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I increased the temperature so it's basking spot is at 101. I fed him some pinheads and he went after them right away...then we tried some crickets a little bit bigger, maybe 1/4 inchers or so...he ate 2 of them...but today he didn't want anything to do with crickets.

His belly is probably full...but he pooped twice.

So far so good.

We'll see if he'll eat good tomorrow.

If your dragon is going on 6 months old and is only 5 inches long and only eats a couple crix a day then I would say there is something going on. I have 3 new babies and the oldest of the babies is a month and a half old and I measured him a little over a week ago and he was 6 3/4" long and when I measured him yesterday he was just under 9 1/2" long. He'll eat around 10-15 crix a day and a bowl of greens. Good luck with your baby dragon

Raise the temp in the hot spot a little higer to 108-110 degrees or so. That is the optimum temp for them to bask and digest. Scott ps dont forget vitamins

When My Little Guy, Galiano, was 6 months, He hit 16 inches....... And He'll still eat as many crickets as I throw in there..... But My two new girls are around 4 months old. One is around 14 inches and the other I believe is around 11-12..... Sounds like something is going on with your little one......
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2.0 Iguanas, 2.4 Beardies, 1.2 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 0.0.2 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.1 eastern garter, 0.0.1 Banded California King Snake (M.I.A.), 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 2 Horses (soon to be three {Baby next May!!!}), 4 cats, 1 dog, and I'm still not done.....

getting under thrivers to grow, and grow dramatically.

We have taken in about 10 underthrivers from age 7 months to age 2 years, they had not grown or hardly grown any in months. Immediately they started growing and gaining weigth, some had poor husbandry, but some also had excellent care with good supplements. All were physically healthy, no MBD, no poor bone development. A density test did show that somes bones were not as thick as they should be

Were are still not sure what it is that is sparking that growth and bone thickening, but I think it is a combination of things and one for the key one is the light intensity which in turn increases their appetite. Also is the UVB from the sun and bright lights.

Their homes are in reptariums on a lanai(for ya northern folks that a screen porch with vinyl windows that open up to 3/4ths airflow). Early in the morning they have household bulb heat with director lights, and have salads/veggies. Around 10 AM they go outside in reptariums in full sun with a small amount of shaded area and small pools in thier enclosures. 2 PM they get pellets added, around 3-4 PM the littler ones get crickets and around 5 PM they are all brought back inside and given crickets at 6-7PM then back under the director bulbs until lights out and bed. We do not have these under UVB lights inside, they are getting pleanty from the natural sunlight, if it is a cloudy or rainy day they do get UVB lights.

Now the sunlight in Florida is very bright/intense, so is their director lights inside, they all have places to hide, but only a few do and those few are the slower growers. The ones staying in full sunlight and household lights are growing much faster.

We also decided to raise the imported babies in natural sun light, and we know that the ones receiving more full sun during the day were the faster growers, (the others were in partial shade from the other reptariums).

We were just not sure if it was the UVB from the natural sun or the light intensity from the brighness that is sparking the growth. So we took one small one and brought her inside under UVB MV lights and additional light intensity, so she is getting less UBV than the others, but at least the same or more light intensity, she has outgrown all the others now that were the same weight and length as her. Another one we put under no UVB, good supplements and lower brightness, she ceased to gain weight or grown any for 2-3 weeks, we added brighter lights and she again started gaining weight, slow pace, but gainingfor two weeks. We added the UVB back with MV and she starting increasing in weight more over the next 2 weeks and gained back to the size of the others.

My conclusion, the light intensity is the greater effect on the growth. But the UVB is a factor also. It would be interesting to do a longer study with ongoing bone density with a clutch and and more control groups. I plan on doing that this spring.

n/p
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Rob