Beardie behaving strange - need advice

[calisto]

My dragon Basil has changed behaviour in the past week. Normally he's a pretty lazy lizard, but last week in the space of a day he's totally changed.
An hour after his lights turn on (after he warms up) he will start running all over his tank, climbing the walls, banging on the front glass. If I take him out of the tank he will run all over the house till he cools down, then i'll put him back in his tank, he warms up, and repeats over again.
He is eating fine, about 6 days a week, mixture of greens and woodies with occasional calcium dusting. He spends some time outside in the sun most days. He's not over or underweight. He poops once a day usually.
His tank is 90cm x 60cm which he's lived in for almost 2 years, nothing has changed in his tank recently. He's under a reflector globe and an Outback Max 10.0.

I really can't work out what's triggering this behaviour. Last summer when it warmed up he did like to run around a bit but nothing like this and definitely not this early in spring/summer.
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[JasonL]

He wants to breed.

 

[calisto]

He wants to breed.

Really? He lives alone here. His beard hasn't turned black at all.

I'm also not completely sure if he is male. I can't see any clear hemipenes and he's never black-bearded in the time i've had him.

 

[JasonL]

Whether it's a boy or a girl, beardies want to breed in Spring and go looking for a partner... Beard blackening can be done by both males and females to show other dragons what they are feeling, not a sure indicator to go off.

 

[gregcranston]

Might be a female then, and might be gravid with some infertile eggs (does it look bulgy?). Unlikely, but thats almost all I can think of. Otherwise you might just have a very active beardie now it is an adult.

 

[TahneeMaree]

get him a nice lady friend, one to nag him and sap all his energy

 

[calisto]

Might be a female then, and might be gravid with some infertile eggs (does it look bulgy?). Unlikely, but thats almost all I can think of. Otherwise you might just have a very active beardie now it is an adult.

He/She doesn't look bulgy really. I can't feel anything that might be egg-like in there and there's been no digging (which they would do if gravid right?)

Maybe he just has grown up finally and wants lady company. I'm just concerned because the shift in behaviour was so sudden. One day normal lazy beardie, next day totally manic all over the place.

 

[gregcranston]

He/She doesn't look bulgy really. I can't feel anything that might be egg-like in there and there's been no digging (which they would do if gravid right?)

Maybe he just has grown up finally and wants lady company. I'm just concerned because the shift in behaviour was so sudden. One day normal lazy beardie, next day totally manic all over the place.

Yes, you're right, gravid would almost always be evident my the incessant digging. Probably just does want to mate. Did the very sudden change in behavior coincide with a particularly warm day?

 

[bowdnboy]

Hey there Calisto, 2yrs of age, u should be able to tell sex no worries. Ive attached some pics that might help u.

Did he brumate over winter. He may have just fully woken up and as Jason said, look'n for some luv'n.

What are the temps, can he get to a cooler area. He may be getting too hot!

Also, if hes 2yrs old, might be time to get a new enclosure, 90cm is fine when there younger, but would be nice to have something bigger now hes an adult.

Cheers
Colby

Bearded Dragon Care

Bearded Dragon Sexing (Pogona vitticeps)

 

[JasonL]

Post a pic up of it, might be able to see what sex it is.

 

[calisto]

There's a photo of him. He's more like almost 3 years old now. I was told a 90x60 tank would be okay for him. He does have free reign of the house if he wants, there's no other pets.

Regarding his temps, he's under a 60W globe at the moment as its warm in Sydney. I change that around with a 100W, 75W, 40W as needed. His thermo is set to 28 halfway between the hot and cool side. I didn't let him brumate this winter. Last year he did and stopped eating for so long he became quite skinny.

 

[JasonL]

Nice looking Dragon.... hard to tell from that pic, which hints to me it may be a girl.. If you can't see any hemipenal lumps behind it's vent at this time of year (males hemipenes are quite obvious during spring) than it's more than likely a girl. Ovulating females will seek the attention of a male, and she may become gravid with unfertilised eggs and need to lay them.

 

[calisto]

Yeah I had a look at the link posted and there were no real lumps there at all, nor any femoral pores obvious.
I haven't noticed any egg bulges but if Basil doesn't turn gravid I would have to provide a nest/dirt mound to lay in?

 

[JasonL]

Infertile eggs stay soft as they never fully fill out and are near impossible to feel.

 

[calisto]

Do females ovulate every year?

 

[JasonL]

No, not if no male is present and sometimes even if one is present they may miss a year, that doesn't happen too often though, they are prolific breeders.

 

[bfg23]

My beardy has done exactly the same thing except mine is only 11months old.
I think its behavior might have something to do with the cat always annoying it, but its doing exactly the same thing yours is. It has been digging all day.

 

[gregcranston]

It has been digging all day.

It might be gravid, provide it with a laying box.

 

[bfg23]

it has not been within a few kilometers of another dragon since i got it from the shop 10 months ago.
doubt its gravid.

 

[Kristy86]

i only have 2 females and for the last 2 years running one or both have laid eggs. so yes if she is diggin frantically she could be gravid. and i was never able to tell either of them was gravid, could not feel anything and they barely put on any weight, but did loose some once they laid the eggs.