An uneasy bearded dragon..

[tikeyas_mom]

Yoshi has been acting quite weird..
She pases back, and forth in her tank for hours..
When I pick her up she totally relaxes, and falls asleep..
Whats her problem..
I know she just wants attention, but what can I do to make her tank more enjoyable, when I'm not spending time with her???

Thanks

[lv4dogs]

How big is her aquarium?

She should be in the biggest cage possible, I would guess (as I'm no reptile expert but common sense would make me believe) that it should be AT LEAST 3 or more times as long as her body & about 5or so times as wide as her body. She needs room to move around.

I know in rodents, small animals, dogs & cats that the pacing is known as boredom & cage rage.... which both mean they spend too much time in their cage & do not get enough exercise & interaction. I can't imagine that it would be any different for reptiles.

I would also suggest some branches or the like so she can climb a little bit and some type of cover so she can hide.

I'd also suggest taking her out at least once a day for 20-40 or so minutes, in a room that is beardie proof so she can run around.

She probably needs at least 20 or so minutes of holding & handeling.

[Allecto]

You'd need to give us a lot more info about her house before we can help. Temperature? Set-up? Size? etc...


Lighting and feeding should be on pretty strict, regular schedules for most reptiles. Beardies are much more tolerant and complacent about handling than almost any other reptile, but 40 minutes every day?! WAY too much. A beardie would handle it better than just about any other herp, but they really aren't cuddlers, and even reptiles that like handling can be very stressed by over-handling. If her cage is too cold, she may be trying to 'bask' off of your body heat... but I have no way to know this without the cage temp gradient. Or maybe she's just been handled enough that she knows there is no point in resisting once she is picked up. When you hold her, do you grip her at all? While you should make sure she is secure, it is better to allow her to explore and move about your hands/arms some. Maybe she feels trapped by how you hold her? Are you feeding her enough (portion and variety), and do you gut-load and dust her prey? She may be moving around a lot b/c she is always hunting if some of her nutritional needs aren't being met. As far as stimulation... do you ever take her out for some sun? There's some debate, but a lot of beardie owners still think UVB lights (which I can only assume you use) don't cut it, and try to get in at least 30 minutes of sun time a week as possible. If you could set up a safe, supervised spot outside, that would definitely provide her some welcome variety and stimulation.
I am guessing this is something new or at least more drastic than usual since you seem concerned, but some lizards are just 'pacers' b/c they are really active, always hungry, and always interested in what you are doing when you come into the room.

[Allecto]

Just thought of something else... if this is indeed new behavior for Yoshi, and if Yoshi is indeed a little lady, she may be wanting to lay eggs. Even if there have been no males around, she could be carrying an infertile batch (slugs). Is she at all chubby? Feel any unusual round bumps? Is she also digging or disturbing her substrate more than usual? If you suspect this at all, you need to set up and egg box for her that she'll feel secure laying eggs in. If she is too stressed or doesn't have a spot to lay them, she could get egg-bound, which is NOT good. I wouldn't bet that this is what is going on, and even f it is the odds of her getting egg-bound are even smaller, but it is something to be aware of...