Expert: Joe Zarnick - 12/17/2011

Question
I bought a baby bearded dragon in June this year he was a baby. I went to the pet store and bought him 30 crickets (Which normally he would eat all right away) And he only ate about half of them which is extremely odd. He has been hiding under his log instead of basking under his light like he normally would. He just seems irritated all the time when i turn his lights on. I read about brumation but its said that its very rare for it to happen to Dragons under 1 yr old and he is only 9 months. Are there any serious illnesses that he may have. Any information would be appreciated. Also I usually just put the whole bag of crickets in with him (because he usually eats them all) but he is not eating them. Should I take them out or are they no harm to him?

Answer
Hello, he may be slowing down for the season. If he is sleeping more than often this is probably your answer. If not, check for any change in his color. If he is sick, he may not eat, go to the bathroom, or he may show a lack of activity. If he is still feeding as you have said, I doubt it is anything serious (if anything at all). A vet checkup is always great to do every year or so. As for the crickets, if he does not eat them all, you should remove them. They may cause him stress if left there.