Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just added a new lizard hammock to my beardies cage, and he's acting abit weird now. I'm thinkin its just being cautios of the new thing in it's environment, but i wanted to double check.
He's under his hideaway place, pressed flate againt the ground, and from time to time starts gaping with his mouth (more than usual). Does all of this seem normal? He seemed ok with it when i fed him crickets, but when he had to climb on it to get one, he kinda froze and kinda seemed like he was thinkin "wut the F***?"
-----
My baby Beardie!(aka the Fugetive)

You can keep it in for awhile if it doesnt effect him and just see if you gets use to it.He could just not like it and wants it out.
-----
My Leo's
1.0.0 Normal
0.1.0 Tremper Albino
My Beardie
0.0.1 Red x Gold

it is possible he is catious but if he is gaping he might have an illness. take the hammock out of his cage and see if that changes anything. if he still acts the same after the hammock has been out of his cage for a day. then you may need too take him too a vet.
-----
sincerely,
jonathan
JDDK Reptiles www.jddkreptiles.com

what?
him gaping in a new situation could mean he has in illness? thats like sayin ppl sweating when they're nervous could mean they're sick.

What illness walks hand in hand with gaping?
-----
My baby Beardie!(aka the Fugetive)

an illness that could be associated with gaping is respirotory infection. If you remove the hammock and he is still gaping a while afterwords then he is not gaping because of the hammock therefore he may be gaping because of a respiratory infections.

and by the way sometimes people sweat alot when there are sick.
-----
sincerely,
jonathan
JDDK Reptiles www.jddkreptiles.com

You can also tell by while he is gaping he will making a popping soung usually if he has an infection.
-----
My Leo's
1.0.0 Normal
0.1.0 Tremper Albino
My Beardie
0.0.1 Red x Gold

Yeah they make a popping sound when they are in an advanced state of URI, but gaping comes first, and it is a tell-tale syptom. Even if it's not the case it's a good idea to be cautious of it all the same. You don't want to ignore the gaping and wait for the popping sound, because by then it could be far worse. Littleherper is making a decent point that shouldn't be blown off so easily.

You say he is gaping more than usual. You ask if that is normal. IMO it is not. It can mean he is too hot, or he is sick. Personally, I've never seen a beardie gape because they didn't like their surroundings.
-----
2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)