer it can be off by 20 degrees. A digital with a probe on the end will give you the best temps. If your temps are correct, thebasking at 105 is perfect, but 60 is a bit cool. The cool side should be closer to 80.
I agree about the sand, glad you are going to fix that. I was a bit confused about the lighting too. Thought I was just too tired. :lol: He is very small, but some are. Could you post a picture of him? And one of his home, too? A picture will give us a good idea of his looks and general health. (Plus, we all just love picts.)

Sandy H