Worried about my berdie's tail darker then the rest of body

[Prettyboyloafer]

I am wondering about my dragon's tail being darker then his body. I've read that it can be either his tail is naturally darker, his tail can be dark due to stress, or it can be dark due to tail rot. Can someone please help to assist me on what it can be?

 

[Claudiusx]

It looks just like natural coloration to me. Is your dragon a hypo by chance?

-Brandon

 

[KarrieRee]

Causes of tail rot are:
1. Injuries/trauma - caused by falls, or by any other bearded dragon.

2. Malnourished - make sure he has a balanced diet and he gets the nourishment he needs

How to identify tail rot:
1. Dried out - Decaying tail won't be able to retain moisture, check if it's dried out completely.

2. Very thin, brittle - Decaying tail won't be able to process nourishment, causing it to become more thin and brittle.

What to do after finding out it has a tail rot:
1. Go to a vet - very recommended

To me it looks like shed but here is some info on tail rot
Karrie

 

[Prettyboyloafer]

It looks just like natural coloration to me. Is your dragon a hypo by chance?

-Brandon

Im not sure if he is a hypo. How would I be able to tell? When i got him from Petco about 6 weeks ago they were not able to give me any info on him like what kind is he, if he is a male or female, or how old he was.

 

[Prettyboyloafer]

Causes of tail rot are:
1. Injuries/trauma - caused by falls, or by any other bearded dragon.

2. Malnourished - make sure he has a balanced diet and he gets the nourishment he needs

How to identify tail rot:
1. Dried out - Decaying tail won't be able to retain moisture, check if it's dried out completely.

2. Very thin, brittle - Decaying tail won't be able to process nourishment, causing it to become more thin and brittle.

What to do after finding out it has a tail rot:
1. Go to a vet - very recommended

To me it looks like shed but here is some info on tail rot
Karrie

Thank you. So far it does not look dried out to me. He eats very good. He will have about 20-30 dubia roaches twice a day and he eats collard greens daily. The one thing i am worried about is that his tail just shedded about 2 days ago

 

[Claudiusx]

Do his nails have any color to them or are they clear? If you post a picture up we can tell. But make sure it focuses and is a close up of the nails.

I only ask because I've noticed with mine, that their tail gets darker when they are "alert" and exploring the room or the house. It seems to be even more prominent on hypos. My girl Moros tail gets dark just like that when I bring her out. It always goes back to the white that she is when shes done exploring.

But, all that's just to say it's normal, and that's what I meant by normal coloration

 

[Prettyboyloafer]

Do his nails have any color to them or are they clear? If you post a picture up we can tell. But make sure it focuses and is a close up of the nails.

I only ask because I've noticed with mine, that their tail gets darker when they are "alert" and exploring the room or the house. It seems to be even more prominent on hypos. My girl Moros tail gets dark just like that when I bring her out. It always goes back to the white that she is when shes done exploring.

But, all that's just to say it's normal, and that's what I meant by normal coloration

I will take a close up picture when I get home thank you for your help. And that would make sense if that is the case. To give you a little info.. I got him from Petco about 6 weeks ago. The employee had me buy a 10 gallon tank for reptiles. After looking online I seen that the minimum should be a 20 gallon for that size which he was about 6 and a half inches then. So i bought a 40 gallon tank that I put him in a week ago. He is now about 11 inches or so. Since then he is now nervous and tries to run away when i get close to him. He does puff his beard and open his mouth at me at times when i try to touch him. When he does this I either put collard greens in his mouth or use his spray bottle to mist water on him and it usually calms him down for me to pet or hold him. I figure it is relocation stress and I do hope he gets over that soon since its been a week in the new tank now. So maybe the tail is from still exploring his new tank. Here is what his set up looks like.

 

[Prettyboyloafer]

Do his nails have any color to them or are they clear? If you post a picture up we can tell. But make sure it focuses and is a close up of the nails.

I only ask because I've noticed with mine, that their tail gets darker when they are "alert" and exploring the room or the house. It seems to be even more prominent on hypos. My girl Moros tail gets dark just like that when I bring her out. It always goes back to the white that she is when shes done exploring.

But, all that's just to say it's normal, and that's what I meant by normal coloration

Here is a close up of his nails and eyes

 

[Claudiusx]

Yup he is a hypo
And that lines up with what I've seen in some of my hypos too.

Well at least you have a bit more info about your guy now

-Brandon

 

[Prettyboyloafer]

Yup he is a hypo
And that lines up with what I've seen in some of my hypos too.

Well at least you have a bit more info about your guy now

-Brandon

Thanks Brandon. I appreciate the help and definitely feel better about his tail

 

[Claudiusx]

You're welcome
It's normal to worry! Shows you care.

-Brandon

 

[Claudiusx]

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