Bearded Dragon Care
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Pogona vitticeps
Bearded dragons are originally from Australia. They are found mostly in arid, rocky, semi-desert regions, but they are, also, found in arid open woodlands.
Bearded dragons are good climbers, sometimes seen on branches, bushes, and fence posts, but they are mostly terrestrial reptiles.
They are diurnal lizards, spending most of the day basking on rocks and in open areas. During the night and during the hottest parts of the day, they can be found in underground burrows.
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Bearded Dragons as Pets
Bearded dragons are one of the best known 'beginner reptiles.' In general, they rarely bite their owners. But, should never be left to the hands of children. An adult should always help supervise handling and caretaking of the animal.
When they become angry, bearded dragons tend to "blow" up. They will flatten out and their beard will darken. This creates an illusion of a larger animal. When you see your bearded dragon do this, that means you should probably leave it alone. But, for the most part, they are very docile reptiles.
When handling a bearded dragon, try not to frighten it because it will bite, but if you handle it every day, it will become comfortable in your presence. You should pick up a Bearded Dragon very carefully, gently scooping it up your with your hand under its belly and behind its front legs. Be sure to keep your hand open so that the Dragon can step onto you with its back feet. Dragons do not grip as well as other lizards, so you should support them but do not hold on too firmly.
Remember to never pick up a bearded dragon by the tail. Their tails are very delicate and Dragons do not regenerate their tails as other lizards do.
Bearded Dragon Behavior
Bearded Dragon Lifespan
With proper care and husbandry, bearded dragons can live an average of 5 to 15 years.
Bearded Dragon Size
Bearded dragons are medium sized reptiles. They can reach up to 2 feet long to include the length of the tail.
Females tend to range about 16 to 20 inches long, whereas males tend to be slightly larger.
Bearded Dragon Enclosure Size
When housing one bearded dragon, a 40-70 gallon tank is recommended because they do like to run and climb. The tank should be both long and high; the optimum size should be around 65" long and 16" wide.
You may be able to get away with a smaller enclosure, such as a 40 gallon breeder, which is 36" long, 18" wide, and 18" tall.
You can buy some tanks at low prices, or you can be creative and design one of your own by using glass and/or wood.
Do not place young bearded dragons in enclosures that are too large. They can become stressed and feel lost. It is best to house baby dragons in 10- 20 gallon aquariums, and upgrade as they grow.
Do not purchase the screen aquariums to house bearded dragons, as they do not allow the proper temperatures. The airflow with a screen enclosure minimizes the temperatures.
Bearded Dragon Cage
Bearded Dragon Set Up
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Filling the Enclosure
Substrate:
The enclosure should have some sort of substrate. Where many people disagree with loose substrate, playsand, paper substrates, potting soil (without perlite), and alfalfa pellets, can be used, but not recommended. If you choice to go with a loose substrate, Never use cedar. Regardless the type of substrate that you choose to use, daily cleaning is necessary to provide a healthy environment.
For smaller and younger Dragons, paper towels or turf should be used because they will try to eat sand and small rocks, which could lead to a trip to the vet. As dragons become six months and older, their eating habits become better, meaning they do not eat as many small rocks when hunting. This is the perfect time to switch substrates from paper to a turf substance. When changing to a turf substrate, sand is a better choice because when the dragon goes to the bathroom, its mess can be cleaned using a kitty litter scooper, and then thrown away.
Personally, I disagree with loose substrates, ESPECIALLY, calcium-based sands. I recommend using paper towels, reptile carpet, or a tile base such as slate.
The reason behind not using loose substrates is that, they can cause impaction when injested. Impaction can result in death.
Décor:
Bearded dragons are best kept separately. However, for multiple bearded dragons, you must increase the size of the aquarium, so that there is a proper number of shelter places and basking spots.
For shelter, you should have rocks, wood/ branches, and possibly plants.
Also recommended for the bearded dragon's tank, are plants. Although many dragon keepers say that fake plants are dangerous to bearded dragons because they may eat it, both real and fake plants can be safe it just depends on your dragon. If live plants are placed in the tank make sure that the soil does not contain perlite (the small white balls) because Dragons like eating them, although it makes them sick. Snake plants, small palms, and jade, are a few recommended live plants. You must make sure that the plants won't be eaten or ripped up very fast, and that they will be able to survive in the temperatures inside the tank.
In the wild, bearded dragons love to climb, so as a pet, they must be given items to climb on, such as drift wood. Drift wood can be expensive if bought at pet stores, and it can be infested with different types of bugs and mites. If you get your drift wood from outside, make sure that you cleanse it with bleach and water, so that when it goes into the tank, it is bug-free.
You can try reptile hammocks, but because bearded dragons become a little heavy weighted, they can weight the hammock down until the suction cups fall from the walls.
Reptile Outdoor Enclosure
Lighting
The lighting in a bearded dragon enclosure should include an incandescent spot light and a full-spectrum light. The ultraviolet light is very important to a bearded dragon's life as it provides the vitamin D3, and if a bearded dragon does not receive enough of vitamin D3, he may die (along with the lights, put a vitamin supplement in their food).
Using UV-B and UV-A bulbs has a positive physiological effect on the animal. It can stimulate activities, such as the appetite, activity level, general health, and they may play a role in the reproductive behaviors. Theses bulbs are a little costly, and must be replaced once every six months. Just like heating bulbs, they should be set on timer, about 8-10 hours daily.
* Remember: full-spectrum tubes should not be placed too close where the beardy can touch the tube, but at the same time the UV from the tubes only reach about 6-8". Have a perch or log that is near the top, but too close where the beardy can reach up and get burned.
Proper UV lighting is essential! It can help to prevent metabollic bone disease.
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Heating
The daytime temperature for a bearded dragon should be between 75ºand 85ºF, with a basking site of 110º to 120º. The nighttime temperature should be between 60º and 75ºF. It is very important to make sure that basking temperatures are correct, as well as the overall enclosure temperatures. Proper heating is necessary for digestion.
The overall humidity should stay the same at 35%.
To get the correct temperature, you should use an incandescent bulb or spotlight, but do not use a regular light bulb. The bulb should be placed in a reflector type fixture, make sure that the fixture can handle the heat. Make sure to place the light fixture above the basking spot, located at one end of the tank.
The bulb wattage should create a temperature of 90º to 105º F in the section that is closest to the light. In a 25 gallon tank use a 30-40 watt bulb; in a 55 gallon tank, use a 60 watt bulb; in a 75 gallon tank use a 100 watt bulb. These are estimated wattages. You should NEVER estimate the temperature.
To measure the temperature, buy a digital thermometer. Again, NEVER estimate the temperatures within the enclosure. Temperatures that are both too low or too high can cause health problems. Too low temperatures can hinder digestion, a increase the risk of impaction.
Be sure to place the light and heat bulb fixtures on the screen top far enough away from the bearded dragon so that it will not get burned.
DONOT used heat pads or heat rocks INSIDE the tank because they may burn the bearded dragon!
Pinkie Mice for Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragon Diet
Baby and juvenile bearded dragons should receive more feeder insects versus fruits and vegetables, but you should always provide fresh produce in the enclosure every day. This will help familiarize the bearded dragon with them. Slice the fruits and vegetables as fine, or small, as you can, making sure that it is size appropriate to the baby bearded dragon. Provide as many other feeder insects to the youngster that it will eat within a 15-20 minute period. Try to do this at least twice a day.
Adult bearded dragons should receive more fruits and vegetables than feeder insects. You should always provide fruits and vegetables. You can provide feeder insects twice a week.
Because bearded dragons are omnivorous, meaning they eat insects as well as fruits and vegetables, it is important to provide the proper nutrition!
Feeding Baby Bearded Dragons
Feeding Bearded Dragons
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Comments
Our Beardies mainly seem to like the bright colored fruit and veggies, red peppers, grated carrots, cantaloupe and grapes (naturally without seeds). I alternate Martha and Georges protein in-take. Kingworms, crickets and pinkies(mice) are their faves, every other day. They came in the house about 5 years age only 1.5 inches long and now are almost 20 inches long...they have been a sweet addition to what seemed to be our private zoo, only mine now because my baby is off at College
I really enjoy your HUBs
regards Zsuzsy
Interesting. How long do healthy bearded dragons live?
They can live from 5 to 15 years. I have in it the hub under the 1st video. It kind of blends in.
I was just wondering how do you guys counter cold weathers and rain when it comes to housing beardies outside. I need help setting up my enclosures for my guys. I hate to see them suffer.
I don't house outside. I don't agree with it, really... You could consider an heater. and a fully covered roof. But, I don't know how the outside enclosures work in weather extremes. You still ahve to consider extreme heat, as well, not jsut cold and rain.
if a bearded dragon blows up what should you do?
What do you mean by blows up? Do you mean puffs out and turns black? If so then you odn't have to do anything besides leave the BD alone. If it's out of the cage, find a way to put it back in and then leave it alone for a little while
Can a beardies nail's be trimmed? mine has huge nails and it seems to be hindering his climbing abilities
You can trim their nails. Just do so carefully and avoid clipping the quick.
Thank you for answering my question. Just to make sure I do it correctly, I'm assuming the quick is the part of the nail nearest the toe that is a slightly different colour. Is that correct?
Yep. The quick is the vein.
How many years you are playing with bearded dragons?
You seems to know alots about them.
I've been researching reptiles in general for about 8 years, and I've had them for about 5.
what kind of sand do you think i should use?
None. Sand increases the risk of impaction, which is fatal. You want to use a solid surface, such as tile, reptile carpet, shelf liner, or paper towels.
We've had a beardie since the 15th of April 2008 - making him about 4 months old considering the fact he wasn't a tiny baby when purchased. We've had him on calc sand because that is what the reptile store gave us.
Recently - over the last few days - he hasn't been his normal self and appears to not be as keen on eating (before he would wolf down his food). He is however pooing normally. We searched the Internet to see if there was any advise we could find and became slightly worried when we read a site that discouraged the use of calc sand. (when we had researched beardie care before we never found anything against sand substrate)
We would like to ask - "Just how bad is calc sand? Is it infamous for killing beardies? And what easily available substrate would you suggest we use instead?" Also we would like to know "what are the symptoms of impactation are and if there is a chance that our beardie has it...? And if so is there anything we can do?"
