2 new baby bearded dragons

[LixOzzie]

Hi! I’m new to this forum and a new mother to 2 baby bearded dragons named Ozzie and Lix. My uncle gave them to me a week ago and they’re about 1 month old. They were kind of sudden so I only had about a week to prepare and during that week I researched A LOT about bearded dragons. When we got them, I noticed Ozzie was a bit larger than Lix so I got a bit worried that he would bully Lix. I know that 2 bearded dragons SHOULD NOT be kept together however my dad and uncle insisted that it would be fine. After a week of having them, I still notice some things that are not good. They glass surf they’re aquarium sometimes and they’re bellies get dark due to stress. Also, as I have suspected, Ozzie is already showing signs of dominance to Lix. He stacks on Lix when basking, and Lix occasionally waves his arm at Ozzie. Furthermore, Ozzie eats A LOT while Lix barely eats even though I feed them individually. I’m not sure if this is due to stress from Ozzie. I have already told my dad about my concern of Ozzie’s dominant behavior but he dismissed it and said that they’re to young to show signs of dominance and that they aren’t like humans who show emotion. Another concern is that they’re previous owner has fed them mealworms, and all sources about bearded dragon diet say to NEVER feed babies mealworms. I’m trying to feed them dubia roaches, and as I’ve mentioned before, Ozzie is eating well however, Lix isn’t. I tried to feed Lix teeny tiny mealworms to Lix to see if he would eat those AND HE DID but the next day he threw up the undigested worms so I definitely don’t want to feed him those again. As a new bearded dragon owner, I have so many concerns and questions and I joined this forum hoping someone would help me. Should I separate Ozzie and Lix or wait and observe first, how can I get Lix to eat more? Do bearded dragons really show dominance at a young age? Please help me!

 

[Dexter_Dragon]

Hi! I’m new to this forum and a new mother to 2 baby bearded dragons named Ozzie and Lix. My uncle gave them to me a week ago and they’re about 1 month old. They were kind of sudden so I only had about a week to prepare and during that week I researched A LOT about bearded dragons. When we got them, I noticed Ozzie was a bit larger than Lix so I got a bit worried that he would bully Lix. I know that 2 bearded dragons SHOULD NOT be kept together however my dad and uncle insisted that it would be fine. After a week of having them, I still notice some things that are not good. They glass surf they’re aquarium sometimes and they’re bellies get dark due to stress. Also, as I have suspected, Ozzie is already showing signs of dominance to Lix. He stacks on Lix when basking, and Lix occasionally waves his arm at Ozzie. Furthermore, Ozzie eats A LOT while Lix barely eats even though I feed them individually. I’m not sure if this is due to stress from Ozzie. I have already told my dad about my concern of Ozzie’s dominant behavior but he dismissed it and said that they’re to young to show signs of dominance and that they aren’t like humans who show emotion. Another concern is that they’re previous owner has fed them mealworms, and all sources about bearded dragon diet say to NEVER feed babies mealworms. I’m trying to feed them dubia roaches, and as I’ve mentioned before, Ozzie is eating well however, Lix isn’t. I tried to feed Lix teeny tiny mealworms to Lix to see if he would eat those AND HE DID but the next day he threw up the undigested worms so I definitely don’t want to feed him those again. As a new bearded dragon owner, I have so many concerns and questions and I joined this forum hoping someone would help me. Should I separate Ozzie and Lix or wait and observe first, how can I get Lix to eat more? Do bearded dragons really show dominance at a young age? Please help me!

Too cute! Welcome to the forum. I'm a new mom myself, so can't give expert advice. My thought is if Ozzie is showing that much dominance this early and eating the majority of the food, it might be best to separate them. Might be Ozzie will become more dominant and aggressive the older they get and poor Lix may suffer for it. Separating them might make Liz more secure and thrive better. I've been told that mealworms are definitely not good for babies and young juveniles. It's not uncommon for beardies in new homes to surf for a bit until they acclimate, but it shouldn't take too long from what I understand. Continued surfing might mean there is something in their environment that is continuing to stress them. I noticed early with my baby that my cat and dog stressed him if they came into the living room. I added white paper to the bottom half of his enclosure so he couldn't see them unless he was on his hammock or on the top of his log. Solved the problem. Experts can give you more sound advice and are very helpful here. Don't hesitate to ask anything and everything. Good luck with your babies.

 

[LixOzzie]

Too cute! Welcome to the forum. I'm a new mom myself, so can't give expert advice. My thought is if Ozzie is showing that much dominance this early and eating the majority of the food, it might be best to separate them. Might be Ozzie will become more dominant and aggressive the older they get and poor Lix may suffer for it. Separating them might make Liz more secure and thrive better. I've been told that mealworms are definitely not good for babies and young juveniles. It's not uncommon for beardies in new homes to surf for a bit until they acclimate, but it shouldn't take too long from what I understand. Continued surfing might mean there is something in their environment that is continuing to stress them. I noticed early with my baby that my cat and dog stressed him if they came into the living room. I added white paper to the bottom half of his enclosure so he couldn't see them unless he was on his hammock or on the top of his log. Solved the problem. Experts can give you more sound advice and are very helpful here. Don't hesitate to ask anything and everything. Good luck with your babies.

Thank you so much! Since it’s the first week, I’ll observe for a little longer. My dad keeps telling me I’m overreacting but if I think that something needs to be done I’ll definitely fight for them because I really don’t want either of them to get hurt. Thanks again!

 

[Motherofdragons0727]

Thank you so much! Since it’s the first week, I’ll observe for a little longer. My dad keeps telling me I’m overreacting but if I think that something needs to be done I’ll definitely fight for them because I really don’t want either of them to get hurt. Thanks again!

I'm also a new Dragon mommy but I agree with Barb. And when it comes to feeding, try feeder crickets. Our dragon is only about 2 months old but when we first got him, the reptile expert set us up for failure sending us home with large meal worms, a heating pad for night time (which btw dragons dont even absorb heat from underneath) lol We haven't tried dubia roaches yet, we plan to get them next but we feed Godzilla feeder crickets. We just got his calcium in the mail yesterday so im gonna start dusting every cricket he eats but he eats an average of about 30 or 40 a day right now plus he eats like a baby spoonful of baby food. He took to the crickets IMMEDIATELY even though evidently the pet shop we got him from had him on meal worms as well since he arrived there(not positive how long he was there before we rescued him). If the food seems to be moving too fast for the little one to nab, you can pinch it between your fingers and wave it a little in front of them. Sometimes (I think hes just lazy) but Godzilla will just sit there until I pinch the crickets and then I hand feed him. Or they make big like foot long tweezers for the same purpose but those just look intimidating to me. I'd definitely house them separately. If it's a cost thing that could possibly be a factor, try checking on let go for a good second hand tank. You can normally find tons on there depending on your location. If you find a fish tank (20 gallons os good for this age right now) you can usually find a reptile screen top that will fit at your nearest pet supply store Good luck and welcome btw!! Hope you find this forum as informative as I do!

 

[averyhanna_]

id definitely separate them asap. they show dominance even when from the same clutch. i think you’ll notice a big improvement once they’re away from each other. the female may not be eating as much bc of stress but also because from what you described about stacking, she is probably not getting enough uvb or heat. good luck, and keep us updated!