is this normal? i know that lizards change color with their moods and health but his beard is much much darker. is my guy ok??
Answers:
He's probably just stressed out. The black squiggly lines on hi underside usually indicates stress. They can also look like little ovals, like this : ( ) , or a mixture. Nothing to worry about. If you want, put some computer paper or paper towels around the sides of the tank. That'll help minimize the stress. Other than that though, he'll just have to get used to his new enviornment and surroundings. Check out: http://bearded-dragons.com/boards/index.. . They have all the updated info on how to care for beardies. We'll answer any questions you may have. It's a great site. I highly recommend new dragon owners go there to make sure you've got everything correct for their new little friend. Good luck!
EDIT: Just to refer to someone else's answer, dragons do not need heating pads. They will burn dragons, just like other lizards, because they don't know how hot it gets below them. Heat sources provided above (heat lights) are much for natural to the dragon and 100% safe.
That;s normal. nothing to worry about!
from what i hear, once they go black they never go back.
my daughter has one of those . she says they do change color a lot
she also says to feed it some maggots, baby crickets and some collard greens too
put a log/branch in the cage - they love to climb and hide
From what I know, they are diurnal (sp?) .
They tend to lose colour when they are stressed, so if you adopted him yesterday he was probably very stressed. Colour coming back is a good thing.
I'd suggest chatting at a Beardie forum, where the people really know their stuff. They are always very happy to help a new owner :-)
http://www.reptileforums.com/forums/cmps.
http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?ca.
He's fine. Any kind of reptile needs a thermal gradiant though. This is just a fancy way of saying, one side of the cage is warmer than the other. I don't know the specifics for a bearded dragon, but make sure you have a herptile heat pad and a heat lamp. Also check to see if they need a UV lamp. Most reptiles do.
it is probably stress just make sure you feed him good and have fresh water the right temps they also need uvb light you can buy uvb bulbs from pet stores and give him a little while to settle in befor handling him
bearded dragon care sheet
http://www.kingsnake.com/gladescs/bearde.
He should be fine. I have a large beardie who does the same thing. It seems as though the more excited and active they get, the lighter they get (mood). As long as he is eating and not acting listless I would think you have no problem.
Bearded dragons turn darker so they can absorb more sunlight. In other words, he's cold. Make sure you have a proper heat lamp on the cage and possibly a UV light to keep him healthy. Check the temps for your cage and make sure he has a basking area that's elevated so he's closer to the lamp.
Typically they should be a tan or light beige color but they do vary a bit.
DO NOT use heated rocks or heating pads. Bearded dragons can't sense heat on their stomachs and they can get burned by these rocks.
I have a bearded dragon and yes this is common and of the norm, they use there beards for communication, mating and defence and temperature regulation, don't worry, how old is it and are you sure what sex it is? Also make sure your temperature is correct and you have the right type of viv for him. And sand for the viv because they have a habbit of licking the ground. If it's female keep in contact cuz i have a male one that's in good need of a mate.