Calci-sand is the worst thing that you can house a reptile on. I would suggest changing to paper towels, reptile carpet, tile, or shelf liner. Anything except loose substrates. Calci-sand and other loose substrates increase risks of impaction, which is fatal.
Most pet store employees don't really know what they're talking about, which is why many of them recommend calci-sand. They see that on the bag it says digesetable and good for pets, but it's really not. It clumps when wet, so when the reptile ingests it, it clumps in the body, which blocks up digestion and normal bodily functions. What makes calci-sand worse than anything else is that it is calcium based, which intices the repitle to lick at it, even eat it.
Check this out about impaction:
Can i ask why sand is bad? do they not naturally live on sand?
Im planning on using playpit sand as it is non-toxic...
No they are not naturally on sand in the wild. Sand can raise impaction risks wich is fatal.
So what else do you get in a desert?
I know it sounds rude,I do not mean to be !
I just dont get how sand is bad when thats what is in the desert..?
the majority of deserts across the globe are composed of compressed rock and dirt, which make for a mostly solid surface.
A 50 gallon tank I was using for my BD fell over and the bottom of the tank is pretty much gone. I saw an ad in the phonebook for aquarium repairs but I'm not sure if I should have that done or just buy a new tank, what would you recommend Whitney?
It's proably going to be better to just purchase another aquarium, as it may take a bit of time to remodel the tank completely.
My buddy is giving me a baby citrus bearded dragon today. He has been keeping it in play sand since he got it. Is it just a roll of the dice using sand and what's the chances. Ive read both that say they have used sand and never had problems or sites like this that forbit it. This green carpet is so ugly, but i guess i will use it until i can use sand. What is it like until he gets 10 inches or something, then is it safe to use sand
Other options to sand can include slate tile and roll out shelf liner (not the grip stuff). I wouldn't use sand. The tile is much more natural looking, and you can get it in a number of colors and patterns. I would wait until the bearded dragon is full grown before using sand, not 10 inches. You may think the reptile carpet is ugly and want something more aesthetically pleasing, but remember that you are taking care of a life, and you want to make sure that it is healthy. Impaction is a very serious and deadly concern.
the tank i am holding her in is 12 inches high. I am using a 150 watt red heat lamp. I have a log stick that gradualy goes up towards the light and she usually stays about 8 or 7 inches a little diagonal from hit. I set a thermometer about 2 inches high on her hot side were the lamp is at and it reads 110 degrees. I figure that its got to be about 10-15 degrees hotter and hotter, the higher you get. Is that to hot? I figure it might be so i tried another blue lamp that i have and the gauge reads 91 degrees. Which is better? or neither ?
Sounds like you need UVB as well. You should purchase a digital thermometer with a probe to beter read the temperatures. You never want to estimate the temperatures which sounds like what you're doing, but I could be wrong.Red or blue it doesn't matter. Typically red is used for night and blue during the day. You can save yourself money and purchase regular light bulbs from the grocery store. Again you need a uvb light.
i have a quiestion about breeding BD.
How old do they have to be?
how do you sex them? is the female bigger than the male, ior is it the other way around???
how long does the female hold the eggs b for she lays them???
the dig a hole and lay there eggs in sand??or other substrate, what should i mix togather to make the "perfect" nesting area and about how deep will there hole be??
hi i just bought a 3-4mth old bd and he has pigged out on mealworms and dead grass hoppers cut in half (over4days)but i cant get any friut or vegies in him should i stop the insecks untill he eats his greens oh and today after his grass hoppers he was in the sun but going dark round neck and belly what does this mean (is he anouyd at me)
kevin, I'd say at least 1 and a half yeards old. You can't sex by size or weight or head size. You have to eck the hemipines and the pores. TYpically males have darler pores and hemipenes. Also, if you breed, you need to be aware that one clutch of babies can eat well over 1000 crickets a week. You need to remove any sand in your adult's tank for paction risks, and put in a laybox so that the eggs won't dehydrate.
Claire, typically they get dark outside to catch the rays, so to speak. sometimes when outside so bd's will get aggressive. My girls run off when they're outside, so they have to be confined when they go outside. As for the greens, just make sure that you provide them daily for him. He was probably not used to seeing them. I would leave the greens in the tank all day then after work, school, or whatever, feed him the mealworms or feeder insec. also make sure not to get any insects outside; i assum you're talking about canned grasshopers though.
thank you!!!
and i know there not both males because they have been with each other for about a year. and one of the them that i a suspecting is the male lays on top of
the other one with his mouth open and his beared black. what is he doing???
you said "You have to eck the hemipines and the pores."
what does that mean and how do i do thaT???
please and thank you!
Just becuase the one is laying on top of the other it doesn't mean it's a male. I have 2 females in a rather large cage and you'll commonly find on on top of the other. The one could be trying to get closer to the heat source.
The other one is probably pissed because the other is ontop of him, which is why it will show the black beard. When they darken, it can mean that they're upset or are trying to get more heat. IE dark cars typically get hotter faster, and it's basially the same concept. Make sure your temps are good.
If they're a year old an you haven't had eggs, they're probably both females. the hemipenes and pores are at the base of the tail on the underbelly of the BD.
thank you!!!
and also what is the season for them to breed???
reptiles can generally breed year round in captivity, which is why if you have had them together for a year, you would have already seen a clutch or two of eggs, if not more.
Although, I'm not well versed in breeding BD's I'd guess the spring/summer, as that is when most reptiles experience "breeding season."
thanks for that and yes its canned grasshoppers and i will never have bd out side out of reach(im with all time)thats y i thought he/she was anouyed at me,
anyway thanks again im reading all your tips etc
THANK YOU!!!
and also do you know BD morphs?? cause 1 of mine is really dark the other one is bright yellow with brown if i sent you a picture could you help me identify them??
claire if you have any questions let me know
kevin there are a number BD morphs. Many breeders will name their BD's differently. IE Georgia Bearded Dragons tend to name their morphs with GA related names, whereas other breeders will have different names for their color morphs that look exactly the same. I have noticed that with BD's the morphs aren't quite as uniform as that of some gecko species. But sometimes you will find a basic list that breeders will go off of to rename theirs, which I hate and have never worried about BD morphs with my guys- 1 is normal and the other some GA BD morph- I think GA Peach or something. If the one is dark with more grays, it's probably a standard. But I can try to ID them if I can see pictures.
how many times should i feed my BD's a week and how much and they are full grown. and i feed them crikets and meal worms as treats eevry now and then
fruits and veggies daily. Insects at least once or twice a week.
i give them collard greens daily, what types of fruit can they eat??? and how many crikets per feeding???
Check out this link with fresh fruits and vegetables that are safe for your BD and those that aren't.
hi its me again my young bd ate a fake silk leave off of one of the plants in its tank(i have removed all plants now)that was two days ago,it has done poos but no leave,should i still be worred he is still running around oh and now he eats vegies every morning, his tank looks pritty boring is there any safe real plant i can put in his tank
I would jsut wait it out for now. Fake plants really aren't recommended for reptiles that eat vegetation. There are but I don't know them off hand. If you use live plants, you want to keep them in the pot.
Im planing on buying my 1st BD, what are some things I should know, or do before purchasing one? And also where did you get your BD's from?, they are beautiful!
Follow the caresheet above and you should be fine. Also check out the page on bearded dragon diet to make sure that you understand how to feed them properly. I got one from a pet store (biggest mistake) and the other from a breeder (a much healthier reptile).
Here's a different one for you. Any ideas on how to find a BD that is lost in the house? Our 5 year old son took it out and said he put it back in the tank...(which he has been really responsible with it so far)...yet we can not find it...and he insists he put it back but the said he left the top open. We do not believe that it would jump off of the log out of the tank. It would've had to jump a good 3 inches and our BDs (we have 2) are very docile and it seems like it wouldn't do that...even if it could. We have searched the kids bedroom and our house over. Any ideas?
I thought about, and currently thinking about putting dirt in my tank, wet dirt, then form it like a small river, then, when it dries put some water in it to make it like a little river. Then put rocks, close to it, because I found out that BD's dont live on sand, just dirt and rocks. Is this dangerous, and if not, what kind of dirt do I get?
Becky, look for warm places. it is very possible that they jumped out.
Corey, sounds dangerous and you pose the high risks of impaction. Plus there is no need for the river thing.
IS A GLASS AQUARIAN SORTABLE FOR A BREADED DRAGON.TEMP IS ABOUT 75-85 DEGREES AT PRESENT.WAS TOLD I NEED A WOODEN ONE TO HOLD THE HEAT.
Glass is fine as long as you have the proper heating equipment and thermometer to read the heat (ie purchase a digital thermometer with a probe)
Hey Whitney... My son has 2 bearded dragons and now i care for them. They are making a new glass house for them so they have more room. I read about the sand and didn't know that so u said shelf paper . I don't use shelf paper on my shelfs so is there any type to use and not use? Ummm and i would like to put more things to climb on in there for them can i use any type of wood as long as it is cleaned well?? And i'd like to put fake plants in to is there any certain type i can or cannot use?? Right now they have sand which i am gonna change thanks to ur information and driftwood and a rock but i'd like to make it nice and would like to do it without having to go and buy expensive wood and such.. Hope to hear from u soon. Thank you. Grammy
Yes, do not use sand. You can try shelf liner. It's all about the same. Try a vinel roll out liner. You can use just about any wood. I would avoid pine and cedar, though. I would not recommend fake plants, as in most cases they will try to eat the plastic.
Ummm i read that u can use silk plants would that work?? I don't want to use real plants but i see many fake greens in their housing in photo's and in pet stores . Thanks for responding.. Grammy
You can use them, but because BD's eat vegetation, more than likely they will try to eat the plants. It wouldn't be the first time I've heard of it happening.
i use sand which has always worked for me, but in your opinion, is it okay to have sand and a tile to feed it on so it doesnt injest the sand?
