Why is my beardie changing colours??

[Ichigo]

Purple beardie??

I know that they obviously change colours to other normal ones such as a dark brown and light brows too but just tonight, one of them changed to a light lavendery/purple colour. It wasn't like a darky sort of brown. It was an obvious purple but within around 3-4 hours he turned almost black. His beard isn't out or anything like that and he's really friendly and cuddly.

Just before he turned purple I had fed them crickets. I have another girl in there but shes alot younger. She ate the crickets too but she didn't change colour.

I know it's usual for them to change colurs but is it usual for them to change to an obviosly purple?

 

[Casey]

Do you have pics?

 

[Ichigo]

Well he isn't purple at the moment but I can take a photo of him now but he's a really dark black sort of colour.

 

[notechistiger]

Mine goes a very light purple/lavender colour when he's too hot.

It isn't very obvious here, but you can see an example of where the purple comes in. Today I had him outside, and he got very purple in the sun.

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/pp289/silvershadowwolf24/DiNozzo/IMG_0225.jpg

Is that what you're talking about.

 

[Ichigo]

Sort of but he was like purple all over. They're heat lamp is off and they only have their uvb on at the moment. This is a photo of what he normally look like.

 

[mebebrian]

Dont happen to have a purple heat light do ya?...

 

[channi]

beardies will generally go black or dark when they are sick, in pain, or angry. My guess and please know it is only a guess is that your beadie got bitten in his mouth by one of the crickets that he ate and the purple was one colour faze on the way to black. If he is still dark tommorrow please take it to the vet as it can indicate serious illness.

 

[Ichigo]

No I don't have a purple heat light.
I really hope he hasn't gotten bitten because I don't have a reptile vet anywhere near where I live.
I've only had them for a week so I'm really worried... Is that usual. They were only medium crickets and they usually eat large ones.

 

[notechistiger]

My dragon has always turned black when he's too cold. What's their usual hotspot temperature?

 

[Ichigo]

Bump

 

[Vixen]

Bump

Might help if you answer the questions that have already been asked to try and help you?

 

[notechistiger]

I asked you a question, and you didn't answer it. What's their usual hotspot temperature, and their usual cold end temperature?

 

[Bendarwin]

My Beardie went purple when I fed her Roaches, she fashioned a noose out of twine and left a note saying "feed me crickets"............... I un twined the noose an all was good.

 

[Reptilian]

beardies will generally go black or dark when they are sick, in pain, or angry. My guess and please know it is only a guess is that your beadie got bitten in his mouth by one of the crickets that he ate and the purple was one colour faze on the way to black. If he is still dark tommorrow please take it to the vet as it can indicate serious illness.

I had 2 beardies a few years ago that went very dark in colour and they were sick and ended up dieing a couple of days later...I did take them to a wild life carer who specialized in reptiles (as there were no herp vet) and she was not sure what was wrong with them...She did mention that they generally go dark when sick...Mine died a few days later...

My advice is to quarantine him in another enclosure and keep an eye on him, have a look if their is any mouth infection, respiratory wheezing, no open wounds/cuts etc... Make sure he has a good hot spot of around 35-40C as well as a cooler area and hides...Mist him with water occasionally (if ya dont already... and just try generally to have a "perfect" enironment for him and watch him for a week or so...

Regards...
Ash

 

[mysnakesau]

Bearded dragons can suffer stomach upsets just like we do and can sometimes get over it on their own. We have had our little beardy going that very dark colour lately too. I have given her doses of flagyl - a medicine used for internal parasites only available with consultation by the vet - and she has bounced back excellent results. We haven't been 100% sure if it was parasites but the flagyl also helps kill some other protozoan bugs that can make them sick. Phoenix has lightened back up and back to her normal alert self in an hour or 2 from giving her the medicine. The vet has suggested their diet can often cause similar symptoms - young dragons just learning to eat veges, have you given her something new and too much too soon? Large crickets - little beardies may be able to eat the large crix but their shells are much harder than younger crickets. The shells can become lodged inside them which can also cause upsets. So regardless of their capability, feed them smaller crickets, and if you can pick freshly shed ones - we now give our 12 month old beardy medium crickets or woodies.

Don't handle them when they are dark, and make sure she is kept warm.

Another reason beardies go dark is to absorb heat. I notice when I take Phoenix outside in the sun she goes dark - but its not the same. I don't know how to explain it but I can just tell when she is dark cause she's sick, or dark cause she's warming up. And her whole self is different. She tries to hide away when she is not well whereas the dark for warm she is still alert - head up and bright eyes.

 

[Kirby]

the purple all over is a mix of grey colouring and an upcoming shed.

dragons will turn dark when absorbing heat, or extremely stressed of upset.

the purple on the sides of notchestiger's are purely the dragons colouring. the markings are called side bars, and the colour lavender. often described obviously as 'lavender sidebars'..

the dragon pictured doesn't look well, or healthy. besides his nubb tail/legs he is very thin, has severely depleted fat stores and has an empty stomach..

would i be wrong to hear you say you have two dragons in together? a dragon that shape need his own cage, vet treatment and TLD.