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A little concerned

DragonLover0423

DragonLover0423

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Well I have had my female 2 year old dragon for about 5 months now. About a month ago she started turning really dark periodically throughout the day and even at night. When I got her she was a really awesome white color. She still is that color but sometimes she goes really dark, it's quite hideous actually. Does anyone have a relavant explanation for this? I have read that they turn darker to absorb more light or heat. But why all of a sudden is she doing it now? Do all dragons exhibit this beahavior?
 
Have you tested her for parisites recently, or have any new decorations in their cage. Both of those could cause the stress shown by darkening up. and what is your feeding schedual. Has she ever been breed or may have slugs?
 
Never been bred. I haven't checked for parasites. Her stool is solid and holds its shape. No new decorations. She even turns dark while basking sometimes. Around noon every day I feed her fresh greens.(turnip greens, collards, and mustard greens) Every other day I give her a few dubia in the evening but her diet consists of mainly greens. Here are a few pictures. The one where she is in the shoebox is the day I first got her. The other is just now while she is basking. Sometimes she even gets darker than that.
 

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What size cage is it and what lighting do you have, (watage also). you should take her to the vet though and bring a freash fecal sample in a ziplock bag. they can do the test in 10 min and provide meds appropriate for any seen, Min requirements for a adult beardie is a 40 Gal. breeder. sand can cause impaction in beardies when they ingest it with food. if her belly feels like their might be something hard (not poop) in their.
For a 40 Gal, req. a 10.0Uvb light and a 160 w heating bulb. she looks ok, but hard to tell if she might be bloated or she's just puffing herself up. I'd really consider taking her to a vet though. a fecal usually costs round 20-25 bucks. Don't go to Banfeild..IMO they don"t know their reptiles.
Also feeding schedual sounds perfect..do you give her calcium dust on her feeders? or at least once a week?
 
She is in a 40 gallon breeder. I have a 100 watt Powersun UV mecury vapor bulb. Yes I dust her greens in calcium twice a week and every other dubia feeding. Like I said she just recently started this. Like as I am typing this she is fine and not dark. Sometimes when I take her out of tank and let her on my couch she darkens.
 
Your care sounds good, but a Vet appointment is needed to tell more about why this is happening. One of my females will darken up when she has parisites. So that may be it. Also they can get parasites from crickets sometimes. let me know how it goes
 
DragonLover0423 said:
Like I said she just recently started this. Like as I am typing this she is fine and not dark. Sometimes when I take her out of tank and let her on my couch she darkens.
Click to expand...

Maybe shes getting scared when you take her out of the tank. Could be something vibrating or something on the tv that's bothering her.

Limit the amount of handling. Some dragons just want to be left alone. Signs of darkness is never good. Husbandry sounds right, find her a mate haha..
 
Well she doesn't have parasites according to her fecal. The thing is I haven't changed anything, food or routine wise since I got her. I handle her the same amount as when I got her yet she just started darkening periodically throughout the day. She even does it in her cage sometimes. I wish I knew the reasons.:shrug01:
 
Check your temps. to be sure the basking spot reaches about 100. They actually do darken to absorb heat, different lizard species do this. Stress may also cause it, but you should check your basking spot for temps. Also, some dragons just change from light to dark , it's in their make up. Not really anything to be too worried about.
 
Basking temp is 104.6 checked with an IR temp gun. Cool side is 82.8. I guess it caused so much concern because she only started this darkening behavior about a month ago. I don't believe it is stress(of course she can't talk to tell me lol) because she loves being handled and she is hand fed in and out of her cage.
 
I would also watch for her to be digging or running back and forth alot. She could have slugs or a desire to mate at that age. And i would also agree with angie it is in thier makeup to get dark, my male egore is dark most the time and only brightens up during breeding or baths and he is healthy as a horse:)
 
Try a lay box. I use a large rubbermaid bin filled with about 1/3 with good top soil from a local supply store or lowes menards ect. Use some warm water and make the dirt to the consistancy of a snow ball (meaning you can squeez the dirt and it will clump up, dont get it runny). If you can cut a hole in the top of the rubbermaid lid and staple some screen on top of the whole for the light, or if you can not just clamp the light on the side and pay close attention she does not escape. If she has slugs she will dig and lay them and she will feel alot better:) She will not be attached to the eggs in any way so after she has done her business and burys them you can take her out and put her back in the cage and throw away the eggs!! Do not give her a bath for 2 to 3 days because its said the water can get in the vent and cause an infection. I dont know if this is a fact because i have never risked it lol!!

I hope this solves the problem, Good luck!! If you have any questions do not be afraid to ask:)
 
She looks fine to me. Mine change color all the time to suit the mood. Your looks healthy and normal to me. Its not like she is real dark, she is just lighter than most to begin with.
 
I usually put mine in a bath and can tell more easily when they flaten out in the water. Take your fingers and run them tip to tip flat evenly down from the chest to the vent, you may or maynot feel anything!! And i would only do a lay box if she is digging constantly/daily!!
 
Thanks Barbie. I am going to do the lay box. Would wet sand work? I use childrens play sand. Also what happens to the unfertile eggs if she doesn't lay them?
 
She would need to go to the vet if she does not lay them and becomes lithargic and sick like. It will mean she "egg bound" meaning the eggs have become stuck pretty much. Sand works too:) I would not recomend it usually but in this case it will be fine. Make the cosistancy like i said above. Did you check her for eggs?
 
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