No I do not thing that it is ok to have sand period in the tank.
Hi Whitny05, I recently bought a breaded dragon n lately hes been acting weird.He doesnt eat as much as he used to n also hes been getting sores on his face which we were told at a pet store that they could be burns .iI just read an article saying to use a 60 watt bulb for 55 gallon tanks ,well the lady at the pet store told us to use a 75 watt for the 10 gallon tank,which is what i think he is being burned .Well I'm taking him to the vet but would you happen to know how to tell if he could have got an infection ?Is his mouth a different color or anything ? Any info you can give i would greatly apprecite. Ty
You REALLY need to buy a thermometer. You cannot rely on what you read on the internet or what a pet store employee tells you in terms of how to heat a tank. They are typically averaging the wattage. You need to purchase a digital thermometer with a probe. That will help you monitor the temperature in the tank. I mean I have 2-150 watt bulbs and the UV tube in my tank plus a UTH and it's a 40 breeder. You need to purchase a 20 gallon long tank and a digital thermometer and your BD should be fine. You will be able to better gauge the temps if you had proper means to do so.
He's probably not getting burned unless he's sticking his nose on the bulb. He could be banging his face on the glass. COuld be a little mouth rot. Could be a few things. I doubt its a burn unless the BD can reach and touch the bulb.
hey im gettin a bearded draggin in a few days and i was jus wondering how long they can be out of there tank for before they need to go back in
I wouldn't leave a BD out of the cage for too long. You don't want to stress it out by being out of warmer temps for long periods of time. It will depend. What time exactly were you thinking?
i was only thinking for about ten mins at a time
that would be fine
Hi um i recently got a BD.Everything seems ok,although i am a little concerned about my UV light...well u see its blue and i just want to know if thats ok...plz help me.Thanx.
Typically they are a slight tinted color. Just remember to replace it every 4 to 6 months. Even though it will still work (turn on and off) the UV fades, so to speak. That is if you are using the UV tubes.
hi i need your advise again
my bd has been inactive for about 7-10days and not eating vegies i can get locust into her but only 3-5 a day and i place her to bask but she keeps doing to cold end of tank in corner and just sleeps and is stiffish coz she cold i got temps right and uv etc what else should i try or is this normal(trying to hybernate even thou i live in new zealand and its spring here)
if the temps are right and you have a new uv tube, then there shouldn't be a problem. Sounds like if you really do have everything good to go and you've checked the temps with a digital thermometer with a probe versus a stick on thermometer, then you'll need a trip to the vet.
yeh got digital thermometer
well thanks for helping,ill take to vet
cheers
hey my friend and i are going to start a breeding company and im going to breed BDs. how long should i wait till i turn the temps down for their "hibernation" period?
You shouldn't put them in a hibernation state. If you do more research, you'll find that it is actually VERY detrimental to their health to do so. Make sure that you have enclosures and money to feed and house hatchlings. One litter can eat over 1,000 crickets a day.
really? no hibernation? everywhere i have read says the thats what should be done. so your saying i could buy them on the 26th at the reptile show and take them home and wait a week or so till they get accustomed then introduce them? that sounds really easy. im pplanning on getting two that are like 18 or 19 months old and breeding them.
Nope. It is very detrimental and can cause health problems as well as stress if you lower a reptiles temperatures for any reason.
Buy what at a reptile show? Two BDs to breed? and then in a week introduce them? No. They need to be unrelated and they need to be quarantined for at a bare minimum of a month away from each other and in separate cages.
Do you have any experience with reptiles, much less BDs? If not, then you need real hands on experience before you start to breed. You have no clue what you're getting into.
i was exaggerating a lot i know that i need to quarentine them but i was thinking of getting two proven bred bds and if i could find two that have been bred together successfully that would be even better. i was going to buy two 55 gallon tanks- one for each of them. if they were proven breeders, i would have them apart for like a couple months or so, so i could get used to caring for them, then when my friend and i were ready to breed our animals, probably next summer, id breed them in like april or may. i wouldnt introduce them till then. im not really sure why i said what i said before. sorry. lol. i have a good idea of what im doing.
Usually when breeders sell BDs that are proven, they are too old to breed again. You may have a good idea of the technical aspect, but I don't think that you know what you're really doing. You need to focus on how you will pay for 1000 cricks a day, plus veggies/fruits, housing, etc. How will you sell the BD hatchlings? Will you vend? Sell to friends? After the first clutch, your friends will be good and what will you do with a 2nd clutch? It is realy harder than you think, and selling BDs is near as hard as selling geckos, and trust me you let the go for much less than you'll ever spend on them.
well, ok i have like 4 pet shops ive talked to and they said they would like to buy some BDs from me and also i have liike 10 or 15 people already who want one of my hatchlings. i figure by the second time they will have told their friends and more people will end up wanting one, or maybe another one. plus my friend and i will start bringing our reptiles to some shows and hopefully once hes done getting his business license we can start doing more than just breeding. we are planning on going around to schools and stuff about what owning reptiles is really about, and how cool they really can be.
anyway, we have about 700 dollars already for our supplies, and that includes crickets, cuz one of the pet store guys says he can give me crickets for like, 25 cents a dozen since he wants to buy the BDs, and hopefully Ball pythons, cuz thats what my friend is breeding.
Well good luck. 700 isn't going to get you far in the long run. Your better bet is to get juvies and not proven adults. You should also make sure that you really know what you're doing. It sounds like you're just on a whim. Selling BDs is as variable as selling leopard geckos and ball pythons. The market is so huge and there are so many people who get the idea to sell, that making ANY money is near impossible. You have to sell crazy cheap and hope that you make anything.
For example I have a few geckos that could sell for at least $125+ and I can't even give it away for $55.
I've seen BPs go the same route, especially if you're breeding plain standard morph, you're going to have a ROUGH time selling them, as with BDs. You'll want high quality. 25 cent a dozen is still high. Check out online places.
Remember if you breed common, you'll sell for pennies. You breed rare you'll sell for dollars. IE BPs and BDs are common knob tails, leachies, etc are less common and go for much more. Plus you've just got so many top quality breeders breeding that it will be hard to make your mark in the market. Trust me, I've been working on it for years.
Hmm. I see that you say to give them live food atleast twice a week, i give my juvinile crickets every day( she will eat about 7 at a time, somtimes more ) and i have a bowl with veggies and worms in her tank as well. Am I overfeeding her? She acts normal, and goes to the bathroom quite normally, so i didnt think there was a problem, im using paper towels right now though and notice that she is always liking the left over calcium that falls from the crickets, so im hesitant about using anything loose, where can i find nice tile that you speak of? is it easy to come by?
Thank you.
You should keep with the paper towels, and add a calcium dish for him to lick. adults get live a few times a week, babies and juvies daily until they slow their eating. You want veggies daily at any age. You can check out lowes or a home department store for tiles.
the guy that owns two of the pet shops says he will buy a clutch of 4 to 6 BPs for 40 bucks. nd BPs for about 60 or 70. he owns two of the pet stores.
one of the baby BDs he has isnt eating very much. is there anything i should tell him about?
You'll be getting ripped off. If he can't take care of the reptiles that he has in shop then you don't want to sell to him, especially at even that low of a price.
Hi,
A friend recently gave me a BD, but only had a 20 gallon tank with what looks to be aquarium rocks on the bottom. I am not even sure how old it is. What should be my first steps in insuring a healthy BD? I was not interested in him at first but the guy said if I did not take him he was going to let him loose. Considering the up and down temps in Michigan I felt I could at least give it a shot, but I am in the dark.. Please help..
Get a larger enclosure. Get rid of the rocks. Make sure that you have a UV light as well as regular lighting and an under tank heater. Purchase basking areas and a digital thermometer with a probe.
thats what i thought so i talked to him and he said he would pay us like 200 for a 5-8 clutch of BDs
I still wouldn't do it, but I can't tell you what to do. Just my opinion about a guy who doesn't seem to be taking care of the reptiles that he has shouldn't be given more reptiles to try to sell. You basically throwing them to their death, but you seem to just want a way to make money, which you really won't do when trying to breed reptiles. That's just my two cents, and I'm sure it doesn't mean much. But take it or leave it. I just have more experience in the reptile world than you seem to have in terms of caring for the reptiles and breeding them.
I'm considering purchasing a bearded dragon. I have 2 boys, 8 and 5, who are generally quite responsible and kind to animals. I'm leaning towards an adult dragon as they seem easier to look after and less likely to have health problems.
Is it okay to let the BD roam the house as long as we keep track of where he is? Read about the lost dragon!
What about the temparature of the house if he is out of the cage?
Do they pee in one place like a lot of animals or just wherever - we have hardwood floors, I do not want the floors scratched or the rugs peed on. I used to have a guinea pig when young (I know totally different) and it was VERY good about going to the bathroom in a plastic container in the corner. What should I expect from a BD? - I don't want to keep it couped up in a cage all the time. Also, is the poop generally hard - like rabbit's?
I know these all sound like gross questions, but they are a concern to me as I want to give the dragon opportunity to run about and let my kids enjoy having a pet.
I heard the DB can be trained to some extent. Is that true?
Thanks so much for your feedback
You shouldn't let the bearded dragon run loose in the house. They should be kept in an enclosure. Doesn't mater about the temps of the house because he should be kept in the cage. Otherwise you'll need uv lighting in every room plus 100F temps. You should never leave the BD out of the cage unsupervised. If you take it out of the cage, you need to be in the room with it, watching it the entire time. Never ever let it free roam without being supervised.
As for the pee, it will come in the form of urates, which will be attached to the poo in semi-solid form.
No, you can't train a bearded dragon.
hi
we have a B/D its about a year old on monday it layed one egg, now friday its still digging like mad a looking very destrested
what can i do
not much. it's trying to lay the rest of the eggs.
