New beardie mom

[RoseSkull]

Hello world, I just picked up my bearded dragon yesterday he was shipped to me from Arizona. He was very calm and relaxed yesterday when I got him he was eating and drinking water and he even pooped but this morning when I woke up and tried to get him to eat he only ate one super worm and one big bite of greens and Frank’s lots of water but he was also very very dark in color and was a bit alarming. His home was 68 degrees with no lights on all night any tips or reasons why he became so dark.

 

[KarrieRee]

Hello world, I just picked up my bearded dragon yesterday he was shipped to me from Arizona. He was very calm and relaxed yesterday when I got him he was eating and drinking water and he even pooped but this morning when I woke up and tried to get him to eat he only ate one super worm and one big bite of greens and Frank’s lots of water but he was also very very dark in color and was a bit alarming. His home was 68 degrees with no lights on all night any tips or reasons why he became so dark.

Not sure w/ the dark usually when turning dark they are trying to absorb heat- did the color change after turning his lights on? The eating will be slow now hes going thru relocation stress- keep offering his food and make sure his surface basking temps are 95-100 for a dragon over 6 months of age - how old? Temps need to be taken w / a digital probe thermometer and NO coils for a UVB- you want a long tube fixture properly and distanced for the screen on the tank - this is going to help him adjust to his tank and surroundings quicker

 

[RoseSkull]

Not sure w/ the dark usually when turning dark they are trying to absorb heat- did the color change after turning his lights on? The eating will be slow now hes going thru relocation stress- keep offering his food and make sure his surface basking temps are 95-100 for a dragon over 6 months of age - how old? Temps need to be taken w / a digital probe thermometer and NO coils for a UVB- you want a long tube fixture properly and distanced for the screen on the tank - this is going to help him adjust to his tank and surroundings quicker

He is 4 months old and I’m not sure I had to head off to work I will check on him on my lunch break. And no I am not using coils. And yes I have a tube uvb light I need to get a temp gun tho I haven’t purchased on quite yet I am using the digital air thermometer currently but I won’t be taking that out even after I get the temp gun

 

[xp29]

At 68 degrees he is dark because he is cool. He will also be a bit slower and his mental capacity will be less till he warms up.

 

[RoseSkull]

At 68 degrees he is dark because he is cool. He will also be a bit slower and his mental capacity will be less till he warms up.

Is there any way to help him get more warm in the morning or well basically more awake to get him to eat before I leave for work?

 

[KarrieRee]

Is there any way to help him get more warm in the morning or well basically more awake to get him to eat before I leave for work?

Turning his basking lights on right away - dragons usually eat around 2 hrs after warming up you want the basking surface temps 105-110 taken w/ a digital probe thermometer they are the most accurate - IR guns are good but do not read off of hammocks and certain basking decor materials- if you need to use a timer to turn your lights on before leaving for work so you can feed him do that - you can also get him some BSFL w/ a dish they cant get out of and leave salad and the larvae in the bowl for him - if you need help and info to order them let me know I can help you

 

[Chris.]

Is there any way to help him get more warm in the morning or well basically more awake to get him to eat before I leave for work?

When I brought my girl home the first time, she turned dark also. Relocation can also sometimes trigger them into shedding which they will turn dark for (and it looks like he is). So don't worry about the color, he will come around.

Also I tried to feed my girl before I left for work at 6am but it was a hassle. During the first week especially. Find something he likes (for her it was Locusts) and he might eat a bit.
At 4 months, you should feed him twice a day but you can put a container with some roaches or mealworms (just something that won't escape) in the tank at morning and he can go grab them when he's warm.

Be patient and give him time is the most important thing.

Btw. welcome to the forum, your boy is looking very handsome

 

[RoseSkull]

When I brought my girl home the first time, she turned dark also. Relocation can also sometimes trigger them into shedding which they will turn dark for (and it looks like he is). So don't worry about the color, he will come around.

Also I tried to feed my girl before I left for work at 6am but it was a hassle. During the first week especially. Find something he likes (for her it was Locusts) and he might eat a bit.
At 4 months, you should feed him twice a day but you can put a container with some roaches or mealworms (just something that won't escape) in the tank at morning and he can go grab them when he's warm.

Be patient and give him time is the most important thing.

Btw. welcome to the forum, your boy is looking very handsome

Thank you and yes he is shedding at the moment he is in a full body shed he started on Tuesday. How long until he is able to get it all off and should I soak him to help him get it off I remember reading that they are dry shedders so I was not sure if there is anything I should do?

 

[Chris.]

Thank you and yes he is shedding at the moment he is in a full body shed he started on Tuesday. How long until he is able to get it all off and should I soak him to help him get it off I remember reading that they are dry shedders so I was not sure if there is anything I should do?

