Have purchased two new dragons (F) approximately 12 weeks old from well known breader in NY. My anxiety is that they hide for most of the day and eat very little. My one dragon, the smallest is not yet eating, although has been prior to purchasing them and bringing them home. I was advised that the new enviroment and surrounding take time to adjust, and this is not uncommon in new dragons. My questions: Should I bother them from where they are hiding to bring them out or let them adjust and explore on their own to the tank? What are some tricks (other than the basic ones I have used) to get them eating, any supplements to increase hunger etc. The heat and tank are all up to spec. Am I overreacting? Also, when would you press the "panic" button? Thank you for your help.
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New Dragons
Replies (2)
Are the dragons in the same tank? If so, better to separate them to both are eating normally. Dragons do take up to two weeks to acclimate to their new home. Shipping and moving does put alot of stress on dragons. Make sure they are well hydrated, either by misting them several times a day, or a daily soak in luke warm (75F) water no deeper than their armpits.
If the tanks are in a fairly active area of the house, it would be a good ideal to cover 2-3 sides of the tank, to cut down on their field of vision. Also make sure your temps are not too high with a digital thermometer or temp gun.
Signs that something is seriously wrong is dragons looking lathargic, sunken fatty pads on the top of the head behind the eyes, hip bones sticking out near the base of the tail or skinny limbs. If the skin starts to loose it's natural elasticity, this would indicate dehydration. Getting a fecal done by a vet will also determine if the stress of travel has caused a flare up of internal parasites.
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PHLdyPayne
It is common for dragons to not eat much for the first couple of days when placed in a new cage. They should be eating something within two or three days with their food intake increasing as the days go by. If they are not eating at all after two days (three is even pushing it) then I would be very worried.
If they were housed together before then it shouldn't be a problem. But, if they are new to each other you might want to seperate them. If they are two females they "may" be OK to house togther as they grow older as long as they both are eating and remain about the same size as each other. A growing difference in size is a good indicator that ther is a problem. Two males and a male and female should not be housed together. You mention that they are hiding. Simplyfy their cage. Young dragons do best if their is very little cage furniture. They tend to hide in caves and forget to come out to bask. Covering three of the sides which has already been mentioned is another way to minimize the stress and help them to adjust. Check with your breeder too. See what their exact feeding and light schedule was when they had them and try to mimic that for awhile.