Just wanted to say it's refreshing to read comments on BD's by someone whom knows what she's saying. I started 20 yrs ago with iguanas and finally fell head over heels with beardies. I cringe looking at the products on the market for beardies especially the hot rocks and the calci sand. My current love is a 6 mo old named Elizabeth (which i'm pretty sure she's a he. i'm not telling my 6 yr old who named it)Many peop;e have the web to search for info and you are right on the money. I'm hoping for a long time with our newest best friend and DEFINATELY keep up the good work. Too many people are beginers(like we all were once) but it's refreshing to know there's sound advice for the proper care of BD's
i see you talking about loose substrate a lot.
i use oat flakes for my substrate and he seems to be doing well on it and ive done some tests on it in liquid and it just seems to break apart. what do you think?
I wouldn't recommend it. Oats can cause a bad blockage and create too much fiber in your BD. It's safer to just use slate, reptile carpet, or some other solid layer. Plus, oats mold rather quickly and harbor fungal spores.
well this my first time on this but i want to buy a beardie and i want some else out look on them if they are a good pet i love reptiles and i want to get one but i want to know more about them and if you can tell me some sites to go to and read up on them i would appreciate it thanky you.
You may want to check out geckoforums.net for more information from other breeders and care-takers. on the sign up, say that goreptiles referred you.
As pets, they're ok. I'll admit they are nearly as cool as I thought they'd be when I got my first one. They take more work than many of the other reptiles in the reptile market.
what do you mean they took more work as in?
More time and energy caring for the reptile- preparing food, baths, making sure temps are right, changing UV tubes on a regular basis, etc.
Hi we recently purchased our first BD, we love her. She has been acting a little weird latley, kin of lathargic, eyes closed, not eating right... I did notice that my cool end of her housing was about 79 degrees and the hotter side was 98 degrees. What could be causing her to act like this.. I'm really worried.
I would up the temps in the tank.
We have had our juvenile beardie a week and a half and he hasn't pooped now in 6 days. My temps are just like you described them 110 under basking light and about 80 the rest of the tank. Why?
What is the BD housed on (substrate)? what was it housed on before you brought it home? Is the BD getting water?
It is on reptile carpet and I got it from a pet store where it was on carpet too. I mist it once a day and have given it two baths this week. Since my post he has gone once, so I am more relieved now. Is it normal for him to only go that unfrequently. He doesn't seem to like the small crickets I give him. He is much more excited over the meal worms. Is this okay? Once in a while I'll give him a wax worm and he really loves that. I also give him some sort of leafy greens or vegetables once a day. He doesn't seem to be eating as much as I have read that they can eat. He might eat 2 or 3 crickets with 5 or 6 mealworms and some greens in one day. Is this normal?
How often and how much they go will depend on what and how often they eat. As long as the BD is eating, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just keep a close eye on it. You may need to consult a vet as worms may be the cause. Mealworms are fine, just watch out as they do have hard exoskeletons and baby BD's have a hard time digesting it properly.
Hi. We bought our sons two baby bd for xmas. they were fine at first. The petstore sold us the BD kit and said it was good for them. I know I can't keep them both in this tank for long and do plan to get them both their own 50 gal tank in the next month or so. At first Timbo was doing well. He ate ALOT. Now he won't even eat salad or the crikets. Only one of them seem to be pooping and I amnot sure which one. His basking tems are between 90 and 100 degrees. I took them both out(individually) and gave them warm baths and they drank water. Don't think they had been drinking. I am not sure what to do. This is our son's first pet and I really don't want him to die. I am so afraid. Even when I pick him up now he just lays down and goes to sleep.
Could be bullying, could be stress, could be slightly low temps, could be parasites. Raise the temps up a little, separate the two as soon as you can, and take to a vet to figure out if the BD has parasites. It's not uncommon for pet store reptiles to have parasites or other illnesses.
Ok. Going to call a vet today. He had a massive BM yesterday and ate some crickets but then went back to being very lathargic. I keep the cage around 100 degrees. I went and changed the UVB light from the coil that came with the cage to a tube ligt. I put him in a bath and even spritzed his face a couple of times but he still won't drink. He was the more aggressive of the two but today I saw the other one try to bite him. I am so afraid. He did eat a few crickets yesterday and showed some improvement after I changed the light but today he is back not eating just laying around. Even in my hand he just lays around.
It sounds like bullying is a big problem. A vet is a good idea in addition to separating the two.
The closest vet that deals with reptiles is kind of far and charges 100 dollars to just look at him. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money right now. Had to buy a new cage with lights and bedding and all plus Xmas. But I am working on it. I separted the two and Timbo seems to be doing better. He is more active and eats. But he only eats a couple of crickets at a time. He has started drinking the water I spray on him as it rolls off his nose. He is a little more active. But the thing is that he sometimes misses the crickets and then it is as though he just loses interests. But I have seen him eat at least 6 each day. He has finally started to eat a few of the veggies. The vet store said that if Ii am worried they will trade him for another one but we have gotten attached to Timbo. He still sleeps alot but does not seem so lathargic. He keeps his head up. And when he is on the ground of his cage(40 gal) he moves around and stands up on alert. So is it ok that he does not eat very much. The other, Turbo, has gotten much bigger than Timbo and eats alot. He is actually a little fatty. Should I try appetite stimulant?
If he's eating, then no I wouldn't try a stimulant. Typically, they don't just hang on the bottom of the tank. Is there a basking area so that the BD can get to the heat light and UV? Are the tanks 100% heated correctly? What are you using as substrate?
Sometimes, it's good to plan ahead in terms of money and the possibility of getting sick animals, as that is a big problem with buying from pet stores.
Yes I am seeing that now. I was prepared for the expense of the dragon but not for being sold inadequate equipment then having to replace it with better equipment and buying a second tank so soon. Originally they were on the substrate that came with the BD tank. Now he is on the grounded english walnut and seems to like it alot. I read in the BD book that I had that using it is contraversal but they say they have been breeding and raising BDs on it for over 20 years and Timbo seems to like it. I just bought the lizards on christmas eve and have already shelled out an additional 500 on better lights and another tank and all. He mostly sleeps at the top of his rock. Honestly I am not sure. I know when we got the new tank the temps were low. Would not get above 85 but now it is around 100 in his basking area which is where he seems to prefer to be. He has gotten longer but has not gained any weight. Can't really tell if he has lost any. The other is fat and greedy so I may be comparing the two. I wake them up every morning turn on their UVB and Heat lights and feed them. He has been eating just not much. I know that some brummate but thought that Juvies did not. I read about the different types of parasites that they get but nothing gave me any signs or symptoms to look for. Think I need to order more books. I am really trying to learn EVERYTHING I can about them so that we can have them alive and healthy for as long as possible.
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful advice thus far.
Question? Since he seems to get discouraged when he misses the crickets(which have been dusted) should I try a more still food like the worms or is he too young? He is about 2 months old(I believe) i don't think they really know.
Also I just went to some of the links that I got from links at your site. I found a couple of recommended vets in the area that truly specialize in herps. Honestly, I know that is part of the problem with spending the money. I am concerned that I will take it to a vet that does not know what they are doing and simply waste money. Plus, I am having a difficult time convincing my husband because he says that we just got Timbo and the price for the vet visit is more than a new lizard. I know that sounds awful. I truly want to do the right thing and not allow the baby to suffer. I know I am sending you lots of posts but I just feel so confused. I had no idea this much was involved with having a lizard. I wish I had known about this tyes of sites before hand so I could have known what to look for and what supplies I really needed. Can they sell you in the pet store? Also I noticed in a previous post you said that 25 cents a dozen is a lot for crickets well I have been paying 1 dollar a dozen plus 40 cents extra for dusting. Is there a better way to get the crickets?
The walnut shells is slightly better than sand, but it's still not a good idea and can potentially cause impaction, which can be fatal.
He's not discouraged, as reptiles don't have emotions like that. Just keep feeding the crickets. You can try mealworms but I would watch out because you're already having problems with them going to the bathroom, and the hard exoskeletons can cause impaction for younger reptiles who aren't able to digest is properly.
Wow you are being overcharged seriously. I assume a pet store like Petsmart or Petco is where you're buying your crickets? I wouldn't let them dust them. It would be cheaper for you to buy your own calcium and dust at home. You can purchase crickets online, but in many cases this is only a good deal if you are buying in larger quantities. I'm not sure how many you would like to buy at a time, as the more you purchase, the longer they will last, meaning you will need to feed them a good gutload and care for them to keep them alive.
I used to work at a pet store, but they had me in the small and furry department (hamsters and such) versus reptiles, which sucked as the people in the reptile department had NO clue what they were talking about half the time.
Specialized reptile vets are worth the money. If you go to a vet that kinda-sorta sees reptiles and other exotics, then you'll probably be wasting your money.
Research is always much better done before you purchase a new pet than after. If I remember the pet was for your son? I would have recommended a leopard gecko versus a bearded dragon, as they are smaller and they require much less caging restrictions and a less complicated diet.
As for parasites and such, you'll find the reptile losing weight, not eating, lethargic, and not really drinking. Those are the basic signs of an ill reptile all together though. Just make sure to keep the temps up and keep feeding. For the most part if he's eating he should be fine, but definitely keep an eye out.
Feeling good about the lizard today. I watched a video on you tube and it showed how to get the lizard to drink from its bowl. I tried the technique and Timbo drank quite a bit today. He also ate like 10 crickets and a tiny tiny amount of veggies. Having a difficult time keeping the cage temp back up. both are reading on the low side. I keep the heat light on both cages(separate lights) 14 hours a day. turn them on each morning at 7 and off each night at 9pm. But the temps are only averaging 90 degrees. Separating them and getting him to drink definitely has helped him alot. He is not losing weight just not gaining it.
As for the Gecko, I was originally going to get him a Gecko but everyone in every pet store I went to, to include one that specialized in reptiles told me that Geckos were mean and that the bearded dragon was best because of its temprment That is how I learned about BDs.
I am considering buying asecond heat light for each tank. I have the heat in my house up as high as it will go. The humans are burning up but it is not keeping the tanks up. Probably because my living room stays too cool still.
