Southern Anglehead Dragon Feeding Issues + Bent Tail

[Alaska]

I've had my SAHD for a couple of months now, I bought her (I think it's a her anyway, it's difficult to tell if her patterning is increasing but it seems to be since her first shed in my care) through a friend from another breeder. The first thing I noticed was a very noticeable bend about 5cm from the end of her tail. I thought it could potentially be a calcium or vitamin deficiency but I really don't know and it has shown no signs of straightening. I've tried looking all of this up, but as many of you may know there is very minimal information about the care of the SAHD. I was wondering if anyone else has experience with this and if it's anything to worry about? I can provide photos if necessary.

Now, my other issue is that based on other threads on this forum, various care sheets and the general web, I can't actually find a consistent diet that is appropriate for them. I get the feeling she was fed only mealworms before coming into my care as it is literally all she goes for. She has occasionally gone for crickets and silk worms but it is a real struggle. She seemed very underweight when I first got her (ribs showing) but she has fattened up a lot. My only concern is the lack of nutritional value in mealworms. I coat them in calci powder and about once a week in vitamin powder. But due to the lack of information out there I don't really know if that makes up for mealworms being nothing but fat really.

I'm putting this out to all SAHD owners past and present who can help me out, and maybe give me some tips. Plus side, she doesn't seem to be one of the moody SAHD I've read so much about as her eating is consistent despite her only wanting mealworms, and I've rearranged her tank multiple times and she always remains active.

Thanks!

 

[007_lizards]

Hi,
I'm pretty sure that kinks in tails for any species are normally something from birth that won't straighten out. Some of my reptiles have them too.
For your diet problem, I have found his care sheet on the internet. Since it's a word document I can't attach a link so if you google "Southern angle headed dragon care" it's the link at the top by Pails for Scales. I have found it quite helpful and should answer most other questions that you might have.
A good book like "A guide to Australian Dragons in captivity" would help too.

 

[Alaska]

Thanks for the note about the tail, the worry had set in a little bit
I've read that care sheet however, and because I am not entirely sure of it's age I don't know if its harmful for her to live off mealworms. I've tried woodies and she hasn't been interested.

She seems to enjoy the idea of a worm, so perhaps I should try earth worms? I've tried looking for somewhere where I can purchase them but haven't had much luck. Does anyone know where I can find these in Sydney?

 

[iHerp]

Ok. its like offering a kid a lollipop or food. its gonna choose the lollipop over food anyday , because she knows if she doesn't eat the crickets im gonna get my favourite treat. i had to not feed my dragons for 1 day until they ate their veggies. so now i feed them veggies in the morning and then crickets later on until they had finished their veggies .
meal worms are a fatty treat that i feed once a week or every second week, because they have a lot of fat but minimal nutrient .

 

[007_lizards]

As iHerp said, stop offering her mealworms etc and only offer woodies, crickets etc what she should eat. She will then think because I want to eat I've got to take this new food item and then you can continue feeding her that with mealworms as a treat every now and then.

 

[pinefamily]

We had the same problem with our 2 yr old beardie that we "inherited". The last owner fed him only mealworms and vegies. Didn't know what to do with the crickets at first, which looked sort of funny. After a couple of days, he was chasing the crickets around like a pro. And still eats his vegies.
So SAH's don't eat vegies?

 

[007_lizards]

We had the same problem with our 2 yr old beardie that we "inherited". The last owner fed him only mealworms and vegies. Didn't know what to do with the crickets at first, which looked sort of funny. After a couple of days, he was chasing the crickets around like a pro. And still eats his vegies.
So SAH's don't eat vegies?

Not really in the wild, although they will occasionally accept bok choy and chopped banana in captivity but that does not form a staple diet.

 

[Alaska]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I resisted feeding her mealworms the past two days, attempted crickets with no avail, but hopefully today she will go for either the crickets or the woodies. My main concern with the crickets and woodies is that she seems to really struggle to catch them (the few times she has gone for them) and that they'll just escape her. She does not like tongs... at all. I've also tried freezing the woodies but without movement she didn't pay them any notice. I guess it's just a matter of repeating the motions until she finally starts eating the good stuff. Thanks so much!

 

[NathanT]

Another note on the tail, I have a 2.5 year old SAHD and she has had a kink pretty much from the start. It has never been detrimental. Her partner has a perfectly normal tail, these things just happen sometimes I guess. Keep up that calcium powder though.

And yes, I think it is about the motions. Eventually she will eat, it's a shame you havn't been able to train her from the start. My dragons struggled to eat early on off the tongs, I just littered the cage with small crickets and they hunted but it soon became easier for them to eat off the tongs

 

[Magpie]

The kink is probably a break / malformation and won't go away.
What I would do is....
Start feeding her with forceps. Offer a freshly coated, freshly moulted mealworm held in forceps. The wriggling should be enough to get her to take it. Do this several times until she starts to react to the forceps as a food source. Then use the forceps to offer a cricket. Good chance she will take it. I used to feed mine like this and they would take anything that was held in the forceps.

 

[Alaska]

It's actually the strangest thing, out of no where after refusing to eat ANYTHING for a week, she has suddenly fallen in love with crickets. She eats them right off the tongs and is very enthusiastic about it. I am perplexed, but just so damn happy that she has finally started eating properly. I'm not even giving her meal worms at this stage, so fingers crossed she keeps it up.

And thanks for the info about the tail, just wanted to be positively sure