Should I Be Concerned?

[Falconeer999]

Went to the Repticon show yesterday here in Columbia, SC. Picked up a baby bearded for my daughter. I have it set up in a 10gallon tank for now until it gets bigger (looks lost in there right now). Basking area at 108 degrees, ambient 85 with a 10.0 UVB light also.

The lizard has barely moved - it'll lift it's head and look around, but doesn't move. If you put it in the basking area, it will sit there and not move (at one point when it got too hot while I was adjusting lights (114 with my temp gun) it moved into a shady area). If I put it in the cool side, it won't move.

I have small crickets in there (right size - smaller than distance between eyes) and it hasn't eaten a single one. I've even seen the crickets crawling on it's head and it just closes its eyes. I put the lizard on top of a bowl of greens (collards and mustard greens with some squash mixed in) and it just stands there.

It has been only about 14 hours since I brought it home so I don't know if there's a settling in period. The lack of movement has me concerned as much as the not eating.

Today is the last day of the show and I'm wondering if I got a sick beardie and should bring it back? I've heard lots about their voracious appetite and this one shows absolutely no interest in eating or moving.

I talked a good while with the breeder and she is local, so I guess if I need to give it more time past today, I can.

[shaunyboy]

it's only snakes i keep,but.....

if your concerned with it's health and you have the chance to take it back,then i would do so mate

cheers shaun

[ballpython1717]

well i as well only keep snakes, but by the sound of it your beardie could be stressed. give it a couple more days and then contact the breeder

[Lankyrob]

I would say 14 hours is too little to judge whether it is ill or just scared and needs to settle in and be left in peace :)

[Falconeer999]

I gave her a soaking at the recommendation of the breeder and it perked her up some. She hasn't eaten yet still but I'll give her a day or two before worrying too much I guess. My leopard gecko didn't eat for the first 2 or 3 days.

Just a little extra sensitive about this one as it is my daughter's early Christmas/birthday present. She's picked her out and already is a bit attached.

[Aaron_S]

Do you have info from the breeder to contact them again after the show?

Do they have any sort of guarantee? Maybe a simple exchange if this one doesn't eat tomorrow. I would consider the exchange sooner than later so the breeder can have a better shot of saving this one than from death's door in a few weeks.

[rmfsnakes32]

I keep beardies and young ones can take up to 48 hours to get hungry they stress easier than older established beardies

[EmbraceCalamity]

Just sounds stressed. Make sure there are plenty of hides and some plants (real for fake) would be good. He'll feel more secure than if the tank is bare-ish.

Also, make sure to get a vitamin/calcium supplement and never use calcium sand. Since you have a leo, you probably know that, but always worth stating. :)

~Maggot

[Falconeer999]

Aaron - the breeder is local (lives about 15 minutes from my office) and gave me her email address and personal cell phone number. She said to keep her up to date on how things go.

Rmf and Embrace - Thanks for validating about the stress. I kind of figured it was that, but I think the first few days of a new reptile are just as stressful on us as it is on them. Hopefully all of us get over it soon!

Here's a picture of her on my daughter's arm (she's 7 1/2, so a little arm for size comparison) (I let her hold her for a couple minutes when we first got home and then instituted a "no touching until eating" rule).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/falconeer999/Snapbucket/4DEA0349.jpg

[rmfsnakes32]

Awwww cute pic!

[lady_bug87]

very cute!
from that picture it looks like a little healthy baby, just give her a couple days to settle in

[EmbraceCalamity]

It's generally advised to avoid handling a new reptile for the first week or so. It just stresses them out even more. So I know your daughter might want to handle it, but tell her to be patient. But otherwise, it looks lovely and healthy. :)

~Maggot

[Falconeer999]

Embrace - that's what I've told her and she understands. I'm divorced and this weekend is her mom's one weekend a month, so it will give the new 'baby' time to adjust.

On the good news front - I was at work all day today and though I left a bowl of chopped up veggies out (collard greens, mustard greens, and yellow squash) that wasn't touched, I did just offer her on tongs a very tiny meal worm. After looking at it for 5 seconds or so, she took it, and that seemed to set off the feeding instinct. Over the next 10 minutes or so, she ate 9 crickets (even chasing some) and just crawled up onto her basking area and eyeing one cricket that got away. She seems inclined to let it be though for now - guess she's full.

I'm feeling a good bit better about things.

[lady_bug87]

The fact that the baby did not eat her veggies is normal. When beardies are babies the majority of her diet will consist of protein its usually about 80% though it will vary depending on the individual.

be careful with mealworms since they have a shell that cannot be easily digested and can eventually cause impaction.

[Falconeer999]

Thanks lady bug. The meal worm I fed was super tiny (using a pair of tweezers, it was barely longer than the tip - probably only a couple days old), and only one. That just seemed to peak her interest in eating. Hopefully tonight she'll be ready to eat on her own.

When I went to bed last night she was in her hide, and about 5 minutes after I turned on her light this morning, she came out on her own. Put her veggies down near her but didn't seem to have any interest at all. Did eat a couple crickets and then went back in her hide and ignored a couple more crickets. Didn't blame her - I didn't want to be awake either!