What is a normal amount of crickets that a 10 week or so beardie should eat? Mine seems to vary a lot in his eating patterns. Some days he seems very hungry and eager to eat 10 or so crickets plus some mealworms and his romaine lettuce. Other days he may eat 3 or so crickets and maybe some greens and leaves the rest of his crickets alone for the rest of the day. My basking light area is around 115 but the rest of the tank is righta about 78-80. Do I need to increase the entire cage temperature. If so how do I do that?
My 8 year old thought he was helping our bearded dragon shed a scale on his back, (this was about 2 weeks ago) and now he has a yellow sore where the scale was. It bothers him a little bit because if I touch it, he squirms. Is there something I can do or do we need to go to a vet?
Angel that's good to hear about the BD. I'm not sure what gecko you inquired about, but leopard geckos are by far the best beginner reptile that you can have as a pet. They are VERY docile and rarely bite or show aggression. You may just want to consider a heat light, and not a regular light. By adding another light, you're potentially causing a fire hazard. With the actual heat bulbs, you can use one bulb and clamp and it will produce heat. The regular lights typically just add a little air heat. The heat bulbs are pretty pricey for the clamp and the bulb. I've seen the clamps priced around $50+ plus the price of the bulb. You have to have a special bulb for the clamp and a special clamp for the bulb.
erin, Typically younger BD's eat a good bit of crickets, but it will vary so it's hard to say how much it should eat. As long as the basking area is accurate, there's not that much you should worry about. I would try to raise the other part of the tank a little though. I would try to add more to the veggies besides just romaine lettuce. Other vegetables and fruits will better the BD in the long run. Romain lettuce is a bare minimum.
Jaime, Try a little neosporin on the area. Keep it cleaned and make sure that you keep any loose substrate such as sand, that may be in the tank away from the BD. If it worsens, you should consult a reptile vet. But by first removing any loose substrates in the tank and keeping it clean, that's a start.
hi! i bought 2 bearded dragons at a herp show in october a male and a female i know the male was 4 months old but im not sure how old the female was she was just a little bit smaller than him but anyways i have them in the same tank but someone i talked to said i need to put them in seperate tanks because if they got into a fight she wouldnt have a chance. But theyve been together for 3 months now and get along great and i feel bad if i take them away from each other but is it the right thing to do?
You need to separate them NOW! 1) Because you ave male and female. 2) Because you have two different sized BDs. 3) Because BDs should be housed individually no matter what sex or age.
It is the right thing to do. They don't care. Reptiles do are typically solitary animals, and do not care for company. When the male reaches sexual maturity, he will breed with the female whether she is rightfully ready or not, meaning she will be sexually mature but she will not be of proper age or weight to breed, which in turn will harm her health and longivity.
I purchased a bearded dragon from a pet store about 5 weeks ago. He (not 100% sure on the sex) was labeled a juvenile and I don't really know how old he is. At first he was ok with being picked up and I could pick him up and he would act just fine sitting on my hand and such. Now he runs and bites every time when my husband tries to pick him up. I haven't tried to pick him up since the biting started. I've been putting my hand in front of him when he's on his branch so that he is still use to our hand being in there, for feeding and cleaning and whatnot and he tolerates that. I associate the new behavior with him shedding his skin only because he started acting that way after he shed all of his skin but I don't know what else changed to make him more nervous of us. My question is, since he is still young is this something he will "grow out of" or is it likely he will still try to bite us when he's bigger. I am afraid he will do some damage when he is older.
Hey, a lot of info here. Sorry to maybe repeat a question, but I am in freak mode and am needing some help! I got a baby BD the other day, and the poor guy has only eaten two super warms and a small cricket. Brand new home, lighting, water, all that, he just isn't eating. And the part that really worries me is he is doing these weriod things with his body. He will left his head up and then to the right, and at times fall over to his back side. he keeps just lefting his head up and to the right. No idea why. But that is about the only movement he is doing. I have a 20 long tank and it is all his, but he just don't go exploring any where in it. I am really concernd and of course my pet shop is closed now... The best I can guess (from reading on the internet) is that maybe the cricket the pet shop sold me was a bit big, and the super warms are hard for him to digest right now. I have read that could be a proble. I have placed him in the "lizzard Lagoon" with warm water, but got no results... I hope you can help!
Chris S.
B. Jones, it's something that you need to keep working at, as the BD may or may not grow out of it. Make sure that the temps, UV, etc are all good and accurate, as improper husbandry can sometimes cause grouchiness.
Chris, Sounds like parasites or some kind of illness. If he's flipping over, and having problems moving around, then you really need to go back to the petstore and get a different BD or go to a reptile vet and get a consultation. Just remember if you are able to exchange the BD, the others that were housed with it may have the same problem. Superworms are too big for young BDs. You'll want to stick with fruits, vegetables, small crickets, and mealworms. Also rememer that you will need to upgrade the tank to a 40 gallon. By purchasing from a pet store, you will commonly find that the reptiles are sick.
I am pretty sure the temps and UV are all OK. I have two digital thermometers and check them several times a day. I think if anything, his nighttime temps are too warm. It's been around 69 - 70 in the morning when I get up. He eats veggies and protein very well and he doesn't seem to have any digestive issues. I thought I should probably get some more climbing branches for him to explore, maybe he doesn't have enough places to hide. I am mostly concerned about his biting when he is bigger and I am not sure he is getting in his "pool" unless we put him there and he is too freaked out after being handled that he runs out of it right away. He also acts very nervous after being handled, he flinched and hid for an entire day after being picked up in the morning. He doesn't spend much time in his basking spot, it has become more of a pooping rock instead. He spends most his time on his branch up by the nighttime lamp, so I don't know if that is warm enought for basking. There are times I will check on him and he is really dark colored for no apparent reason and then I will look again and he will be back to normal. He never changed color until he shed, so I thought the new attitude was part of his "coming of age" and he would get over it.
I have a 3' UV fluorescent lamp that runs across the ceiling so he should get enough UV no matter where he is. Is it possible for him to get too much UV?
Sorry for all the rambling and thank you very much for all your help!
You want to make sure 100% without a doubt that the temps are good, not just being pretty sure.
The darkened coloration is typically because the BD is trying to get more heat. It's kind of like the same thing a darker car gets hotter in the sun when compared to a lighter colored car. Typically, they are darker in the morning, and lighten to regular appearance when the heat get warmed up.
I don't think they can get too much UV.
Hi. Well Timbo has been doing well. He is eating fine. He has shed his skin. He still looks small in comparison to Turbo but when I weighed them they both weighed the same. So I think he is fine now. He eats veggies and crickets and drinks water. Separating them has been good for him. I think I may need to get another heat lamp though because my living room is cold and I can't get his basking temps above 94. Is that ok during the winter time or do you think I need another heat light? I was going to put them back in the tank together but afer reading a book and all of your posts think I will keep them separated.Also with the logs, is it ok that they take up so much room. Don't they need the open space?
Have you tried using an under tank heater to add more heat? Or again consider using the heat bulbs versus regular lighting bulbs?
I would keep them separate. You've already proven that they do better separate, why would you put them back together?
Don't overcrowd the tank, but a few logs and a really good basking place is good.
I switched that lights that were on each of the tanks and the temps are much better. They are sitting around 100-106. Sometimes they get down in dthe 90s but that is because it is winter here and sometimes it gets cold in my house. Looking into under tank heater. Any recommendations on good ones.
Also they are both picky with their veggies. They only seem to eat the greens. Won't touch the fruit. Have tried blueberries, strawberries, apples, blackberries and melon. They won't eat it. I have tried mixing them up but then they won't eat any of the veggies at all. Is it ok that they only eat the greens?
I prefer the zoo med under tank heaters. It is fine that they are eating the greens. Just try to cary up the veggies- carrots, squash, etc.
my bearded dragon eats fish is this ok
I wouldn't feed fish.
I have a 3 year old lizard very freindly. I just got him a 75 gallon tank.I was thinking about getting him a buddy but i know it is bad to even allow a small young juvinille with an adult even under supervision I have the cages set up already and was wondering how long it will take for a 2 month lizard to catch up two my adult in a 50 gallon tank.I also know it is not good to allow both of them to spend to much time in the same cage because he is a he it doesnt really matter what sex the other one is. My adult is about 20"
I would not house more than one reptile in the same tank. You would also need to make sure of the sex of the adult you currently have, as you cannot house two males together, and even in some cases, two females can pose problems.
I will matter what the sex of the younger gecko is. Two males WILL fight, and a male and female will breed, whether you want them to or not.
It will take several months for the younger BD to catch up, and in some cases they won't all reach the same size, so the new BD may not reach 20" or may reach over 20", which means you pose bullying concerns either way.
Thanks i willl keep that in mind i love my bd
Hello. Back again. I have a couple of questions. First, is it normal for two dragons from the same(assumed) batch who were the same size when purchased to grow at really different rates. One is pretty big and visibly has outgrown the other. I weighed them and they both weighed about the same though.
Second, the smaller of the two has changed his disposition. Is this normal. He has started puffing out at me when I go to pick him up and I think he was about to snap at me. He watched me intently and comes running when I talk to him but will not let me pick him up. It is time for his bath and I am afraid I will hurt him by trying to stop him from jumping or something if I take him out. Should I just leave him alone for a bit? And is this change normal?
i have 3 female my last female i got from a friend she is/was pregnet sofar tonight she has laid 10 or more eggs but has done it in the main tank can i move her eggs to a inubater tank or should i just leave her clutch there ..and do i have to worrie about my other girl hurting the eggs????
Angel, reptiles, like people grow at different paces. If the one is growing faster than the other, I would make sure they are kept separate to prevent bullying. The smaller one may be stressed out.
boo, if you leave the eggs where they are, they will dry out. YOu'll want to transfer them to the incubator.
Hi,
I came to this site by googling "lost bearded dragon". Did the person who lost the bearded dragon in the house ever find it? I ask because I am extremely worried! My 2 pregnant BDs escaped their cages two days ago (cage tops left open) and I cannot find them anywhere! I have looked in all the warm spots and am afraid they escaped to find a place to nest. Is this typical? Thank you.
