Central Bearded Dragon

[user 41856]

I have a Central Bearded Dragon that is a rescue animal, I have had him for a few months now. He seems to fold one of his front feet under and stands like that, is this a normal thing? Sometimes he folds both feet under and it looks a bit weird. When I put him on tiles he wants to run OK (When he can get traction), his limbs seem to work fine. Think of it like folding your hand under and the back of your hand is what you are using for your foot. He is also lazy, when I put him on his Hammock he will stay there all day. If I put Crickets in for him to chase, he couldn't be bothered, even Cockroaches he won't chase.

Thanks guys
Noel

 

[pinefamily]

Is he eating though? Some beardies don't chase their prey, but wait and eat as the live food runs past. Is he eating veggies/fruit? What heating have you got, and what temps are you getting?

 

[kingofnobbys]

quite a few beardies seem to do the front leg fold under at the wrist thing .... sometimes even while walking
.... I think this not anything to worry about if he's getting plenty of dietary calcium , plenty of UVB and is otherwise normal (including being too lazy to chase down those roaches or crickets - lots are once they grow past the hatchling and juvenile stages) .

So unless he's gone without enough dietary calcium and not had enough UVB over a lengthy period of time (and has MBD) , it's not something to worry about, it's just laziness on his part.

Keep an eye on his weight, if it falls, he may have a health issue.

If he wont chase crickets or roaches, try superworms and silkworms (silkworms are the better choice though by a long shot as they are much more nutritious much slower moving than superworms).

Worth giving a rundown on the lighting you have ( UV strength in %UVB , type , distance from basking spot , and basking globe wattage and colour )
and
the basking spot temperature and daytime warm zone temperature (and how you are measuring these)
and
the lighting schedule (when on / off)
the feeding schedule (what and how often)

 

[user 41856]

Is he eating though? Some beardies don't chase their prey, but wait and eat as the live food runs past. Is he eating veggies/fruit? What heating have you got, and what temps are you getting?

He eats well, he has Worms, Bok Choi, carrot, sweat potato, alfalfa, Lizard food and calcium powder on his worms. He sits under a Basking light during the day and has a Heat Mat inside a tunnel that is set to 35c. He has fake grass as a substrate and a wooden hide at the cool end.

 

[pinefamily]

How hot does it get under the basking light?
We had a rescue beardie that was only fed mealworms. A couple of days of no mealworms and he learned to eat crickets. The fake grass is no good for beardies. Sand is the best substrate for beardies; the washed playsand from Bunnings is one of the cheapest options. You just need to dry it out before use.
How old is the beardie? I wouldn't think the heat mat is necessary.

 

[user 41856]

quite a few beardies seem to do the front leg fold under at the wrist thing .... sometimes even while walking
.... I think this not anything to worry about if he's getting plenty of dietary calcium , plenty of UVB and is otherwise normal (including being too lazy to chase down those roaches or crickets - lots are once they grow past the hatchling and juvenile stages) .

So unless he's gone without enough dietary calcium and not had enough UVB over a lengthy period of time (and has MBD) , it's not something to worry about, it's just laziness on his part.

Keep an eye on his weight, if it falls, he may have a health issue.

If he wont chase crickets or roaches, try superworms and silkworms (silkworms are the better choice though by a long shot as they are much more nutritious much slower moving than superworms).

Worth giving a rundown on the lighting you have ( UV strength in %UVB , type , distance from basking spot , and basking globe wattage and colour )
and
the basking spot temperature and daytime warm zone temperature (and how you are measuring these)
and
the lighting schedule (when on / off)
the feeding schedule (what and how often)

The Basking light is 25w Incandescent reflector globe about 8 Inches above his wooden log house he sits on, he has a 10w Heat Mat which is under the glass bottom of his enclosure with a thermostat set to 35c. I am going to do a modification to the fake grass to so he can sit on the glass for better heat transfer.

