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#265388
Dan CCat
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 My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Hi all, I’m new to this website and it seems to be very good in answering questions! Please can I have advice with my Bearded Dragon? I have only had him for a week, but over the last few days he has been hiding under his bark, is this normal? I don’t think the UV rays are getting to him? I know he has been out for at least a little because when I get home from work, there’s sand in his water and poo next to his basking area. Is this normal behaviour? Am I worrying over nothing? Please can someone let me know? Sorry for the long post
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03/05/05 03:36am
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#265392
FutureVet
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Message To: Dan In reference to Message Id: 265388
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
First of all, welcome to the site! Ok, you mentioned he’s hiding in his bark, and sand in the water bowl. Which are you using for a substrate? I"ll be the first to tell you that both bark and sand are not good for bearded dragons!! They can cause impaction and the bark is a breeding ground for parasites and such (dont quote me on that last part, something I just heard). A safer thing for your beardie to live on would be wheat bran, reptile carpets, paper toweling and newspaper if it is still young! How old is your dragon? how big is he? What size cage is he in? What are the temps in the cage, and what is the basking temp? I think that because he’s new, he’s still a little nervous and still adjusting to his new home. Is he eating? If so, then that’s also a plus! He will eventually come around, and I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.
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03/05/05 03:50am
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#265393
Dan CCat
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Message To: FutureVet In reference to Message Id: 265392
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Thanks for the swift reply :-)OK, the pet shop gave me sand and the bark to use... I’ll get rid of the sand when I get home later...what’s the best to replace? Wheat bran?? For heating I am using a heat matt, UV strip and a basking light - in the basking area, the temp is 95 F., the rest of the area is about 80 F. I’m thinking of just putting the heat matt on at nights...the floor maybe too hot? He’s about 3 weeks old, only a little one - about 5 inches. Tomorrow I’ll be able to watch him all day, see what his routine is
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03/05/05 04:08am
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#265397
Blue eyes
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Message To: Dan In reference to Message Id: 265393
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
I recommend papertowels for a baby that young, which makes me angry that they sold you something so young to begin with. They shouldn’t be sold until 6-8 weeks of age. Anyway for something that young I strongly recommend papertowels so that you can easily monitor everything and it also helps keep it brighter. Your basking spot is not warm enough, a baby that young needs a basking spot of 105-115F but check your temps with a digital thermometor or a temp gun. You don’t need the heat mat and you don’t even need it at night unless your house gets below 60-65F. You can also try covering the sides of the cage with paper so he can’t see out. Leave it totally covered for about a week and then slowly uncover the rest bit by bit. That will make him feel more secure which I also strongly recommend at such a young, fragile age.
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03/05/05 04:46am
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#265399
Dan CCat
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Message To: Blue In reference to Message Id: 265397
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Well...I wasn’t told the dragon’s age from the pet store, but the dragon is about 5". If they should sell them at the age of 7-8 weeks then I’m sure that’s the age of mine then? I’ll go down the pet store on my lunch to find out. I’ll also get the appropriate flooring for him. Thanks for the advice Blue Eyes
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03/05/05 04:57am
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#265419
Snowdude
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Message To: Dan In reference to Message Id: 265399
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
I agree a baby that young shouldnt have been sold,and also reccomend papertowels at such a young age. I agree with all stated above...also is he eating?Food should be no bigger than the space between his eyes...so his salads will need to be chopped finely.
Also with onne that little you will need to mist him a few times a day to ensure hydration.
Good luck and keep us posted. OH YA and I would strongly suggest a stool sample be taken to a vet.
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03/05/05 08:18am
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#265425
Dan CCat
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Message To: Snowdude In reference to Message Id: 265419
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Yeah! He’s eating loads!!!! I just went home to check on him, he was out basking so im feeling a little better now :-)I gave him a bath last night and have been misting him once a day..is that enough? How many crickets should I give such a little guy then? He’s a greedy little bugger! I’ll do just that with the stool sample
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03/05/05 08:34am
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#265494
FutureCROChunter
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Message To: Dan In reference to Message Id: 265425
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Thats great that hes eating!!
You should be feeding him the live food as much as he will eat in 10-15min. And there should be greens available all day.Steven
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03/05/05 10:47am
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#265569
HockeyMan0920
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Message To: FutureCROChunter In reference to Message Id: 265494
My Bearded Dragon hides under his Bark...
Make sure that if you decide to get wheat bran that you don’t mist it because it will mold. Use some sort of paper or chelf liner now. Make sure you make your basking spot a bit warmer as well.
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03/05/05 01:00pm
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