Terri
It's not necessarily typical, but it happens. Try dark places and even some light places, under beds, behind curtains, under appliances, etc. You don't want them loose for long especially in this weather.
the smaller of the two has changed his disposition. Is this normal. He has started puffing out at me when I go to pick him up and I think he was about to snap at me. He watched me intently and comes running when I talk to him but will not let me pick him up. It is time for his bath and I am afraid I will hurt him by trying to stop him from jumping or something if I take him out. Should I just leave him alone for a bit? And is this change normal?
Reptiles do have different personalities, and if still stressed this can cause the change in temperament, otherwise I'm not sure. You can always try to give him his bath. It may just be that the BD needs to be tamed.
I have een picking him up more often. He still tries to puff a little but relaxes once I get him all the way in my hand.
My other BD was on my stomach and I was eating an ice cream sandwich. He went crazy and attacked it. I got it out of the way immediately but do think he may have ingested a little. Is this ok? I don't want him to get sick and get worms.
Our BD has been pacing around his 40 gal tank, clawing at the sides. He acts like he REALLY wants out. The temp is fine, there is a uv light, water and lots of food. He just had a BM and he was out of the tank for a few minutes.
HELP. He just goes crazy. What should we try?
Angel, just keep an eye on him. They shouldn't have the dairy, but at this point there's not much you can do except have the stomach pumped, but that's a little extreme. They can't get worms from eating dairy.
dm686, It sounds like normal behavior if you ask me.
Do you know where to find a new/used 50gl. tank for under $100?! My aunts friend is giving me her beardie, but she's been keeping the POOR thing in a 20gl. and he's about a foot long! HELP PLEASE! Thank you for your time!
Check craigslist. Other than that no. Most people won't ship glass tanks. You can try glasscages.com, as they have decent prices and will ship their acrylic tanks (but not the glass ones). You'll still have to purchase the screen lid, lighting, heating, UV, and all the decor. It will more than likely total well over $100 either way.
should you use sand 4 the bearded dragon?
No. you shouldn't.
We have two BD, aprox 10 mo. old and one of them has started having seizures. Do you know what might cause this. I know with dogs it can some times happen in pure breads, can the same thing happen with reptiles? Temps are correct, they are on tile, eat crickets and BD food. We just dont know whats wrong with her... Thanks for any advice and or info you may have.
I am not sure, but I would DEFINITELY consult a reptile vet. There really ared breEds of bearded dragons just morphs (which is essentially black lab versus yellow). Check your UV and include veggies to the diet. Other than that, I'm not sure. It could be a genetic thing. If you purchased the BD from a breeder, you should contact the breeder; if a petstore, then there's really no one to contact other than a vet. But, even if you did purchase from a breeder, you still need to ask a vet.
hi this is kevin and i just had a baby bearded dragon hatch on 3/12/09 how long before they start to eat after hatching
After its first shed.
THANK YOU! and will he be ok since he hatched on 3/12/09 because its 3/15/09 now, should i supply a supplement or what should i do, and approx. how long before hs first shed. and will he be just interested in the crikets then trys one???
please reply back! thank you!!
Why wouldn't you supplement? You need to supplement veggies and insects. Have you ever bred before? How much experience do you have? Sounds like you needed more experience caring for BDs before breeding.
how long before his first shed???
Typically a few days from what I remember. Although, I've never cared to breed bearded dragons, so I've done little research on the subject.
well right now i am supplying him with meal worms, crikets, and spiniach- colloerd greens, but he is terrified of the crikets one comes near him i gets VERY terrified but he is drinking, he wont touch the spinach-collerd greens, the meal worms, or the crikets but like i said he hatched on thursday of LAST week and i am starting to get worried
when i sad supplement i meant a special formulated supplement i have been supplying him with all the other things since he hatched.
This was the only BD to hatch? None of the other eggs have hatched? Use limited spinach and collards. Make sure the veggies are teeny tiny. Make sure that you're using very small crickets. Double check the temps. Make sure you're using a sufficient UV bulb (should be changed every 6 months). I'm not sure what a special formulated supplement is. You should use calcium, calcium+d3, and a vitamin/mineral supplement. Just make sure that it's all the same brand. That's the supplements that you need to be using, which you would have known if you've researched and had enough experience with BDs before breeding.
Or did you just purhcase a BD that has hatched so soon, if that's the case, return it to the breeder until the it's a little older; breeders should not sell reptiles until they are 100% positive the reptile is eating, drinking, and shedidng properly.
most of the others were not fertile and he was the only one that was. so what i learned there is that only a few-to none will hatch from the first batch, casuse the eggs are infertile.
That is true. Typically the first year's breeding includes fewer fertile eggs, I would hold off to breed her again until you make sure all is well, and you have done more research; I say that because the questions you've asked have been very simple questions that experience would answer with common sense. Most research should be done before eggs are laid and BDs hatch, and continued research thereafter. Good luck.
i already have a second clutch of 14 incubatingfor bout 2 months they were laid in jan.
and i am happy to say that my baby bearded dragon is no eating all his crikets and all of his greens. so now i can stop worrying but THANK YOU SO MUCH. you are the most reliable person on bearded dragon hub pages thank you so much!!
That is good to hear.
I am so sad and just need to vent. My beardie is not well at all. We don't know what is wrong with him. He just lays around. He has moved from one side of the cage to the other but not much. He won't really open his eyes. He doesn't eat. And when I pick him up he will look at him then get real close and just lay there. Took him to the vet. A very good and reputable Rep vet. He said that he is not really sure exactly what is wrong. Can't run the necessry blood work to properly diagnose because my beardies is so small. So we started him on antibiotics and a med for parasites. Also, started giving him A supplement he recommended for force feeding. He says we have to just wait and see if any of it helps. That if we get over the two week period he should be okay but be prepared to lose him. That sucks. That really sucks!
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm surprised the vet couldn't further diagnose him. Hopefully it's parasites and the meds will help. Make sure your UV tub can reach the little guy, they only reach about 6 inches. Also make sure that you use an under tank heater to ensure he's getting good temps since he's pretty lethargic. Let me know if you find anything out, and definitely keep me updated if you can.
I think I need to find new UV lights for my beardies. I am reading mixed reviews about the Rzilla combo dome.Do you know if it is good? The vet recommended the Reptuism 10.0 tube. I am getting one but not sure if I need to replace the other light as well. Altogether I have a Zoo Med Coil light which came with the starter tank I bought when I got them. A ESU Reptile Slimline Super UV Lamp. That is the one I am replacing with the Reptuism. And the RZilla combo dome. Are either of the other two good. Need to quickly give my sick baby proper lighting if that turns out to be a problem. I know it is definitely time to replace the bulb. Please help.
The PowerSun UV heat bulbs by ZooMed is a great choice if you're looking for a bulb versus a tube. They put off heat and UV. They are a little more expensive and require a special clamp, if I remember right, but they last a little longer than the tubes and reach further away than 6 inches.
The tubes are ok, but need to be replaced every 4-6 months even if they still light up. The UV runs out quickly on them. I'm not sure about the coil light, but you do need to make sure that the temperatures are good. I would definitely suggest the under tank heater and a digital thermometer with a probe. It'll help you monitor the temperatures better.
I have a 3 year old BD whose tail and feet recently have begun to turn black. He doesn't smell but is shedding constantly. I give him a bath about twice a month in warm water but this doesn't seem to help with the shedding. He stays in a 75 gallon tank with three lights..one red 75 watt heat lamp, a florecent, and a day spotlight all on timer. I've just recently tried to coat his crickets with calcium as well as his greens. Since doing so hasn't seemed interested in eating his salad. I haven't ever fed him fruits, but was advised to feed him some pellets from the pet store which contained fruits. He only eats them when I hand feed them to him. How do I get him on a more balanced diet, and whats wrong with his color? Please help!
I'm not sure about the dark coloring. Do you have an undertank heater? Are the temps accurate? Reading them with a digital thermometer? They don't necessarily need fruits, as long as they do have a varried diet of veggies with insects once or twice a week. I would strongly insist that you consider a vet especially for the dark coloring and the shedding concerns.
My son has a BD that is around 8 months old. Everytime he holds it he poops on him? Is this because he is scared? I told him he is not holding him enough.
It could be stress. I'd try to work on the MBD. Handle a little at a time. Or for short periods of time a few times a day. Or just try handling at a different time in the day.
im thinking about getting a bd. Where can i get them ceaper than $60.00? And how can u tell if its a girl or a boy? Please help! ;)
You can check with breeders. The normal morphs are generally around that or less, but not too much less. My normal came from a pet store which I really don't recommend, but she was like $85.
my bearded dragon lives in a large class home. his heat lamp is only on one side is that ok? also, we put lots of leafy vines in there, is that good? thirdly, are wood chips a good type of flooring to use?
Wood chips is not a good option, and the BD will probably try to eat the vines and fake plants, or at least the plants. You need a UV tube or bulb, and a digital thermometer to ensure that the temps are accurate.
Hey Whitney I was just curious about using reptile carpet for a substrate, I heard that lizards nails can get caught in it and it can be harmful is this true?
they can get caught in the carpet. generally if you keep the nails short, there shouldn't be any problem. Another option is to use slate tiles instead. this will help retain heat better, as well file the nails down.
i have a beared dragon about a year old, today we just got another one about 2-3yrs old. why did the adult try to bite the smaller one. is it safe to put them together right now?
NEVER ever put them together when there is a size difference. You need to quarantine new reptiles for 30 days to ensure they don't have parasites or other illnesses that can be passed to other reptiles. You should also never house reptiles that are different ages and sizes together; the smaller one is high risk of getting bullied and stressed.
my dragon got mites now they are gone but the dragon is still acting weird. He seems angry and scared of me. Do you know why is there anything i can do to make him friendlier
Just slowly start working with him again. You may have to just start over with letting him get used to your hands in the tank, letting him come to you, etc.
i read that you can put bd in a paddling pool without water in and just put rock in it for their out door enclousure is this ok to do???
They will more than likely escape without a lid. Outdoor enclosures need to be fully enclosed with some type of screening.
