Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all
My first ever hatching of beardies. I got a few eggs from my kids school in sorry shape. I managed to hatch out 4 of the eggs They are 8 days old now eating crickets and drinking but one baby is acting peculiar He shakes his head in a quivering motion and runs around dissoriented.
I have them at right tems and have a UVB light on them. WHat is going on???

Unfortunately, it may be a neurological problem. Once eggs are laid they should not be turned or jostled. The fact that one of your kids from school brought them to you makes me think this might have happened. In most cases the embryo just dies, this may be the reason some of the eggs did not hatch. Another possibility is that the parents were too closely related genetically.

All I can suggest, is to do the best you can and see what happens. I would separate him from the others though to prevent him injuring another or another injuring him.

I searched for other possible causes for you. Here's something I found.

http://www.anapsid.org/adenoviruses.html

It reads:

The most common cause of neuromotor problems in young bearded dragons can be caused by feeding them prey that is too large. For more information, see the following excerpt from the Feeding section in my Dragons Down Under: Inland Bearded Dragons article:

You must feed very small prey to baby bearded dragons. While the rule-of-thumb for feeding lizards says that it is generally safe to feed prey that is 2/3 the size of the lizard's head, this is not advisable with baby beardeds (0-4 months). When fed prey that is too large for them, serious physical problems often result: partial paralysis, seizures, ataxia (loss of motor control), inability to self-feed, gut impaction, even death. Start with feeding pin-head crickets and tiny, freshly molted worms, moving only slowly and gradually to larger sizes, phasing in day-old pinks when they are ready for them. Despite the fact that most stores sell animals that need them, most don't sell pin-heads, so you will have to order them directly from a cricket breeder; you can order mealworms from them at the same time.

Gut impactions, as from retained insect chitin, can cause loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, dehydration, lethargy, and ambulatory problems as the gut tries to move the mass along, food cannot be digested, the gut becomes infected and gassy from the food rotting, and pain and cramping set in. Loss of appetite, lethargy, dehydration are also the most common signs of a wide range of bacterial, parasitic, fungal, mycoplasmal, and viral illnesses. All avenues should be explored, and in the case of young bearded dragons (most of the survivors of which outgrow the neuromotor symptoms as they get older), great care must be taken when selecting the insects being fed out, making sure to feed small, newly molted ones.

Note that some viruses, such as the boid inclusion body disease, does cause ataxia and stargazing, two neuromotor signs.

SOunds like if I change my feeding it may outgrow the issue? Many thanks for the research!!!!
Tony

Pinheads are too small in my opinion. 1/8" is fine for newly hatched. I don't ever feed mealworms to even my adults so stick with crickets. Baby Dragons love them.

I use Southerncricket.com and they are a very reliable supplier. I've used other suppliers but have never had a problem with southern cricket.

Only other thing I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned is MBD or other nutrient deficiencies. Definitely separate the ill dragon and see if changing the size of food etc makes any different, also dust your insects with a multivitamin powder. Also watch your other dragons to see if they have the same problem develop. Lastly, a vet check may be necessary.
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PHLdyPayne

Hi
to large prey items ,bigger then space between the eyes can cause that.
also no uvb and no calsium dusting 4 times a week 1 time vitamins can cause it to .
byeeeee
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