Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My baby dragon, Pip, has not been eating well for about six-eight weeks. About 2 weeks ago, I placed my small 6" TV beside his cage so he can watch TV while I'm working.....His appetite has increased tremendously!! So, I wonder if he was bored or depressed. Also, he only weighs 8.2 ounces and is 10 months old. This seems very small to me and I've been thinking of getting him checked for parasites. Otherwise, he's energetic and is eating like a champ. Should I be concerned about his weight? I feed him dark greens w/ pellets and dragon dust mostly and occasionally crickets. Thanks! Jo

You should bring a fecal sample to the vet! My BD is 3 months old and ways 16 grams. So I'm assuming he is really small because mine is alittle skinny.Thats funny with the TV thing lol
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My Leo's
1.0.0 Normal
0.1.0 Tremper Albino
My Beardie
0.0.1 Red x Gold

it also depends on his length.

So many dragons lines in the US are smaller now. if he was 12-14 inches, I would not be that worried about his weight if he is eating well. If he was 20 inches I would, that is thin then.
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www.reptilerooms.com

Sorry lol I'm stupid I thought that said 8.2 grams. I'm an idiot
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My Leo's
1.0.0 Normal
0.1.0 Tremper Albino
My Beardie
0.0.1 Red x Gold

beardie at 10 month ever!

Then I noticed it was oz... we get so use to seeing grams we read it when its not there
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www.reptilerooms.com

first separated from his sibling, they seem depressed and slow down til they adjust, same as when moving to a new home, some really stress out.

Some love to watch TV, especially when red things are on the screen and some also feel alone. We almost lost a baby that first arrived here, til we put another tank side by side with his that had an active healthy baby in it and the other one started eating right away and was much happier and brighter colors.
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www.reptilerooms.com

I think some beardies can get stressed if they don't have any stimulation. I've noticed that my beardie seem happiest perched on a windowsill staring outside for hours on end. She loves basking in the sun and takes an active interest in watching cars and people go by. Her behavior makes it undeniable that she likes staring outside. Sometimes she will run back and forth in her tank, asking to be let out. As soon as I plop her in the windowsill, she's happy as can be and only climbs down when a bird startles her or if she has to poop or something.

If your beardie seems depressed or lethargic, see if you can move his tank within view of an open window so he can get some visual stimulation. Just make sure that direct sunlight doesn't shine onto the tank, as you can cook your dragon. Also be aware that beardies don't like birds, and make sure he has a place to hide if he sees a bird.

If this isn't possible, perhaps you can try to arrange some sort of safe window viewing perch that you can use to give your beardie supervised window access. My couch rests against a windowsill and I stacked several large books across the back of the couch and windowsill and covered the books with a towel. That way she has a large area to lay on (and can't fall) and she knows that if she gets spooked by a bird, she can run down the couch, hop to the ground, and hide under the couch. She does this all the time. When I have her out, she climbs up and down the couch to her basking area to suit her mood. She loves it.