Thanks
Noel

 

[user 41856]

How hot does it get under the basking light?
We had a rescue beardie that was only fed mealworms. A couple of days of no mealworms and he learned to eat crickets. The fake grass is no good for beardies. Sand is the best substrate for beardies; the washed playsand from Bunnings is one of the cheapest options. You just need to dry it out before use.
How old is the beardie? I wouldn't think the heat mat is necessary.

I have been told that he will need Lizard Sand because other sand can cause digestive problems, do you know anything about that?. He loves his mealworms and takes them from my wife's hand, he also loves the Bok Choi. I have the heat mat to give air temp to the enclosure. I have to find a way to clip his claws because he struggles a bit and scratches. I am looking around for some sort of enclosure that will be used outside so he can go into the sunlight and into the cool when he wants. Also, I am looking for a play pen he can run around in and play (If he is not too Lazy), I have heard that they like to play with Ping Pong balls. One thing I notice about him is that he goes white when he sleeps, normally he has yellow accents.

Thanks
Noel

 

[kingofnobbys]

I have been told that he will need Lizard Sand because other sand can cause digestive problems, do you know anything about that?. He loves his mealworms and takes them from my wife's hand, he also loves the Bok Choi. I have the heat mat to give air temp to the enclosure. I have to find a way to clip his claws because he struggles a bit and scratches. I am looking around for some sort of enclosure that will be used outside so he can go into the sunlight and into the cool when he wants. Also, I am looking for a play pen he can run around in and play (If he is not too Lazy), I have heard that they like to play with Ping Pong balls. One thing I notice about him is that he goes white when he sleeps, normally he has yellow accents.

Thanks
Noel

no idea what "lizard sand" is .... who told you that you need it ?
...... if it's calci-sand DO NOT BUY IT .

Chicken or rabbit hutch with a shaded area and wire all sides is a good option if you cant let beardie free range in the garden or yard safely under supervision. ie http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/112019142822?chn=ps

mealworms are best used a occasional treats , as are superworms.... get some silkworms if you must use worms as his staple feeder insect as they are very nutritious , slow , and easy to digest.

NEEDS UVB AT LEAST 10% . uvi at basking spot about 10-11, and basking spot temperature about 40oC.

bird nail trimming scissors work well for taking the needle point of beardie nails, like http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Nail...143603?hash=item258cfc6eb3:g:75kAAOSwA3dYQJ0y

regarding pingpong balls as beardie toys ...lol . will have to try that with gang of beardies

 

[user 41856]

no idea what "lizard sand" is .... who told you that you need it ?
...... if it's calci-sand DO NOT BUY IT .

It is Fine Red Sand labeled as Lizard Sand purchased from Pet Stores, mine seems to get muddy after paying in water and needs a bath often hence why he is on Fake Grass at present.. Where can I get Silk Worms from, he is currently eating Super Worms.

 

[kingofnobbys]

It is Fine Red Sand labeled as Lizard Sand purchased from Pet Stores, mine seems to get muddy after paying in water and needs a bath often hence why he is on Fake Grass at present.. Where can I get Silk Worms from, he is currently eating Super Worms.

"Petstores" , typical .... never trust a pet store when it comes to advise, all they want is your money as much of it as they separate from your as possible before you leave.

Silkworms - try Petstores (you'll pay lots for them there if you can get them ordered in, likey $1 each), check GumTree (often sold there, usually can get 200 worms for about $15 - $20), Ebay (might be lucky), google is your friend (search Silkworms)

 

[pinefamily]

Don't get ripped off buying "lizard sand". The sand I mentioned above will do just fine. Sand instead of fake grass and one or two real rocks will help trim his claws. A rock under the basking light will help retain heat too. If you need the heat mat to achieve desired tank temperature, then you need a more powerful globe.

Mealworms aren't good as a staple diet, too fatty. As I suggested above, get him onto crickets or woodies. A day or two with no mealworms will make the others more appealing, lol. True superworms, not just oversized mealworms, are fine as a food, being much better in nutrients.