LAZY bearded dragon

[THECHAMMAN]

do bearded dragons get so lazy that they just dont want to move. i know she is very fast, because when i stick my hand in her terrarium, she runs off. but if i dont disturb her, she'll stay there until i throw some food in. is she healthy. i took her to the vet, and he said she's in perfect health. ????????

 

[HmC]

our bearded dragon is suuuuper lazy. if hes picked up and set back down...hell stay however hes positioned all day...i dont think ive ever seen an active adult bearded dragon. hell occasionally move around when hes hungry or when his mate bugs him.

 

[THECHAMMAN]

her lights turn on at 6 am eats,basks, and go back to sleep, she wakes up at 10 am, when i get back from school, i take her out, and sometimes on the weekend she will sleep next to me when i pass out after a long night. it's quite comical. i just wonder if she is supposed to be soooo lazy. i bought her a hide, and now that is her little burrow. she will actually dig 4-5 inches down and make a little burrow. really funny. if i put on music she will wake up and get really PO'd, and puff up. thanks for assuring me that she is supposed to be lazy.

 

[Chamgirl]

My bearded dragon is very lazy. He is elderly now but has always been pretty lazy. This time of the year they can 'brumate' i.e naturally slow down anyway.

 

[Chase]

They aren't active anymore because their metablism is slow. Only Really active is during their growth period.

 

[THECHAMMAN]

she is 6 months old, so i would assume she starts to slow down in growing. is that Right?

 

[Chase]

Ya, I've seen pictures of her, she looks about full grown. So, I'd say ya, her growth is about done.

 

[Lancecham]

Bearded dragons if kept alone, don't do a lot of moving around. Sure they eat and stuff, but they do a lot of sitting around.

 

[Chase]

But it's not always better for them to live with another beardie.

 

[THECHAMMAN]

she's asleep right now, but was sleeping on me LOLZ, but she's about 15in long, and pushing 200g. i went to the breeder, and the mom was 23in long, and the dad was 25 in long german giants, so i expect her to be quite large. she is alone in a 40 gallon breeder tank, with a LARGE water bowl, a feeding dish for the salad she wont eat, and superworms. i have a repti-sun 10.0 UVB Lamp. her basking temp is 115F, and the cold side is like mid 70's. i have now got some reptilite calcium sand, that she loves to dig in, so it is like 5 inches deep. i would assume my husbandry is fine. so, Bearded dragons are just naturally really Lazy animals. if so, thats even better than i thought.

 

[HmC]

But it's not always better for them to live with another beardie.

uromastyx are better roommates lol...my beardies brother from another mother

 

[THECHAMMAN]

i want a Uro, but i dont have room for another 40 gallon terrarium.

 

[Chase]

uromastyx are better roommates lol...my beardies brother from another mother

You have one in with a beardie? And THECHAMMAN, a 40 Gallon Breeder Tank isn't needed. I have a Male Mali Uromastyx in a 20 Gallon Long Tank and he Thrives! Also, no need for the water bowl, hard to keep sterile, and thats where they poo in. Also, the basking temp can be brought down some, Adults can live fine in temperatures between 90-100, technically, yours is considered a Subadult, but Adult Temperatures should be fine.

 

[HmC]

You have one in with a beardie? And THECHAMMAN, a 40 Gallon Breeder Tank isn't needed. I have a Male Mali Uromastyx in a 20 Gallon Long Tank and he Thrives! Also, no need for the water bowl, hard to keep sterile, and thats where they poo in. Also, the basking temp can be brought down some, Adults can live fine in temperatures between 90-100, technically, yours is considered a Subadult, but Adult Temperatures should be fine.

Yeah, well the pet store that we bought them from said we had to get both the beardie and uromastyx because they grew up together. And they dont have any problems with each other. They usually just sleep on each other. Its pretty cute.

 

[jojackson]

They do get lazy. I think its just boredom and insufficent stimulation and Uv. Kept in outside pits they will be much more active and exhibit more natural behaviours. Bright sunshine vs flourescent light, A case of seasonal depression (such as we get in winter) I think.
Dragons are high temp, High Uv animal, that normally has a faster metabolism in the wild than they do in captivity.

They bask more in the wild, since they need to be more often active and alert in order to catch food when it happens by, and avoid predators. In captivity they dont have predators to be alert for, and food appears daily. Many are overfed and lifespans shorter than nessesary, due to fat surrounding organs. The wild diet is far different.

A Beardy (p.vitticept, or P.barbata) should be living 18-20 yrs in captivity, I personally know of some this age, yet you dont often hear of such longevity.

 

[hallenhe]

A Beardy (p.vitticept, or P.barbata) should be living 18-20 yrs in captivity, I personally know of some this age, yet you dont often hear of such longevity.

That's good to hear - a friend's beardie recently turned 13, and he's been told that that's VERY old for a bearded dragon.

 

[Chase]

Umm, Jo, where did you hear that information. 10 is like really old for them. So 13 is really good. I have one that turns 8 in October, and three that turn 7!!! My beardies are oldies

 

[THECHAMMAN]

i got a higher wattage bulb and she is noticeably more active, but she will like spaz out when i put food in her cage. i try to take her outside often in the summer, but the winter is not such a good idea.

 

[jojackson]

Umm, Jo, where did you hear that information. 10 is like really old for them.

Please note that beardy husbandry in the states is different than elsewhere, I've seen plenty of fat, unhealthy beardys wracked with MBD, weak bones etc from being pumped (fed way too much) from hatchlings. This results in too rapid growth, weak bones/skeletal structure despite supplimentation, not to mention fatty liver disease.
Its no wonder then longevity is low by comparison.

A freinds beardy is 19 yrs old this year, and was still breeding at 15. I know of several older herpers with beardys of comparable ages, both sexes. My female is 12 and still breeding.

15 yrs is a standard longevity for bearded dragons here.

i got a higher wattage bulb and she is noticeably more active, but she will like spaz out when i put food in her cage. i try to take her outside often in the summer, but the winter is not such a good idea.

'spaz out'? how? You could probably house it outdoors during summer and return it to the indoor enclosure late fall, with some good quality artifical UV. even during winter you'll get the odd sunny day, provided its not freezing you can make use of them too.
A BBQ area or something, where it can get sunlight and you can rig a heat lamp would be great on sunny winter days.