Mushu is normally a very active female Bearded Dragon. She is about 2-3 years old and is always basking, digging and running around. I leave her door open when I'm around (her viv is on the floor) she jumps out, runs around my room and when she gets too cool she climbs back in again.

For the last week she seems to have not done much at all apart from sleep in her tree or curl up in the cool end of her viv in a little hole she has buried for herself. She hasn't eaten any crickets but has had the occasional stroll to her salad bowl before returning to sleep. She had a decent poo the day before yesterday and it seemed no different to normal.

I haven't altered her feeding patterns and her lights are on a timer so they go on and off at regular times (8.30am - 8.30pm).

I have heard about brumation and read about it and her behavior corresponds to this but it is the middle of summer so could she possibly be slowing down so early???

I'm really confused and just want to know if she is ok or not.

PLEASE HELP!
Thank you!!

It does sound like brumation but if its summer there then I would maybe suggest a vet visit. Brumation normally isnt done this time of year. What are her basking temps? What substarte is she on? etc?

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Basking temp is about 105 farenheit and the cool end is about 85. She has a ReptiGlo 10.0 UVB light - 20W, 24 inch which I change about every 6 month. A 60W EuroRep Daylight Spotlamp. Substrate is repti-bark but I feed her live food in a seperate enclosure and change the bark every month. She has a heat pad under the substrate at the hot end of the viv.

What time of the year do females normally lay eggs? Could that be a possibility? She seems a bit fidgety in her log. I can't exactly see if she is sleeping or not when she is in there because she get's right in to it.

First I would ditch the repti bark. Thats not a good choice of substrate for a Bearded Dragon. Id go with tile, newspaper, shelf liner or something similar.

Has she been with a male? Does her belly look lumpy?

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Thought you may say that about the substrate! I suppose it's arguable, there seem to be disadvantages to all substrates but bark is what the local pet stores use so I figured it best to stick with what she's been used to.

I haven't seen her for a while so I don't know what her tummy is looking like but no she hasn't been with a male. She has layed unfertilised eggs though before I bought her last year.

Do you think maybe the vet is the way to go with this one then??

Many Thanks!
Danielle.

Don't follow pet store rules, lol. Pull her out and look at her belly. If it feels or looks lumpy I would say she may some unfert eggs for you. If not, then I would definitely take her to the vet just for a check up Keep us posted.

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

The stores set up their tanks to look appealing to customers. They use items that customers would have to BUY from them in order to make their tank look that way.

Part of the reason the bark isn't good for Bearded Dragons is that it holds moisture. Water Dish spills, Dragon urates, regular old humidity, they all get trapped in the bark. This isn't good for your Bearded Dragon. If you want something that looks more natural you can use slate tiles and use some rocks to build her a hide that looks like a burrow. (would suggest siliconing them together so the don't take a tumble on her.) If you really wanted to I'm sure you could build a "floor" out of great stuff and then build some burrows into that. There are many things you can go that are safer than "what the pet store does".

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