couple questions?

[sporty02]

first how many of you have hides for your beardies? mine likes to get under his newspaper and hide out espically at night.
second does any one know why they sit with their mouth open and turn their beards black and puffy.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I have a basking rock that could act as a hide as well but she never uses it that way.

Puffing their beards out is usually when they are scared. The only time my little girl does this is when she can see one of my snakes. (maybe they scare her... I'm not sure)

[babyknees]

I have a couple hides for my beardie and he seems to enjoy sleeping in them at night or retiring to them during the day when he gets hot. Is he just sitting under the heat source with his beard out? If so that's just him basking and regulating his temperature. If he does it when you reach in to grab him then it's defensive.

[sporty02]

yep he just lays there with his beard black and puffed up, with no one around i thought that maybe what the deal was. I know gators "gape" to help regulate temps but was unsure if beardies did as well.

[EAC Reptiles]

I have a basking rock that could act as a hide as well but she never uses it that way.

Puffing their beards out is usually when they are scared. The only time my little girl does this is when she can see one of my snakes. (maybe they scare her... I'm not sure)

Snakes are a natural enemies to beardies.

I have hides for mine but they usually just lay on top of them. They will open their mouth to help regulate there temps. And if yours is getting a black beard and puffing it out there has to be something that is freaking it out.

[alittleFREE]

I personally have never had hides in my Beardie enclosures. Over the years I've used a variety of logs, rocks, and other devices for them to climb and bask on, but never hides. Every now and then they do seem to like to find a little nook to sleep in, so if yours uses the hide for that, I don't see a reason to take it out

Beardies do gape like gators to regulate temps - that could be a cause of the open mouth. As for the beard puffing... can your Beardie see its reflection in the glass? Mine used to be able to at a certain time of the day and she would start waving at herself and all sorts of silly things - maybe yours is taking a defensive approach to that stranger in the glass.