Bearded Dragon closing eyes and hiding lots

Jimmy Bottlehead

Hey all.

Got a wee bearded dragon about a week ago, he's around 10 weeks old. Got him from Reptile Haven, Ben was very very helpful, so big thumbs up there.

However, the poor wee fella is shedding at the moment, and has begun acting a bit oddly. I've made a little hidey box in his vivarium for him, just an open ended box he can lie in or on if he wants. But the past day or two, he's been lying in there most of the time, and keeping one or both eyes closed a lot too.

As part of the package, I got the Repti-Glo 10.0 UVB lamp, but I've since read online that there are questions about whether this light is too harsh for reptiles.

Can anyone shed any light on why he's acting like this? (pun not intended!)

aboutimeilogin!

uv is grand! just a few qs.
did you ask what the shop photo period was?
there is also the complete change in set-up.
feeding habits, public handling compared to your handling.
food delivery, how and what you offer,
shedding does change behaviour like you mentioned but leave it at that.
10 weeks old can mean alot to where the bd comes from,
growth,bullying,stunting the list goes on.
group holding,retail,private breeder, muppet etc
being on his own, basking light temps,viv type and size,
so many qs to ask.
hope he's grand.
google "juvenile bearded dragon care" for more info.
and dont wait too long to go back if yer not happy with him!

feelpablo

things i would check in the viv are the temps at both the hot and cool end and make sure they are ok, check the humidity also.

I have my first beardie and hes about 15-16 wks now and hes doin great all though i had similar problems when i brought him home first...

like the previous poster said moving bearded dragons from one enviroment to another does unsettle them slightly and it took my fella a week to really settle at all....

and do your best to handle him every day if possible, that way they learn to trust you and become a brilliant pet.

Bless You

feelpablo wrote: »

things i would check in the viv are the temps at both the hot and cool end and make sure they are ok, check the humidity also.

I have my first beardie and hes about 15-16 wks now and hes doin great all though i had similar problems when i brought him home first...

like the previous poster said moving bearded dragons from one enviroment to another does unsettle them slightly and it took my fella a week to really settle at all....

and do your best to handle him every day if possible, that way they learn to trust you and become a brilliant pet.

This is where my problem lies and I really hope someone can help me here. About two weeks ago i built a new tank for my Beardie, Doyle, and moved him in. He seemed ok with all the new space but now is constantly clawing at the glass which he didn't do in the smaller tank. He will scrape and scrape and try to climb the glass. To try address this I lowered the wattage in his basking bulb (from 150 to 100 watts) and built a hide which he took to immediately. Lately when I go to pick him up he will flare and you see the beard going dark and last night he rolled the tongue and went to bite me!! There have been some signs of shedding, especially around the mouth so maybe that plus the tank being too hot has left him sensitive but I hate to think he's so upset that he won't even let us touch him any more. Can somebody please advise?

feelpablo

Im no expert on the matter but mojo wasnt to keen on me picking him up for the first while so what i would do is put my hand in the tank and lay it on the ground beside him and tap the and with my fingers to get his attention.... he usually just walks up onto it now!!

or you could try hand feeding him some veg or mealworms, this works a treat for beardies trust....either just hold some between your fingers and approach or put it in the middle of your hand and wait till he climbs on!!

hope this helps

Bless You

Class, thanks a million. Will give it a go this evening. My other half thinks he's gone a bit mad with the heat but maybe we just need to build up the touching thing from scratch again. Cheers anyways.

feelpablo

No problem at all, let us know how ya get on with him...

oh and meant to say that i always found that the glass walking is my guys way of letting me know he wants out for a wee while

Thibor

Does he still close his eyes a lot?
I see you're using a Repti-Glo 10, these are not very good for beardies and have been known to damage the eyes.
Repti-Sun 10 is the better one to use.
I've had beardies for a couple of years now, and never had eye issues with the Repti-Sun 10

Jimmy Bottlehead

Thibor wrote: »

Does he still close his eyes a lot?
I see you're using a Repti-Glo 10, these are not very good for beardies and have been known to damage the eyes.
Repti-Sun 10 is the better one to use.
I've had beardies for a couple of years now, and never had eye issues with the Repti-Sun 10

He still does alright, I'm not sure if its just him closing one eye to focus though? I'm going to get a repti-sun when the repti-glo needs to be replaced though, and see if it changes things.

Thibor

It's recommended that you change uv lights every 6 months.
It could be a reaction to the amt of uvb from the Repti-glo, you'll find out quick enough after you change bulbs though