It depends, my girl is 4 months now also and does shed full body except for the tail. From going dark to shedding off it takes around a week give or take.

No, you can soak her to get the loose pieces off once they start to come loose but I'd recommend to not do this. A better option is to "shower" her a bit under the faucet but also spare the head out. You don't want her aspirate water.

I've attached a picture of my girl the day I brought her home and one from today, to show the color change
Nothing to worry as you can see

 

[xp29]

You can run a small heat emitter at night to keep your beardie just a little warmer, try not to go above 73/74 degrees, they like it cool when they sleep. Don't use anything at night that produces light, they want it dark also.

 

[KarrieRee]

It depends, my girl is 4 months now also and does shed full body except for the tail. From going dark to shedding off it takes around a week give or take.

No, you can soak her to get the loose pieces off once they start to come loose but I'd recommend to not do this. A better option is to "shower" her a bit under the faucet but also spare the head out. You don't want her aspirate water.

I've attached a picture of my girl the day I brought her home and one from today, to show the color change
Nothing to worry as you can see

When she gets crackly and dry take a soft baby toothbrush along w/ misting the scales and lightly brush her those will take the loose scales off -- you will see her rub her face on things in the tank when her head and face start to shed

 

[Chris.]

You can run a small heat emitter at night to keep your beardie just a little warmer, try not to go above 73/74 degrees, they like it cool when they sleep. Don't use anything at night that produces light, they want it dark also.

Very right. They also see a wider spectrum of light than we do, so just if something doesn't emitt light to us, doesn't mean it doesn't to them.

When she gets crackly and dry take a soft baby toothbrush along w/ misting the scales and lightly brush her those will take the loose scales off -- you will see her rub her face on things in the tank when her head and face start to shed

Yes, those are all things you CAN do if you WANT. They don't usually need help from us to shed properly though.

During the first week or two after bringing her home, it is probably better to leave him alone and let him do his thing. His whole world just changed, and he doesn't understand any of it right now.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Also I tried to feed my girl before I left for work at 6am but it was a hassle. During the first week especially. Find something he likes (for her it was Locusts) and he might eat a bit.
At 4 months, you should feed him twice a day but you can put a container with some roaches or mealworms (just something that won't escape) in the tank at morning and he can go grab them when he's warm.

Be patient and give him time is the most important thing.

Btw. welcome to the forum, your boy is looking very handsome

I was putting the food in a bowl from the beginning on (hand-feeding for bonding much later, and I also don't do the "taking the dragon out for feeding" approach). I also leave for work early (5, 6 am, sometimes also irregular hours as working shifts) and my dragon is barely awake then - but I see no problem with that, I just put in what he should eat during the day (so also no "feeding two times a day"). Also didn't see it as a problem when he was small.
But maybe I'm lucky that my dragon isn't eating all the insects in one sitting, he isn't overeating and when he's done he's done.


(Technically, my husband could provide the dragon with food multiple times a day as he's working from home. He's now sometimes doing hand-feeding for bonding. But he was very disgusted of any insects in the beginning, so I don't wanted to force him (my husband) to do something with the insects. Still it's like: I put in the food in the morning, insects as well as veggies - won't wilt as I either use potted ones, or bundle them like a bouquet and there's a bit of water in the bowl - and if my husband likes doing some hand-feeding, he can do so, but it's not necessary.)

Btw.: As escape-proof bowls I like the glass lids from candles in glass jars. I remove the inner plastic part, clean them completely (so there are no traces of wax left), and they work very well. Of course, one can buy worm dishes, or chose something of a similar shape just from tableware for humans.
Not good, in my opinion, are worm dishes where the top part can be taken off: insects squeeze in the small gap between and escape. I bought one but now only use it for veggies.
Into the insect bowl I put a bit of veggies as food for the insects - helps keeping them in, too.

With shedding, I never help. I see no reason in doing so (for a healthy dragon).

During the first week or two after bringing her home, it is probably better to leave him alone and let him do his thing. His whole world just changed, and he doesn't understand any of it right now.

Absolutely

you will see her rub her face on things in the tank when her head and face start to shed

Agree I observed this very often. The rubbing can look quite "violently" - if we would do that with our soft skin I'm sure we would bleed - but for them it's like a peeling.

 

[KarrieRee]

Amazon.com
www.symtonbsf.com

 

[ChileanTaco]

They look good

@RoseSkull
It is important that the rim is going a bit over, so it has to be narrower on the rim. Just like in the example posted by KarrieRee. From a bowl that widens, like most bowls for human food, they will escape.