From the ankle to the toes on my BD's right hind leg seems to blackening. Any idea what that could be?
I'm not sure what that is. Is the area soft? Does the BD angle it funny? Are the temps and UV good? Have you replaced the UV tube within the past 4-6 months? Is the BD still eating properly? Are his veggies supplemented with vitamins and calcium+D3?
My bearded dragon has been sleeping alot! Heys not varey activ any more. this all hapend in the last year and hes 5yo. what should i do to make him happy and activ??
Are the temps accurate? Is he still eating? Have you replaced your UV tube within the past 4-6 months?
I read your entire page to ensure a non repeat question!!! lol I was just given a pair of BDs and I have never had lizars before I almost have their cage perfect, but I was wondering is there anything I can do to make the shedding process better for them? I have been giving them warm baths once a day ... I think that will help. I have some branches in the cage and the boy is always rubbing them. Is that good or is something else for them to rub on better? My beardies get along just fine and never fight or anything I am their third owner I am guessing they're two or three years old because they have had two clutches in the past. Is there anyway to tell the age better than this?
Thank you so so much!!!
You can't gauge age by the number of clutches they've had. For the most part at adult age there's nothing you can really do to estimate the age.
Also, if you don't want them to breed, it's best to separate them. And, being a beginner keeper, it's not recommended that you try to breed, or let them mate even if you're not going to hatch the babies. To much stress on the female to housin her with a male at all times, and too much stress laying eggs to not incubate them.
Just because you can't see bullying, it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Keep that in mind.
You only need to give them warm soaks once or twice a week. When shedding, it's not necessary unless you notice they're having problems.
Thank you for the advise. I was wondering if I do separate them now and want to play with them together later will they fight or be agressive toward eachother from not living together? I know about twenty people who want to have the baby beardies and I read that you have to keep the eggs moist and at a constant temperature of eighty-five degrees ferinheit for around three months and the clutch should hatch and be fine. Am I wrong? I don't want them to be in pain or stressed out in anyway. I was kind of a last minute home for them so i am still learing a lot. My original question was not clear now that i re-read it. Do you know what material would be best to put in their enclosure for them to rub on while they're shedding. The boy is constantly rubbing on the sticks and not getting anywhere. What are signs of bullying? Again thank you so so so much. I am sorry if these seem like silly questions!
You really need an incubator in order to successfully hatch BDs or most reptiles. Without a constant temperature, there will be higher risk of deformities and lower hatch rate. You generally cannot just breed and get rid of the babies right off the bat, and baby BDs can be expensive to care for, as they will powerhouse through crickets; I've heard 1000s at a time (the entire clutch that is).
If the decor is good, the substrate really isn't as big of a concern. You should have some kidn of siolid substrate such as paper towels, reptile carpet, slate, rollout tile, etc. A log hide or somethign like that is perfect for them to hide on.
Stress can be seen from lethargy, lack of eating, scratches, bite marks, losing weight, ect.
Thank you again for all your help. I already have cricket breeding tanks set up. I know that you're supposed to keep the babies for a few sheds to ensure health before giving them away and I have an incubation tank set up. I am working on making sure the temperature in that tank is a constant eighty-five. Ohh when I got the BD's they had dirt in their cage and like these foam rock looking things and when i fed them I seen they were eating those too, so I took all that crap out of their cage that night! I have been using paper towels and news paper since then. I would use the cage carpet but I am still a little worried about cutting their nails. I am working on getting a piece of slate so they can dull them down. Thank You so so so much again!
85 is not hot enough. You need the basking spot much hotter (see proper temps above).
Remember learning and experience is key before breeding.
I am seriously considering a bearded dragon. And i dont even want to take a chance with sand, but is alfalfa pellets a bad choice? I haven't heard anything against it but im still unsure. What do you think i should use.
Pellets are also a bad choice. Consider reptile carpet, slate tiles, or rollout shelf liner. Paper towels are cheap and a good option as well.
My beardie and I were hanging outside when he bolted for the door and then ran into the grass and puffed his beard at me!! I was terrified, I have NEVER seen him be aggresive, why did he do this? I thought we were having fun.
Some BD's are aggressive when outside. Keep him in a confined area when outside.
I've been staying in my cousins room every now and then and have noticed his two BD's jumping on each other and biting one another. There is usually one that seems as if he is trying to crawl up the wall. Im assuming they are males, but I am not sure. Do you think they need to be separated?
Yes, you should separate them. Even if they are both females, both males, or one of each, if you're seeing that type of behavior, they need to be separated.
Hi I'm so confused. Looking into getting my first BD. Reptile carpet is better then calisand for both babies and adult BD's? Lighting and heating?? How many bulbs (size and watts) do I need? He will be in a 40 breeder also as a baby can I section off the 40 breeder or do I have to get a smaller home to start with?
Seems like every petstore I go to I get different info....
Thanks
Calci-sand is terrible for babies, juvies, and adults. Calci-sand should not be in stores. Lighting tips and heating tips are above. Watt will depend on the size of the tank and what the temperatures are in the tank, measured by a digital thermometer with a probe. 40 gallon is bare minimum for an adult. You can purchase one for a baby and use a divider to block it off, so the BD can find its food better. Using a divider will save money from cage upgrades.
Pet stores aren't the best place for info, as most employees really don't know what they're talking about.
Hi, my bearded dragon keep sleeping since yesterday but he looks eating well. Is he sick or just habit for winter?
What are the temps in the enclosure?
First of all, thanks.
I'm not sure about the temperature but my room temperature around 70 degree. And, he has the regular light with reflectable cap just above of his housing.
Without knowing proper temperatures that the BD is experiencing, it'll be hard to help you. It's recommended that you purchase a thermometer to measure the temperatures. You should never not know. A digital thermometer with a probe is best to measure temps. The stick on ones do not measure accurately.
70 degrees is WAY too low, and the room temps aren't going to be good enough to use to measure the enclosure temps, although they will have a factor sometimes. The regular lights can work if the watt is big enough and if supplemented with an under tank heater. Hopefully, you're also using a UV source, as that is necessary; although it won't offer any heat, it's needed for proper nutrient absorption.
If the temperatures aren't right, which it doesn't sound like they are, then more than likely that's causing the lethargy.
Help!!
Hello I just got my BD today. Marco is 7 months old. I got the zilla with both heat and uv lights. In a 40 breeder the warmer side is only 80 and the other side 75. I was told that I did not need a basking light with this fiture.
TThe nite blub I got is black 75wtt now I wonder I should have got 100wtt for the nite. It's now 7pm he came home at 2pm.
Confused....
You were told wrong. Bearded dragons need a basking site, no matter what type of fixtures you use. In some cases, the bulb is a heat emitting bulb which can serve as your basking site, but in any sense, your temps are too low. If the bulb is a heat and UV emitting bulb, then that would serve as yoru basking site. You just need to make sure that you have something that the BD can prop up on to get higher to actually bask. The watts that you'll need will all depend on the temperatures in the tank where the BD is able to feel the temps. If you're measuring with a stick on wall thermomter, then you're temp reading is not accurate. If you're reading the temps where the BD is not spending time- middle of the tank in the air- then the temp readin isn't accurate.
You need to measure the temps at the basking site and at the overal warm side of the tank. The best way to do this is by using a digital thermometer with a probe. Temp guns are also very useful for the basking site reading.
Generally they don't need a night bulb. The UTH can supply any temps day/night. During the day you'll just need the lighting to add to the UTH to make sure that the basking site and overall tank is accurate and warm enough without being too hot.
At night, some people will turn off all heat sources. It all depends on what the temps are and what the room temperatures are, as that will also play into figuring out how to heat the tank and what watts to use,
Thank you for your reply. You are so helpful. I have two thermometers one on each side the round stick ones from Petco. I'm thinking on Sunday I might have to get a basking bulb and keep the fixture (heat & UV) on the other side. He has one of those logs that he goes on top of to bask however it is only 80 degrees.
I should get a better thermometer also. The fixture is called Zilla Combo Dome light and heat Fluorescent & halogen.
Also I put down veggies for him but he did not eat. Could be because he is in a new home?
And his nails are very long do they need to be trimmed or stay as is.
Thanks,
Mary (1st time BD mom)
Hey, I've had my bearded dragon for about 5 months. He was housed in a 20g tank an recently bought a 40g breeder. When I put him in the 40g he was fine the first day. Now he just stays on one side of the tank and doesn't really move around and doesn't eat. The temperature is fine. I don't know why he's acting like this. Please Help
Mary, the stick on thermometers are NO good. They measure the wall temps in most cases. You need a basking site, and you need the temps higher than 80. Some BD from pet stores do not eat their greens as they should. It may take time o get him adjusted to eating them.
David, check the temperatures.
OK I finally got it right after spending the day at the major pet stores and buying then going back to return heat/light fixtures and bulbs. I bought three different items for heating however the 4th did the trick. I ended up with a Powersun 160watts. His basking area is now 100 degrees and the cool sides are between 80 and 85. The room is above the garage so can get chilly at times even with the house heated and his home is next to a window (no drafts through)
What a difference a bulb makes he is now active and seems happy and even his coloring looks alittle darker.
Thanks so much for your help. I'm go glad I found this sight.
ps - also got the ditial thermometers.
That is good that you've got everything all situated. Good luck. Warmer temps that are accurate to the requirements will definitely make a difference.
i just got my first bearded dragon at the 2009 east texas reptile expo. he is about 4 weeks old and im not sure exactly about this "pick of the litter" stuff but from an hour of reasearching i thought id like to hear from an experienced owner so here is my question, my bearded dragon appears to have redish coloring on its side ,a neutral brown with a yellow patterns on its body and legs and kinda tiger stripes pattern on its tail. does that qualify as an "pick of the litter?" ill be on today untill 9;30pm and tomarow at 3;00pm so thats my question...
