Tenor Goddess
New member
Odd Orange Spot
Orange on frill
More orange on frill
Greetings Everyone!
I was handling my new baby frilled after not getting to hold him all last week due to busy schedule stuff. In that time, he had his first shed for me (wednesday marks he's been with me for 4 weeks). I was just going to pick him up today when I saw this orange, what appears (hopefully) to be pigment on his belly. At first glance from in his cage, I thought maybe he nicked himself on something and was bleeding. Upon further investigation, I got a macro shot from my digital camera and zoomed in to the point just before it blurs. It still just looks like pigment to me but I'm going out to get a magnifying glass to see if I can shoot another picture that way to get everyone's opinion. I'm not thinking it's anything to be alarmed about as he's very alert, is sticking to his daily routine, eating like a hungry baby lizard ought to and pooping healthy poops for me daily.
Anyone seen anything like this on their frilleds before? I've got almost two decades behind me with iguanids but this is my first frill.
I've also attached a picture below it of his frill colors coming in. It's that same dark orange that you find in his frill so I'm guessing this is some nice coloration coming in? But in just one odd spot??
Also, he's noticeably got some nice femoral pores that have little waxy dots forming nowadays. To me, based on iguanas that makes him a male. Anyone else verify this? I kept hearing sexing them like beardies is best and it's super hard with babies. I'm learning on this guy so any knowledge/advice on this species would be appreciated.
I have read up on them (have wanted one for years) and have the Philippe de Vosjoli Beard Dragon Manual that includes a full section on Frilled Dragons and their care, but this orange spot is interesting/odd (as well as just now noticing those femoral pores producing some wax).
Let's see, what other info can I give you all....he weighed 6 grams (2oz) when I initially got him, now after 3 weeks he's gained 3 grams and is 9 grams (3oz) on the nose.
He is extremely active (like a little squirrel when it's feeding time and when it's time to try and evade my handling, but he's a gentleman in my hands until he gets distracted and wants to leap somewhere else to run around/climb to).
He frills up at the camera (a quick one, not a full frill) and acts very happy and healthy.
There is nothing in his cage that would have rust on it to get this coloration, I have wood in his cage (see attached picture) but nothing of that specific coloration either. Just odd. *shrugs*?
I've got a couple fake plants, some cork bark on the back wall, driftwood tied together with plastic zip ties to make a nice twisty basking log, a sterilite bin with water and a water pump and filter to keep the water moving and clean (and yes it gets immediately cleaned if he poops in it, which has not happened yet, he actually prefers his food dish on the repcal juvie bearded dragon pellets I got on the off chance he MIGHT want to nibble on some....but this kid only wants insects which is not surprising)...he sits under a basking spot lamp that gives him up to 104F for his basking spot and down to 78-80 at the bottom of his cage and it gets a bit cooler at night, and he has a Reptisun 10.0 UVB 2' tube (brand new) above his cage as well. The cage is a 65gal reptarium. I think that's about it. If I've missed something, just ask.
Thank you kindly!
Amanda Rose