Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do beardies have radical color shifts, or do cameras have rad shifts? I just got this little guy (I like him so I will keep him) I paid dearly for him and this is the picture of him from the classifieds.
http://www.pbase.com/image/20488651.jpg

It is very tought with any camera to get a good accurate color pic.. I would be a little concerned with the tail base of the dragon though...........looks a little thin in that spot. Chris

this is my phot of him tonight 48 hours after I received him........Cameras ...no way was this deceptive I am sure I will wake up tomorrow or the next day and see the "super orange" I was sold without having to view him through photoshop.

Just some tips.........keep him warm and bright. Let the dragon be and settle in. Also I would notify the breeder of your concerns and see if they agree just to give it some time to make sure the color comes back out. Waiting too long to say something is the last thing you want to do though. Make sure that dragon is plenty hydrated and well fed. I still think the tail base looks a bit thin, and it could be just the dragon or the stage of growth the dragon is in.........but I would also state your concern about that. Chris

I have him housed with a couple of repti something 8.0 bulbs and a basking light , but unless beardeds are capable of much more of a color shift than I remember (way more than the chamies I used to breed) I do not see how he can become the picture of what I thought I purchased.

I have him housed with a couple of repti something 8.0 bulbs and a basking light , but unless beardeds are capable of much more of a color shift than I remember (way more than the chamies I used to breed) I do not see how he can become the picture of what I thought I purchased.

and yes, when stressed (which he appears to be a lot) they are much darker.

He is thin, his hip bones are showing more than they should and he is also dehydrated (look under the eyes and see those dark circles) the lack of fluids can explain all those factors. Stress from changing homes can be very stressful for them as can shipping.

Chris is right in his advice, give him some soaks and you can also offer diluted pedialite or gatorade to him, but leave him alone as much as possible and let him adjust which can take up to two weeks for some... it may be just us, but we have had this problem with almost every male we got, and none with the females.

In time I am sure you will see the bright happy orange of that picture, but I also agree that you should send the picture to the breeder right away and let them know that the baby is very stressed.

I am sure it is the same baby in the picture as if you count from the first band across his hip the second is arched, 3rd and 4th straight, 5th has a peak, 6th and 7th straight and 8 is a partial band, in both pictures. You did get the baby in the picture and the one you paid for.

I have no doubt that this is the same beardie, he is eating well,13 or 14 crickets and and some greens today so far, had a good soak and drank a bit. I am just doubting the ability to change color that radically maybe the photos could have that kind of color shift but are beardeds capable of the range of color I am seeing in these photos or is it a matter of photos and cameras causing this?

These are pictures of the same dragon as a baby and then as an Adult in different situations that effect their color

As a stressed baby in a new home:

As a content baby just fed:

As an adult getting ready to brumate

As an adult basking and just fed (her favorite time)

I have had some babies that appear normal when they wake up in the morning and by noon that same day they are showing all of their beautiful colors. It may also be that this guy is due to shed or something. Contact the breeder, mention your concerns and give him a few days.

>>I have no doubt that this is the same beardie, he is eating well,13 or 14 crickets and and some greens today so far, had a good soak and drank a bit. I am just doubting the ability to change color that radically maybe the photos could have that kind of color shift but are beardeds capable of the range of color I am seeing in these photos or is it a matter of photos and cameras causing this?
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

I won't go into too much detail but I had a dragon here once that was incredible in the pic I saw, from the breeder. Well, when he was here, he looked nothing like he did from the pic. The dragon was returned and I have seen pics of the same dragon since and it is awesome!
There are sooooooooo many factors,,, did I say sooooooooooo many factors? That can stress them while going to a new home and they may not color up the same for a while. Once they are comfortable they will or "should" return back to their normal fine looking self's.
One thing I have learned, is to provide as much "bright" light as possible (paying close attention to the heat!) If a dragon is brought up in bright conditions and then gets to a new "scary" place that is not so bright, they may think it's late evening all the time.
You said you had a couple 8.0 bulbs and the basking bulb. Try replacing "one" of the 8.0 bulb for a brighter / whiter normal florescent. The 8.0 bulbs are stressed on lower wavelengths which are much bluer and not as bright.

I have seen a big change in my dragons when I added another strip over all the baby bins.(one 8.0 and one is a Philips daylight deluxe from home depot $5. for two)

Heat can also play a huge factor in their overall color. Just because the basking spot is at 110, does not mean the ambient temp in the rest of the cage is up to par. Try to have the rest of the cage in the lower to mid eighties

I tell you what,, if I knew how much the above could actually affect them,, I would still have the dragon I mentioned above. I have seen some pics of him and can not believe I sent him back, however, like I said, I had no idea how much it would help.

I hope that helps.
Joel Roberts.

I agree with what Chris allen says... make sure you check all those things...

I learned by watching my bro raise his beardies... the day he put his two i na bigger tank... with better lighting... they started to show some REALLY nice colors...

-lou

These are pictures of a baby that were taken only a few days apart. She was in shed in the first pic, and then she shed out to this...maybe your baby is just shedding. The picture did look dark. I hope this picture thing works

Jen

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MY Dragons!!