bearded dragon growth rate difference

[anghan]

I have 2 beardies that are both the same age. One was a little bigger than the other when I got them (4 weeks ago) but now there is a massive size difference. The smaller one is eating, but seems to wait until the other one is full before starting to eat, so presumably it's a dominance issue.

Is the size difference a problem given that they are both eating? I have the option of keeping them in separate enclosures during the week but they would have to share at weekends and school holidays...

I'd be grateful for any feedback.

 

[mcloughlin2]

Dude thats some crazy size difference. Perhaps the smaller one was just a runt of the batch?

I'd suggest you start feeding the little guy in a seperate enclosure. Feed him a few times a day otherwise his growth will be permanantly stunted.

 

[Tirilia]

... Have you considered that maybe the little one isnt a bearded dragon at all..?

It could even be a pygmy bearded dragon!

My bfs two are still about that size even though they are almost 6 months old!

Im not certain, it could be just about any reason.. but thats my guess! If Im right, youre very lucky, pygmy bearded dragons (or Henry Lawsoni) are about $130-$150 each and look very similar to baby bearded dragons, you never know, maybe one got mixed up with the bearded dragon cage?

 

[Duke]

That's definitely from different feeding patterns. I started to witness it myself in my dragons, but made sure the smaller one got extra to eat. Now they're both the same size.

 

[mcloughlin2]

... Have you considered that maybe the little one isnt a bearded dragon at all..?

It could even be a pygmy bearded dragon!

My bfs two are still about that size even though they are almost 6 months old!

Im not certain, it could be just about any reason.. but thats my guess! If Im right, youre very lucky, pygmy bearded dragons (or Henry Lawsoni) are about $130-$150 each and look very similar to baby bearded dragons, you never know, maybe one got mixed up with the bearded dragon cage?

Even if it was a henrylawsonii or minor it would still fall under the class as a bearded dragon :lol:

It just looks a runt bearded. Feed it more and see if you can get it to catch up to the other one. Also keep the heat up this winter because if it brumates it may well die.

 

[Tirilia]

Sorry McLoughlin, I didnt actually mean not a bearded dragon, I was referring to it not being a "normal sized one"

Poor little thing, but like I said, I could very easily be wrong, I just thought it looked like my bf's two.

 

[croc_hunter_penny]

mine are doing the same thing,

i feed them individually at least once a day and leave food in there throughout the day. maybe it is just a domination thing.

I have separated them as of yesterday to see if this will make a difference.

 

[buttss66]

hey my two beardies look alot like that too! Infact exactly like pic above. One of mine eats as many as 60 med crickets a day and is hungry all the time. The other one is only eating about 25 but shows no fear of the bigger one. I tweezer feed one to peru then one to theodore etc. Theo ( small one) always loses interest first and runs away while peru just keeps stuffing his face! I dont know if they are male or female. Dont know if that makes a difference.

 

[Aslan]

It is a dominance issue...

Seperate them, the little one should not even be able to see the larger one or it wont start eating well...

With such a size difference I am surprised the smaller one has not been killed yet - he is starting to look like a bite-sized dragon...

The quicker they are seperated the sooner he will start growing and not looking like a meal to the other...

 

[Jewly]

My two are quite different in size as well but apparently they came from the same clutch.

 

[venus]

I have 2 beardies that are both the same age. One was a little bigger than the other when I got them (4 weeks ago) but now there is a massive size difference. The smaller one is eating, but seems to wait until the other one is full before starting to eat, so presumably it's a dominance issue.

Is the size difference a problem given that they are both eating? I have the option of keeping them in separate enclosures during the week but they would have to share at weekends and school holidays...

I'd be grateful for any feedback.

Are you sure they are from the same clutch? How old are they supposed to be?

I would definitely separate them, if the little one is waiting for the big one to eat, then he is obviously stressed and wont thrive, as the bigger one is getting all the food, the best basking spots probably as well.

Are they kept somewhere different on weekends and school holidays? :?

I thought beardies had to be kept at the address to where they are licenced.

 

[Vincent21]

Maybe the smaller one hasn't gotten it's growth spurt yet.

 

[croc_hunter_penny]

Just a little update, I have noticed the smaller one eating heaps more since being separated yesterday.

When they lived in the same enclosure the smaller one would sit in the corner a lot of the time instead of under the heat lamp, and usually wouldn't come running when I offered food or even if a cricket ran past, until I took the bigger beardie out.
Now that it is on its own, the small one smashed every cricket as soon as it landed in the enclosure, ate plenty of salad and is wandering around looking for more.

This to me is a definite positive sign, hopefully in the future when they are both the same size and a bit older I can house them together again. In the mean time I am just glad he is munching like a champ

 

[falconboy]

Yes agreed that its a dominance thing (the fact that its been eating when apart shows this), but I experienced the same with one of mine. Removed it when I was doing some swapping to get my horny male in another enclosure to do the deed with the other females but didn't want my little one getting attacked or, um, forced into something she was too little for and as a consequence she is now much closer to their size, and even though is back with the originals is eating well (not at the moment though as they are all brumating)

 

[Tatelina]

It is a dominance issue...

Seperate them.....

With such a size difference I am surprised the smaller one has not been killed yet - he is starting to look like a bite-sized dragon...

The quicker they are seperated the sooner he will start growing and not looking like a meal to the other...

Word and word.

 

[venus]

Just a little update, I have noticed the smaller one eating heaps more since being separated yesterday.

When they lived in the same enclosure the smaller one would sit in the corner a lot of the time instead of under the heat lamp, and usually wouldn't come running when I offered food or even if a cricket ran past, until I took the bigger beardie out.
Now that it is on its own, the small one smashed every cricket as soon as it landed in the enclosure, ate plenty of salad and is wandering around looking for more.

This to me is a definite positive sign, hopefully in the future when they are both the same size and a bit older I can house them together again. In the mean time I am just glad he is munching like a champ

Hey good news CHP.


Hope the original poster can do the same and separate them.

 

[Chris1]

my 2 youngens were doing the same thing,...cos Kyro was stressing the hell out of Kaida.

since i seperated them (moved her to the girls tank) shes eating better and growing like a weed, shes a much happier dragon now..

with a size difference as big as that the small one is in danger of being eaten.

 

[anghan]

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to separate them and try to fatten the little one up and then see how they go together again. Will let you know how the little one goes on his (or her) own.

 

[dragon lady]

dont be dis heartened!

its possible that the bigger one is bigger by genes
if you had 10 together..the bigger one would be the odd one out!

how old?
i would still feed exactly the same...but separately & separate habitats...
even if you need to use tubs...!

i have a giant....was massively bigger than the others by a long way

 

[anghan]

i have now separated the dragons and crossed my fingers.. which makes it really hard to type. The breeder told me they were 3.5 months old - so now 4.5ish. I'm also relying on her honesty that they are from the same clutch. I don't know that the little guy is the runt - the breeder had lots of dragons and they were all 2 sizes - she said usu males are a little smaller, but maybe they were different ages.