Does your dragon really eat 50-100 crickets a day?

[gothra]

Ok, so I have been reading how much should a young dragon be eating, and noticed a lot of people say they eat 50-100 crickets easily everyday. Weetbix is 4 months old, but he isn't eating that much at all. And I'm thinking he is into winter slow down...but not to the point of brumation.

The first 2 weeks I got him, he would eat 12-15 lateralis (about the width between his eyes) plus 3-4 silkworms daily. I moved him closer to the window last week, because I can see the UV lamp flicker from my camera view; and I want the bright light to wash out the flickers. Ever since I moved him, his appetite is decreased. He is now eating 6-7 lateralis (maybe slightly larger ones) plus 5-6 silkworms per day only. He goes under his wood and get prepare to sleep at 5:00-5:30pm, and I had to bring him out to bask when I wake up at 8am in the morning (light is on at 7am). He is awake when the light is on, but he is just chilling under his wood.

I weighed him on the 1st, and he is 35g at 4 months. He doesn't look skinny to me, but is he too small for a 4 month old male? I've seen people say their 4 month old dragon weighing 100g+!

 

[leezard]

When Pete (my dragon) was a young one all he did was eat all the time I could not keep enough food for him, but they are all different and some will eat more than others. I would worry more if yours stopped eating.

 

[RyuuKirin]

oh gosh no. Ryuu didn't eat copious amounts of crickets until she was almost 8 months old. And then it was only b/c I couldn't find the correct size, so I was still having to buy smalls- so she ate a LOT to fill her up. Nyoko eats about 10-15 right now.

 

[LZRDGRL]

Hugo was born Aug. 28th and eats up to 11 crickets, three roaches, and the tip of a teaspoon full of shredded carrots, greens, and bananas right now. I offer more, but he doesn't want more. I feed twice daily, but the second time he'll only take about two/three crickets. Funny, but he also goes to sleep between 5-5:30 p.m.! He wakes up at 6 a.m. when I get up and turn on the light, but recently he surprised me by sitting on his log and having his eyes open at 6 a.m. already.

My new arrival today ate just one roach (a big one, though), and then went to sleep without touching her veggies.

50-100 crickets sounds like a LOT to me. Maybe when they are adults? Mine are 6 and 8 inches right now, and most of this is tail.

Chrissy

 

[leezard]

Pete is about 9 yrs old now and he barely touches any greens he eats about 10 Supers every 2 to 3 day. He started eating a lot less when he got about 8 months old. This is the old fart

 

[katie_]

I have one of the biggest male beardies I have ever seen in person.
I NEVER fed him that many crickets. Even has a young dragon, he ate a lot of veggies. I would have to add freeze dried mealies at first (croutons in the salad) but now hes a great veggie eater.

I stopped using crickets after the first year and switched to horn worms and silkies.

View attachment 44463

 

[RyuuKirin]

Ryuu won't eat crix, honestly. She's not much of a hunter. She likes wormies... Nyoko, on the other hand LOVES hunting. I see her upping her numbers to around 25-30 when she's older... but no more than that.

 

[gothra]

That makes me feel so much better! The numbers Weetbix is eating is probably about average then; maybe just a little less because we're having a cold front and the room temperature has dropped almost 10 degrees to 70F even with the heater on. I have a 100W CHE above his tank at the moment, might need to switch to a 160W for the next cold front.

A side note, he was sleeping against the pane of glass that was closest to the window last night, so I decided to move him closer to the CHE. And he was sleeping so deeply! He didn't even wake up when I pick him up and wrap him under a towel! His body feels kinda stiff too!

 

[RyuuKirin]

Ryuu is like that when I pick her up lol It's pretty funny.

 

[GeckoCrossing]

When I had my female beardie, Blaze, she used to eat about 150-200 crickets a day along with a plate of veggies too. I had her from when she was 4 weeks old. She started off only eating about 30-40 a day and wouldn't touch greens. But after settling in she just went to town on all the crickets lol. She reached 18 months and was 22" long and, if I remember correctly, 450grams.

 

[Dimidiata]

Ok, so I have been reading how much should a young dragon be eating, and noticed a lot of people say they eat 50-100 crickets easily everyday.

My wallet just shot it self. YIKES. My teacher has a beardie its about 2 years old and eats maybe 15crix a day unless hes also feeding worms and the such.