My first Bearded Dragon

[Adv0cate]

Hello all, I'm sort of new to the forum (just signed up today) but I've been reading a lot of posts on previous days and its good to see a nice lil bearded dragon community . I picked up my BD about a week or so ago, I named him Puff, and hes like an orangy/yellowish/redish mix and I believe he is a male, (thats what the breeder told me for that matter, and I think I've seen the lumps underneath the tail). His first home was a simple 10 gallon tank, I know I know, very small but as of yestarday, he got introduced to an exo-terra tank that is 24W/18L/18D. He has the proper UVB light and basking light, he eats well, collards, chickory, crickets, meal worms, calcium, so he's pretty gutloaded . The only thing I've been noticing is he likes to scratch on the glass a lot and seems like he wants to escape. Sometimes when I go to pick him up he tries to get away as well. I take him out from time to time and he chills for a little bit on my lap or on my shoulder but then tends to jump off and go exploring in my room. He is still pretty small, about 7-8 inches so I don't want him walking around in here because there is many places he can hide at and won't be able to find him after. I have my timer for the lights set up to turn on at 4 p.m and turn off at 1 a.m, but sometimes I come home a bit later and keep the lights on for longer because he got fed a little late and I want him to bask for a while in the light so he can digest properly, but he doesn't really care to do so at that point. Possibly at these late hours when he's scratching around on the glass, he is indicating he's tired and wants me to turn off the lights so he can sleep? Because soon after I shut off the lights, he finds a corner and passes out. How long do they need to stay underneath the heat bulb after they eat a meal in order to properly digest? He has also slept on my lap, he enjoys it when I pet him on his back and head, he starts closing his eyes and he's out light a light bulb! I'm really hoping he calms down because if I knew he was going to be this crazy and spontaneous I wouldn't have gotten him, I would have rather went for a much tamer and lazier Lizard like the one my friend has. Give me some input ladies and gents.
 Thanks and Peace out!
   Adv0.

[BoogiesMom]

I have only had my little BD for a couple of weeks myself.  I have been reading the forums like crazy and have learned so much.  What I have read is that are busy little guys until they older and then they settle down.  Hopefully someone with experience will get back to you soon.   

[Xterri-leighX]

welcome to the forum!  

First off, your lighting scedule. Beradies need atleast 12 hours of 'day', some people even give them 14 hours, so 9 really isn't enough. Also, although having his lights come on at night might be convenient to you because of your routines, it may not be ideal for the dragon. They aren't stupid, they have an idea when the real night and day is, especially if theres a window in the room. So as you can imagine it could be quite confusing for his body clock.

Secondly, do not feed any dragon of any age mealworms. They are one of the worst feeders out there for them. They are high in fat, have a poor calcium to phosphorous ratio and have a hard chitin shell that is difficult to digest and may cause impaction.

Just incase you didn't know, that tank may be fine for now, but once that little guy starts to reach around 12'' you will need to upgrade to his adult tank. The minimum size for an adult beardie is a 40 gallon breeder (36''x18''x18''). Some people build their own vivs from melamine and plexiglass, the usual measurement used for these are 48''x24''x24''.

With proper care and regular handling, he should eventually calm down. They lend to get lazier and calmer as they get older anyway.

[rioreptiles]

What kind of light, brand and wattage are you using? What is the distance from the bulb to the basking area? And what are the temps of the basking area under the bulb and in the tank away from the bulb?  Beardies will scratch at the glass if they are uncomfortable or too hot, if they are hungry, or if they just want to get out and explore.  If his temps are good and he is fed, take him out for a little while and hold him until he is cool, then put him back in and see how long until he does it again.  If the whole tank is clear and they can see through it, try covering the sides so he can't see out.  Lots of things can stress them or just make them curious.  If they can't see it, they won't want to go there or worry about it.  He will grow out of that size enclosure in a few more months then by then he'll become much calmer and don't want out as much.