Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Rustybeard here again. I just have a simple question. Rusty has been trying to dig everything non stop. The carpet his paper towl substrate, his log. After he digs for a bit he looks up at me and opens his mouth. I looks like he is smiling. What does this mean. I know he is not starving so I am 99% sure on that. All feed back would be much appreciated

THANKS!

rustybeard

Beardies will gape their mouths when they need to cool off. Could Rusty be digging to create a cool spot? Check your temps--his cool side might be a bit too warm for him.
Just a thought--
althea

ok so I have been keeping an eye on the temps on either side and both sides are within accordance. The thing is rusty always has the option to go to the cool side if he wants to cool down but he insists on digging every where. Like I said he even digs outside his tank. I brought him out of his tank yesterday and he was digging at the carpet the entire time, and it was only +25 yesterday (77 for the americans reading this). Any how I'm not to sure what the problem is but it would make no sense that he is over heating in a 25 degree environment. Anymore suggestions would be helpful. Keep them comming.

Thanx

RustyBeard

temps should be 75-80 for the "cool side" 85-95 for the warm side and then a basking spot of 110-115 for babies or 105 for adults.
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Beach Beardies

3.4.11 bearded dragons
1.0.0 Turquoise x Sunburst Veiled Chameleon
1.1.0 Sugar Gliders
0.1.0 Miss Queen Athena (Cat)

Hmmmm...come to think of it, my female german giant went through a digging phase (she just turned 6 years old), when she was little. She was provided with a shallow cardboard box (the kind that 24 cans of soda pop are in to make a case/flat), filled half-way with calci-sand.

Now she has a series of hide logs, and layers of newspaper as substrate. She gets inside of a hide log and kinda' drags newspaper in after her with a digging motion to "seal" the entrance. I personally do not like a sand substrate--it harbors all kinds of nasty germs, and I never feel like it is clean enough for my girl.

I also bought a wet/dry shop vac about that time to deal with the sand all over the enclosure. Worked well at the time, and still does as a husbandry tool. Sucks up wilted greens and veggies, etc.. Be sure to remove the dragon before you begin to vacuum. One time I was "spot cleaning" and left her in--she attacked the wand with a vengeance--fortunately the sucking end was on the bottom of the enclosure (lol).
Keep posting your attempts at solutions.
regards,
althea

I had one that would dig when she was thirsty. Even though there was a water dish in the enclosure. I took her out and soaked her and the digging stopped. When she started digging again, I would soak again.

This dragon isn't old enough to be digging for nesting right??
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2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.1 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.1 Sulcatta tortoise
2.0 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.