Slow growth or just a runt?

[DragonJosh]

I have a male beardie that was hatched July 7th. I'll get an exact measurement later, but he is around 8" I'm guessing and small overall. I just got another beardie, a female, and she was hatched a little over a month later (August 15th) and is 10.5" and bigger! Do some beardies just grow at different rates? I'll try to get pics later too.

 

[fez09]

Some of it has to do with genetics but alot has to do with husbandry and diet... How much is your little guy eating? What type of UVB do you have? I have a baby that was hatched 09/10/10 and is 8 inches...

 

[DragonJosh]

Some of it has to do with genetics but alot has to do with husbandry and diet... How much is your little guy eating? What type of UVB do you have? I have a baby that was hatched 09/10/10 and is 8 inches...

I received him November 9th so I haven't even had him a month. I have a Reptisun 10.0 and he eats collard greens (available daily), and I feed him fly larvae that I dust appropriately with multis/calcium. He eats like 10+ of them and eating more everyday it seems. Also given water (dropped on his nose while handled) daily, and bathed 2 times a week.

 

[jeritta]

I agree with Fez alot of it can be genetic. I have a 5 month old that is 12 inch and 110 gram then we have one that was born on 9/10 and has no tail that is a little over 8 inches and 60 grams. So he is almost at 3 months as big as the 5 month old.
fly larvae? reptiworms? 10 just doesn't seem like many at all. Our 3 month old eats 2 hornworms, 2 butterworms, 10-20 dubia plus a salad every morning and then 10-15 more dubia every evening.

 

[fez09]

Do you offer him more worms? Try feeding him twice per day and let him eat as many as he wants.

 

[DragonsNDoodles]

Like the two posts above me say, try offering more food. Also, is he housed with another dragon? If so, the other dragon could be eating all the food or stressing him into a submissive status where the stress stunts his growth.

Although feeder insects are very expensive, as responsible beardie owners we have to offer as many as the babies want to eat so they grow fat and happy!