I work long hours - is it okay to leave a few crickets in there with her during the day for her to eat when she feels like it?

[lady_bug87]

If its one or 2 it should be ok but keep in mind that hatchlings stress easily and crickets may pester her and stress her out. When I started with my male the rule of thumb was to feed him from a container as many as he would eat in 10 minutes and remove them. We did this twice a day until he was about 3mos old

[EmbraceCalamity]

be careful with mealworms since they have a shell that cannot be easily digested and can eventually cause impaction.I'm pretty sure that's only an issue if the reptile doesn't have proper access to enough belly heat to allow them to digest it. I could be wrong, but that's what I've learned.I work long hours - is it okay to leave a few crickets in there with her during the day for her to eat when she feels like it?Problem with that is crickets will bite her if they don't have anything else to eat. I've heard people suggest leaving something in there for the crickets to eat so they'll leave the reptile alone.

~Maggot

[jarich]

If you leave the veggies in there for your bearded, then they will have something to eat aside from your lizard.

[lady_bug87]

I'm pretty sure that's only an issue if the reptile doesn't have proper access to enough belly heat to allow them to digest it.

hmm I've never heard of bellyheat helping.... could be though

[EmbraceCalamity]

hmm I've never heard of bellyheat helping.... could be thoughI've talked to a couple people that have had this issue. They've fed lots of mealworms and then ask why their reptile isn't eating, and the first thing I always ask is if they have access to belly heat, and the answer's always no. Once they fix that, the problem seems to sort itself out. I know many people who feed their reptiles only mealworms (but provide proper belly heat) who encounter no issues, so I'm sure if the OP wanted to feed some, it wouldn't hurt any. Animals that eat insects have to have evolved the ability to digest chitin, or else they couldn't eat insects. Variety is always better anyway.

~Maggot

[Falconeer999]

I asked about providing belly heat via an UTH to my bearded like I do my leopard gecko - breeder told me no (almost seemed to have a fit saying "no no no"). I figured the basking lamp would be enough during the day but had asked if one should be used at night. Haven't seen anywhere online about using one either...

By belly heat are you referring to a rock that's heated up from the basking lamp or from an UTH?

To help figure out a good diet, I've been going by this: Nutrition Content (http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html) which lists mealworms as a "rarely" item. I figured one mealworm the size of a small cricket leg would be fairly harmless.

[lady_bug87]

I've talked to a couple people that have had this issue. They've fed lots of mealworms and then ask why their reptile isn't eating, and the first thing I always ask is if they have access to belly heat, and the answer's always no. Once they fix that, the problem seems to sort itself out. I know many people who feed their reptiles only mealworms (but provide proper belly heat) who encounter no issues, so I'm sure if the OP wanted to feed some, it wouldn't hurt any. Animals that eat insects have to have evolved the ability to digest chitin, or else they couldn't eat insects. Variety is always better anyway.

~Maggot

Sounds legit.

[EmbraceCalamity]

I asked about providing belly heat via an UTH to my bearded like I do my leopard gecko - breeder told me no (almost seemed to have a fit saying "no no no"). I figured the basking lamp would be enough during the day but had asked if one should be used at night. Haven't seen anywhere online about using one either...

By belly heat are you referring to a rock that's heated up from the basking lamp or from an UTH?

To help figure out a good diet, I've been going by this: Nutrition Content (http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html) which lists mealworms as a "rarely" item. I figured one mealworm the size of a small cricket leg would be fairly harmless.Depends on the reptile. For beardies, I'm sure a rock heated with a light would be sufficient, as they spend most of their time basking anyway. But for, like, nocturnal reptiles, it's a little more challenging, which is where people tend to run into issues.

~Maggot

[lady_bug87]

I was always told that heat rocks are the bane of reptile keeping since they cause burns because of the way lizard's skin interprets heat

But my experience is fairly limited

[EmbraceCalamity]

I was always told that heat rocks are the bane of reptile keeping since they cause burns because of the way lizard's skin interprets heat

But my experience is fairly limitedThat's completely correct. I said a rock heated with a light, i.e. a basking spot.

~Maggot

[lady_bug87]

Ohhhhhh ok I misread

[EmbraceCalamity]

Ohhhhhh ok I misreadIt happens. :)

~Maggot

[Valvaren]

Heat from a basking lamp if placed properly and emitting enough heat should be enough, extra belly heat from mats or rocks is not a good idea, bearded dragons have a very very hard time feeling heat from below and it is very very very common for them to burn themselves while basking because they remain under the light for heat while they burn from underneath.

[lady_bug87]

I have my temps correct and my guy still had a problem digesting mealworms so I just stopped once I noticed his bowel movements were different thankfully I stopped it before he was really impacted and it was fixed with a simple bath+massage combo

[Falconeer999]

Thanks for the info re: heat. She fed tonight with no prompting - ate 8 crickets in about 6 minutes and then showed no interest. She definitely has an interest in me though - I've noticed as I've gone about my normal routine, she's always watching me and if I'm at one end of the room, she's at the end of the cage watching me. If I'm on the other side of the room, she's going to that end of the cage and watching me.

A lot different than the first 2 days she was home and she just stayed in one place, never moving, with her head down.