stomach color changes

[cpchampion]

Hi,

I notice that sometimes my beardies stomach is a solid white and sometimes it is darker with dark stripes. Do these color changes have to do with moods or temperatures or what? Thanks.

Cindy

 

[diamc]

It actually has to do with both, temp changes and mood. They turn darker to try to absorb more heat quicker, when they are content, the chest & bellies are much lighter. If they are stressed, in a bad mood or not feeling well, their colors get darker too. Babies tend to get the stress patterns on their chests and bellies until they get adjusted to their new surroundings. How old is your beardie?

 

[cpchampion]

My beardie is about 1 year old. When I put him in his sunroom outside- he climbs the screen and hangs on and his stomach gets dark then. I've noticed that when I hold him and pet him his stomach is light or white. When I get home and he looks mad and I suspect crickets or the cat have irritated him his colors are dark. Sometimes like now he just seems ok and alert and his colors on his stomach are light.

I appreciate you answering my question and I hope I have replied to you correctly. I'm new to this sort of chat.

 

[athenae]

My beardie is about 1 year old. When I put him in his sunroom outside- he climbs the screen and hangs on and his stomach gets dark then. I've noticed that when I hold him and pet him his stomach is light or white. When I get home and he looks mad and I suspect crickets or the cat have irritated him his colors are dark. Sometimes like now he just seems ok and alert and his colors on his stomach are light.

to add to Diane's response, BD's are chameleon like in their ability to change color; sometimes it's a defensive mechanism to blend in with their surroundings [last visit, the vet had on a yellow shirt and when he picked mine up, the dragon got more yellow than i thought he could] -- usually if a male is fanning his beard to be sexy or defensively, the beard gets very much darker than usual.
if your dragon stays very much lighter or darker than usual for a long time, something is probably off with temperature, but what's usual will also depend to some extent on the lighting and on the color of the substrate and rocks he's living with. BTW, i suspect it stresses them to live in an environment that has too much color that they can't blend in with.
athena

 

[cpchampion]

Thanks so much for the information. I'm still learning. I hope to be on this website and chatting more and more, but lately I have had less time due to work.

Cindy