Red is a popular color these days in many morphs of BDs; it all depends on what shade of red, how much, and how bright. There's no thing as 'pick of the litter' with BDs that I've ever heard of, so I'm not sure what you mean by that, except for the breeder just saying their opinion as to which they feel is the best from that litter, which is common with puppies, but not usually the terminology used for reptiles.
alright its not all red but more of an yellow brown o also do you know how to get them to learn to drink from a dish? mine rarely ever even goes to the bowl can you help?
Most don't drink from a bowl. They will generally get most of the moisture they need from high moisture foods- carrots, squash, fruits, etc. They will also drink when they are soaked once a week. The bowl is an option, most BDs don't drink from them, but it's good to have.
hello,
My boyfriend and me just got a bd a month ago named pancakes. He acted weird of course until he adjusted then he acted like a normal bd. We were cleaning his cage and changed the substrate. That we got from a different store than normal(A cheap feedstore instead of petstore). He started acting jumpy afterwhile and sketchy when we tried to hold him.He ran from me one time and acted a little aggressive. When we cleaned the cage again and put the rest of the substrate from the same bag we bought at the feedstor my bf noticed mites crawling ERYWHERE we immediately removed the substrate and bleached everything in his cage. We layed a towel down. Now he puffs his/her beard really big,puffs his belly flat, slightly open his mouth and hits my hands with the side of his mouth like a crocodile does tp defend itself. He never acted like this till now he used to be VERY docile and plop down in our hands. The temps are for absolutely sure at a good level and the humidity is too. I'm worried about pickin him up now so i stopped touching him a day ago but my bf still tries and the bd still acts weird.
Could be the stress of having to be treated or mites. How long has it been since you treated him? Make sure temps are good? Is he still eating?
Hi, i have just bought a 2month old b/d called nico, he/she was eating fine around 10-15 crickets a day and chasing them fine, seemed to get the hang of catching crickets really quickly but after about 3days of settling nico in he didnt seemed fussed about the crickets we are puttin 2/3 in at a time and its a struggle for him to eat them he doesnt chase them and we usually end up taking them back out of the viv, although he is eatin his greens throughout the night and pooing fine, temps are fine in viv we have a temp probe and a full spectrum uv/uvb which is on for 12hours. Is their a problem or is he just bein stubborn/fussy?
There could be an illness causing the food issue. If he's eating the vegetables, he should be fine because he's eating something. Why are you feeding the greens at night? It's best to offer them in the day so that the BD can eat them throughout the day when they're most active. Just keep a close eye out.
greens are in all day he just chooses to eat them in the night he hates being watched whilst eating lol...he does have character bless him. Hopefully its just the settling in period and he will get into a routine soon.
Just keep an eye on him then.
He eats a lot. Temps are close to perfect and we havent treated him because we were told all mite treatment didnt work. We had tried to treat a snake for mites with stuff that was supposed to kill mites but it kiled the snake with them so we're scared to try something.
Mite treatments do work if you try the right one. Generally, it's not going to kill the reptile if you do it right.
Here's tips on getting rid of mites:
http://hubpages.com/_reptilehelp/hub/My_Snake_Has_
You don't want to leave the mites in the cage. They're pests that really do suck the blood from the animal and can transmit disease.
Hi Whitney, now I have a question about my female bearded dragon, hopefully u can answer, I have seen above that you dont recommend any type of sand at all, which I totally agree...I have 4 BDs and all of them are on newspaper, but I have read on other sites that female dragons will not lay their eggs unless they have 14-16 inches of sand to bury them in, and I have 1 female, my mom also has a female, and we were wondering what we should do about that...Is there anything other than sand that we could use for them to bury their eggs in, and is there a certain time of year that they will lay their eggs, cause I was thinking "if" we have to use sand we could just put that in there around the time they would lay the eggs and after that process is over, take the sand out
Have you bred them? In most cases, if they haven't been bred with a male, they won't lay.
Otherwise, sand is a terrible laying medium because it will dry out the eggs. Try using bed-a-best or a dirt substrate (non fertilized of course), as it'll hold moisture better than sand. Keep it moist though. You'll probably have to mist it daily to make sure. You will need a fairly large container though. Many use glad tupperware containers, and they'll lay in that.
Watch out when using newspaper because the ink can cause issues.
If you're trying to breed, thought I'd give you a heads up that right now the reptile market is crap and it'll be hard to make money if that's the intent. You'll spend more than you'll make, and it's pretty expensive to house a litter of BD's, much less a few litters.
I wasnt planning on breeding them right now...don't have the extra money to put together an incubator, or to feed more beardies...the four I got are pigs...lol...and thank you for the info on the newspaper, I did not know that the ink could cause problems, I am planning on putting tile in there either this weekend or next. As for the egg laying, when I bought her from the pet store the owner said that when he was cleaning the calci sand that she was in, he found a collapsed egg, but she was housed with another female, and he didnt know which one had laid the egg...neither one of the females had been with another male, (the lady who had brought them in and sold them to the pet store had them in the calci sand and all, just to let u know, he doesnt house his BD's in any sand, only paper towel on the bottom)...is there a certain time of year I should be watchful about this?, and what is bed-a-best??
Gotcha. Sometimes they can lay without being with a male, but in BD's it's not quite as common. They will lay with or without a lay box.
Calci sand is nasty bad. Ha.
Bed-a-Beast is a compressed block of coco fiber/dirt. You soak it in water to loosen it up.
Oh and yea some newspapers can use an ink that can be toxic, like if food gets on it and the reptile eats it. Plus in some cases, it can leave a dark coloration on the reptile.
should i b worried if 1 of my dragons spends all day under a rock in the shade?
It depends on if the BD is still eating and drinking. It also depends on what your temperatures are and how the BD is housed.
Hi there, Just wondered if it was normal for female bearded dragons to have problems shedding their skin while pregnant, my female has a couple of patchs of skin she hasnt shed properly, on her head and stomach, and i wondered if it was because of her pregnancy or is it a sign the uv bulbs need changing? I changed them bout 4 months ago.
In a lot of cases they will shed in parts. The UV tubes should be changed every 4-6 months, but I don't think that would have any substantial affect on shedding. Try soaking her when she's going to shed, and make sure she's getting enough fluids.
so, i upgraded my beardie's tank to a bigger size, and i noticed that in the tank in the pet store they had like fish tank rocks for substrate on the bottom. the pet lady said he won't eat the rocks, but when i moved him into his new tank today he was hunting the rocks, licking them, and picking them up in his mouth then spitting them out. could this just be because he is still hungry? she also said he didn't eat the rocks when he was still at the pet store...
The pet store lady was wrong. They can and will eat the rocks whether on purpose or on accident. You want to use reptile carpet, tile, paper towels, or shelf liner. You don't want to use anything that the BD can ingest. It can block the intestines and cause an impaction, which can be fatal if not noticed and treated early.
It's not always the best idea to take a pet store employee's information as 100 percent accurate. Always do your own research before and after getting a pet.
hi, I have a 2 1/2 year old male BD. We have had him since he was a year. Heat lamp and uvb provided 16 hrs a day, greens(romaine lettus/baby spinich/kale/carrots) every 2nd day as well as crickets and superworms. J.R has always been of good health, but recently we aquired a new set of BD and had to move him, he was without a ivb for 3 weeks. It has been almost 3 weeks now since he ate. My husband noticed blood in his feces and he is all around bummed, not active. He has a healthy weight still, so we dont want to jump to conclusions. Where we live there isnt a reptile vet anywhere close. We have backed off on the calcium, fearing it built up over those 3 weeks, but its not helping, what can we do?
You'll want a much more varied diet; add squash, zucchini, strawberries, melon, mango, etc.
Did you put the new BD in quarantine before putting it/them in the cage with J.R? If not, then did you know the owner of the BD before you? Quarantining is very important because you want to make sure that the new reptile is not ill with parasites that can be contracted by your current pet.
Also, what is the gender of the new BD? JR could be being bullying and is probably quite stressed. BDs are solitary reptiles and prefer to be housed solo.
What size enclosure? When more than one BDs in a tank, you'll want to have a larger enclosure than with housing one in the tank.
Did you get one or two new ones? Are they the same size? Were they quarantined? Do you see bullying?
It's not a good idea to house more than one per enclosure. If JR has never had problems before, he's probably stressed out. You'll want to get another enclosure so that they are all separate.
We got 2 new dragons a male and a female, all have their own cages. We moved JR because his cage was bigger(at first our new 2 were togerther)both are the same size as JR.
Jr is in a 55 gal by himself, we use play sand(never had problems before).
Other then adding more variety to his diet is there anything else we can do? He is a very healthy weight, very fat tail! but we dont want him to lose the weight, and with him not eating........we feel helpless.
Consider that although you've never had problems, that doesn't mean that you won't ever encounter impaction problems with the sand. With blood in the feces, you should definitely see a vet. Take him off the sand, and see how that goes.
I'd keep the male and female separate as he will mate with her whether you're ready for it or not.
As for J.R. keep the UV new, maintain a varied diet, get rid of the sand, see a vet, and let him relax. Having moved him out of his tank, that probably stressed him out. But, I'd worry most about the sand substrate and blood in the stool.
Hey, i was wondering how to make natural drift wood safe for my beardie? I know you need to soak it in 10% bleach but for how long? also i heard that you can bake it in the oven after that at a low temp (like 250) for a few hrs to ensure that it dries out completely?
hi there i have just took on a 2 year old deardie called arrow he is lovely they have fed him locusts daily he is on 10 a day he is about 18 - 20 inches. also on his veg an fruit . does he need insects every day or should i break ?? also im struggling with what temp to keep him at i get different opinions from ppl. i was told to turn off all lights at night , our room, i monitored his temp last night heis tank was 62 - 68 through out the night is this ok ?? daytime temp is bsking end 76 86 should i increase this ? i have many questions . thanks for help ,
Kourtney, bake it in the oven at at least 350F for at least 45 minutes or low temps for several hours.
David, he diesn't need insects daily, but he does need fruits and veggies daily. You don't have to closely monitor night temps unless they're going to get extremely low. Lights should be shut off so the BD can sleep, but a small light wouldn't hurt. You need to increase basking temps a good deal. See above for proper temperatures.
Krista 07 says:
2 years ago
Great hub!