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Help with a lethargic bearded dragon thats refusing to eat

22 14:43:20

Question
QUESTION: Hi there, i bought a bearded dragon yesterday (he's about 10" long {nose to the tip of his tail}). In the reptile shop he was happily bouncing around and eating well. I got him home last night and he's become lethargic and refused to eat anything up to now. I've kept other reptiles and never had this problem before. I've checked all the temperatures in the viv and they are fine (107 in his basking spot and 86 in the cooler end). He's in a 55 gallon tank at the moment so has a fair amount of space. He's also got a 10% uvb strip light positioned 8 inches above his basking spot. I was wondering if it was common for beardies to take time to settle in as he had another beardie with him at the shop. Thanks for any advice

ANSWER: Hi Nathan, It is absolutely normal for them to take a few days to adjust to a new environment and start moving around and eating. He should however still appear bright and alert with his head up. He should not be laying flat, with his chin on the ground and half closed eyes.  It sounds like he was in good health when you picked him out and your set-up in fine so there should be no worries. It may take another day or so before he starts feeding and it may be just a few insects at first. It can take about a week for them to settle in to totally normal feeding and basking behaviour. I like to avoid handling them until the adjustment period is over.

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QUESTION: Thank you very much for your advice. You have put my mind at rest. I will keep a close eye on him. This morning he is alot more active than he has been. He's taken some water from a dropper but hasn't eaten yet. I also moved his viv to a quieter place of the house last night until he settles down which i think has helped him. Once again, thank you

Answer
Hi Nathan, I'm glad to hear that. Yes, keeping him is a less trafficked area should help. Beardeds are very visually aware of their surroundings. Most pet shop display cages are glass only on the front with three enclosed sides but most home tanks are completely glass so the transition can certainly reduce an animal's feeling of security.