Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought him today at the Carolina Reptile show and tried to feed him when I got home but he didn't eat but a couple 1/3 grown crickets and a few rep-cal pellets. Just wondering if it's normal for them to take a short while to become acclimated to their new surrounding before they are comfortable enough to eat well. He's about 6" long to his tail and his basking temp is about 115F.

Yes, it can be normal for them to take a while to acclimate to it's new surroundings. Keep an eye on the temps, keep an eye on the ambient temps of the cage. If it's 115 under the bulb and 70's the rest of the cage, that is too cold. They need a cool end, but the ambient temps of the cage should be in the higher with a cool end.

Can also try covering the sides of the tanks with paper if it's a glass cage to help it feel more secure. Really just depends. I'd say since he ate for you tonight to give him sometime before you change much. Have to remember, who knows how long it was without proper heat and lights from the show, so for him to go from that to your home, get setup, and what not is a big deal for a little thing. Tomorrow after he's had a full day of proper heat, light, and liquids he should start responding well.

G'luck, let us know how he does.

brandon
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Dragons by Nature

isnt it dangerous for basking temp to be above 113?
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

Newp.. hatchlings need a good basking spot of between 110 degrees and 115, some even goto 120. Really all depends on the cage setup. Have to remember, if the cage is setup properly, a very small area will be lets say 120 degrees directly under the bulb.. two inches to the right or left it could drop down to 110 degrees.. so it really depends on the setup.

Where you have to be *very* careful is in cages without an open top such as screen or mesh to allow the heat to disperse properly. If the cage is made of all wood or plastic or whatever with not a lot of venitlation, the basking spot would be that high, but so would the rest of the cage depending on the size and it could get very stuffy and more like an oven and cook your dragon. Thats why I don't like 10 gallon tanks for dragons, it doesn't give them much room to get away from the heat. I custom built all of our cages so I know it would be done right, and I don't use glass tanks bc of the heat and glass combo. Sometimes we use plastic containers when we need extra space.

For young hatchlings, we always use an open top for this reason. The basking spot gets between 110 and 120 degrees depending where under the bulb they like to go. Some will get right under it, some will lay on the outskirts. As long as the ambient temps inside the cage are in the high 80's with a cool end dropping into the 70's or very low 80's you should be just fine.

But that's just my opinion. Has worked real well for us and our hatchlings always eat and are FAT and grow really fast which is very important at that young age.

Just my opinion though.

brandon
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Dragons by Nature

well if you say it doesnt cook em, ill have to take your word for it maybe the thing about 113 having a 50% fatality rate was for older dragons. my temps (one baby in a 20 gal standard, one juvie in a 116 qt rubbermaid) are about 108 and the closest part of the basking log...my baby almost never even goes near the log under the basking light, preferring one in the middle of the cage except in the morning or post-feeding. my juvie goes up and down the log as needed. i find it amazing how they make such slight changes...an extra degree or two doesnt make much difference to me, but it seems to matter to them. wonder how all that may change when my mvb arrives on tuesday
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

if I remember correctly the post you are talking about with 113 degrees, that was ambient cage temps.. and yes, that will kill the dragons. I said the ambient cage temps should be in the 80's... you only want a very small basking spot directly under the bulb to be around 115... if you have anywhere near that for the ambient cage temps yes you will kill your dragons.. very critical they have a cool end to get away from the heat. ONLY the basking area should be that high.

And yes, that's for young dragons. Adults don't need 115 basking spot. Around 100 degrees is plenty for their basking spot.. they prefer cooler temps then the hatchlings.

Make sure you understand this post.. that's real important to anyone that is reading this. Ambient cages temps need to be LOW... not that high or you will DEFINITELY cook your dragons.

brandon
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Dragons by Nature

now that makes a LOT more sense :O)
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

yea.. BIG difference

brandon
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Dragons by Nature

now if only i could figure out how to keep them nice and toasty without my bedroom becoming 100 degrees as well. *sigh*
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

it's important to know that when I say hatchlings i'm also talking about true hatclings right out of the egg a few days and the first few weeks of age.. not a 6 week old dragon bought off a breeder. As the dragon grows you are right, they will slowly move farther and farther away from the heat.

A 6 week old dragon or so doesn't need 115 degres... 110 would be just fine with the lower ambient rooms temps.. but I have noticed with the "week old hatchlings" they will need that high temp to help kick start their feeding response and get good weight on them and eating right which I believe helps them continue that feeding habit as they grow.

It's also important to note that with 115 degree basking spot the area right away from the bulb is usually lower like 110 or so which is good and have to be careful with a 110 basking spot the area around that bulb can be 100 to 105 which is not hot enough.

so again, it is all relative to "your" specific cage and setup.. but it's better to have 115 to 110 then 110 to 105 if that makes sense. Again, not the AMBIENT cage temps.. that needs to be much lower.. I am only talking about the spot directly under the bulb.

brandon
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Dragons by Nature

He seems to be eating a little bit better so far today. My question now is wheteher his poop is supposed to be very moist or not. It seems like it holds its "form" but he excretes a lot of water with it. Is this normal? If I had to guess, It would be like 3-4 drops of water. It doesn't look liek diarrhea because the ...ummm...."turdlet" holds it's shape fairly well.

if you mean right after it comes out, yes its ok to be a little moist. its a problem when it comes out as pure liquid (not to mention incredibly disgusting!)
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.0.0 leopard gecko (sebastian),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.0 bearded dragon (kaipo and dulce), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)