SarahScales
Well-Known Member
So after fiddling around with theromostats, lights, temp guns, heat mats and lamp clamps, I finally managed to get the heat gradient in my tank perfect. High thirties in the basking spot down to mid-high twenties in the cool end. Great right? This was before I even purchased Bruce and has been checked thoroughly since.
I get Bruce home, he's been home for three weeks now. At first when he didn't spend much time basking, I just thought it was because he was shy of his new environment. However, it's been a few weeks now and he still prefers to just sit on his log in the cooler end of the tank (coloured up slightly). So I thought he may prefer the log to his rock, move the light fixture down to the log end and he shifts on back up to the opposite end. He just doesn't seem to like the high temperature.
I also have an outdoor enclosure (to let him get real UV) which is half full sunlight and half full shade. He will spend about 20 minutes sitting in the full sun, turn bright yellow and then move into the shade and not go out to bask again.
P.S I took him to the South Penrith Reptile Vet on Friday to have him wormed and a check up, the vet said he was in good condition. I mentioned the issue but he just said my temperatures would be wrong. But they aren't...
He also said that I shouldn't be handling him at all (Apparently Bearded Dragons should be treated like goldfish, look but don't touch) because it takes him away from his optimal basking temperature and he could get very sick. Is this true?
The only reason I am worried is, I want him to digest his food properly and if he isn't basking he cannot do that? Right?
Why doesn't my beardie like the heat?
Also, what SHOULD a beardies poop look like? Just so I know that everything is going alright in his bowels.
Sorry for all the newbie questions but I love my Bruce and I want to spend as many years with him as I possibly can, and that means getting his conditions perfect...
I get Bruce home, he's been home for three weeks now. At first when he didn't spend much time basking, I just thought it was because he was shy of his new environment. However, it's been a few weeks now and he still prefers to just sit on his log in the cooler end of the tank (coloured up slightly). So I thought he may prefer the log to his rock, move the light fixture down to the log end and he shifts on back up to the opposite end. He just doesn't seem to like the high temperature.
I also have an outdoor enclosure (to let him get real UV) which is half full sunlight and half full shade. He will spend about 20 minutes sitting in the full sun, turn bright yellow and then move into the shade and not go out to bask again.
P.S I took him to the South Penrith Reptile Vet on Friday to have him wormed and a check up, the vet said he was in good condition. I mentioned the issue but he just said my temperatures would be wrong. But they aren't...
He also said that I shouldn't be handling him at all (Apparently Bearded Dragons should be treated like goldfish, look but don't touch) because it takes him away from his optimal basking temperature and he could get very sick. Is this true?
The only reason I am worried is, I want him to digest his food properly and if he isn't basking he cannot do that? Right?
Why doesn't my beardie like the heat?
Also, what SHOULD a beardies poop look like? Just so I know that everything is going alright in his bowels.
Sorry for all the newbie questions but I love my Bruce and I want to spend as many years with him as I possibly can, and that means getting his conditions perfect...