Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone...Well I have a female dragon about 4 1/2 months old and at 14 inches long...I noticed for the past day and a half now that she keeps her eyes shut and is in a some what dormant stage..She did eat yesterday but not today and she does open her eyes very briefly..I cant figure it out.. I gave her a soak today and gave her water from a dripper but still seems like shes overly tired..I do house her with another female (same size) and there doesnt appear to be any kind of dominance between them..the other one seems ok but does sleep alot..I house them in a 72x24x24 cage..Basking side is kept at 105 d. and cool side at 85 d. I use a 10.0 floresent bulb and a holagen flood light for heat.. The only thing I did change recently was the holagen bulb, could this be the problem? I do use Temp gun to monitor heat..another thing that i think may be the problem is that she eats like a pig, I feed her greens first and then Dusted crickets after that (as much as she can eat)twice a day..Last feeding is at 4:00 and lights out at 6:00 I welcome any suggestiong anybody has to offer..Thanks

They are in a large cage for 14". If they are both eating well, it may not be a real concern. However they shouldn't have their eyes closed all the time. Though young dragons do take more naps during than day than adults, it shouldn't be all the time. If the new flood light has a higher intensity of light, they may be finding it bothers their eyes. If possible, switch back to the old bulb and see if they fair better. (or buy a new one of the same type/wattage and brand of the old one). If, after a day or two they still keep their eyes closed alot, bring a fresh fecal from each and get them tested for parasites.

What sort of substrate are you using? Some are very dusty and that could be irritating their eyes. Also, you did mention you turn lights off at 6pm, what time do they come on in the morning? They should have between 12-14 hours of daylight. Check your temps as well. If they have dropped with the new light, that could explain why they are sleeping more, thinking it's time to brumate.
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PHLdyPayne

Hi Thanks for your advice... I keep them on screened washed play sand that i bought at home depot and the lights are on timers 6:00am -6:00pm...I was told that clear lights (as for as heat) are the only one I should use thats why I purchased the holagen, is this true? because the one I had before was a soft white light that did work very well as far as heat was concerned. I have another two smaller dragons and they are doing very well as far as heat( soft White light ),same exact setup but smaller cage..once again thanks for your advice..
PS you mentioned Brumating! Is this common at this age?

Soft white lights may be better in your case, as they are used to it. Halogen lights are very bright and for my dragon, when I had one, I typically used the soft light more than the clear bulbs.

Brumation isn't common in dragons under a year old though it can happen at times, but usually around 8-9 months if it does happen under a year.
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PHLdyPayne