My bearded dragon died. Was it from eating a firefly or lightning bug?

Poor Jaxs! It sounds like you had a good set up in terms of husbandry so I think metabolic diseases are unlikely. If he was gradually going off food it suggests his mouth may have been painful. He may have had a touch of mouth rot which is relatively common, they can die from the infection or progressive anorexia. Another potential is that he had an impaction in his gut, this could be sudden or build up over time if he is on sand substrate. It's unfortunate that this has happened to you, but reptiles can be notoriously tricky to keep.

I am so sorry that this is happening to you and Cleo. It can be very difficult to tell when reptiles have passed away sometimes, so I am glad that you asked. My recommendation to tell for sure would be to take Cleo in to a veterinary clinic to confirm that she has passed. Sometimes their hearts can beat very slowly (sometimes even one beat every 1-2 minutes!) so I think that this will give you peace of mind. If the vet is not comfortable with reptiles, that is okay. They need to place a Doppler probe right between the front limbs on the chest - this will be the easiest place to hear if there is a heartbeat present or not. I hope that helps, and I’m so sorry again.

Thanks for reaching out about Spikey and including a photo. A veterinary visit is recommended, for diagnostics and treatment recommendations, as something might be done to improve quality of life. Check and correct heat support and other husbandry parameters. Offer food and water via a syringe. A vegetable based baby good would work well. Good luck.

If they were refrigerated, it may not cause any harm. The concern is them eating rotting prey. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, loose droppings or regurgitation. You may end up taking them to your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for exams and supportive care if they develop any of the symptoms mentioned above.

Yes, it sounds like Lightning could be in the process of shedding. Here is great article that should answer all of your questions about the process. http://pogopogona.com/caring-for-bearded-dragons/bearded-dragon-shedding Just be sure that you have all of his husbandry 100% correct (lighting, diet, supplements, humidity, temperature, etc) because that is the #1 reason bearded dragons have health issues. If he is not in the process of shedding then he may be getting sick. https://www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/caresheets/bearded-dragon.html Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes.

Thanks for reaching out about your ball python and am sorry for your loss. I suspect the dark area was feces in the colon observed through the skin. If the body was refrigerated, a veterinary can probably perform a necropsy with the hopes of providing some answers. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Diaga. Concerns would be around a septic infection, inability to clot (liver or bone marrow problems), or other concerns. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. This does sound serious. Good luck.