Yes! Another free reptile! (Need beardie tips too please?)

[Henry Kane]

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, people keep giving us free reptiles. I have a question though. Before I get the old "research your pets before you get them" lecture, this is a rescue situation and he just arrived.

Ok, I have a lot of general care info and so far it's easy enough. Here's the thing, the guy I adopted the beardie from is partially immobile and wasn't able to care for the beardie properly. The enclosure he came in is pretty funky. (lots of waste and prey remains etc.) The enclosure stinks which I am taking care of immediately. Unfortunately, the beardie is stinky too. So, can you give beardies a bath? Not with soap and all that but a nice thorough rinse would certainly help. If that's not a good idea, will the smell go away after he's been housed and maintained correctly for a while?

Thanks.

Atrax

p.s. Pics coming soon of course.

 

[pamandron]

Atrax, we don't know what the pro's would say: But it rains on everything once in a while. Give that stinky dragon a bath=D We give all of our lizards , a bath and so far it hasn't hurt any of them. Just dry him off good afterwards, Pam and Ron

ps,
congrats on the beardie

 

[Gillian]

Gary,
Congrats! Yes, the smell will go away. Beardies love the occasional soak. It helps them rehydrate. I used to soak mine once a week. It was quite cute, as he'd swim around. I only had the water deep enough to just cover his lower half, where he was kind of floating..
Peace,
Gillian

 

[Henry Kane]

Thanks guys. It's bath time for the beardie! He's already eaten 10 Lg. crix and is enjoying a nice bask in the spectrum light. I got some nice pics of him already too, I just gotta resize them before I post.

Thanks again folks.

Atrax

 

[Henry Kane]

Ok, here "he?" is. Not sure of what sex yet though. This is the new and clean version of the tank he came in. I know he needs a bigger tank and he'll get one very soon. This has to do until next payday though.

 

[Henry Kane]

.

 

[jwb121377]

Wow you got a great pet, one of mine is chilling on my shoulder right now. Your set up looks pretty good just a little undersized(as stated), but don't forget about the uvb light as it is very important for proper calcium absorbency. I would also use repti-sand instead of peat but that is more personal preference more then anything. it looks like the dragon has fallen into well caring capable hands..

 

[Henry Kane]

Thanks Jeremy! What's up?
The substrate is actually 80% play sand and 20% peat. I added the peat in hopes of a fresher smell (which seems to be doing the trick already). The light on the top there is a full spectrum reptile light as well. He really seems to enjoy soaking up the rays.

How old is your beardie? The guy this one came from says he's 1 1/2 yrs.

See ya.

Atrax

 

[Static_69]

wow...That beardie looks wicked, Atrax...congrats!
I really want to get a lizard next.
I was thinking either a baby bearded dragon or something along that line.
Do you recommend a bearded dragon?
Are they high maintenance?

Sorry for throwing my own questions in here...your's just looks cool enough to make me want to get one of my own, lol.




see ya,


Risto

 

[jwb121377]

Originally posted by Atrax
How old is your beardie? The guy this one came from says he's 1 1/2 yrs.

See ya.

Atrax

Cool! The things you can't tell from a picture. I have four Beardies at the moment;
1 female 1year old
1 male 1 year old
1 female(sold to me as a male ) 10 months old
1 female 8 months old

I plan to buy another this saturday something real nice maybe a pure red or a sandfire if I can find one.

 

[jwb121377]

Originally posted by Static_69
I really want to get a lizard next.
I was thinking either a baby bearded dragon or something along that line.
Do you recommend a bearded dragon?
Are they high maintenance?

A bearded dragon would make a nice pet lizard. They are not a lot of work but housing can get very expensive. I have pair I plan to breed one day that will take up home in 135 gallon long tank with several basking spots and a couple of uvb lights. The whole setup will cost me about $500 but will be well worth it. A single dragon could live nicely in a 60 gallon as a adult. They need both a basking spot and a source of uvb light. They feed on veggies and crickets and are always hungry. *LOL* you will also find a ton of info at kingsnake.com they also have a forum here
You would want to pick one up from a good breeder if you choose to get one because they can suffer from a lot of different ailments if not well breed and cared for. It will be more then worth the extra effort to go to a good breeder then to buy from the local petstore. Also you may want to pick up the book The Bearded Dragon Manual by Philippe De Vosjoli, Robert Mailloux you find it for sale here
for under $12 plus shipping.

 

[Henry Kane]

Risto,
Thanks for the compliments!
I'd recommend a beardie for sure. From all the care info I've gathered, there's nothing to it. They are a little higher maintenance than inverts but nothing too difficult by any means.

Jeremy pretty much summed it all up for the most part. I checked a lot of caresheets and they pretty much say the same stuff. Here's a good one for you to check out...

http://coloherp.org/careshts/lizards/beardeds.php

Lates

Atrax

 

[Henry Kane]

Originally posted by jwb121377
Cool! The things you can't tell from a picture. I have four Beardies at the moment;
1 female 1year old
1 male 1 year old
1 female(sold to me as a male ) 10 months old
1 female 8 months old

I plan to buy another this saturday something real nice maybe a pure red or a sandfire if I can find one.

I saw a couple pics of the red beardies on Kingsnake. Intense! Good luck on the breeding and I'd definitely like to check some pics of your beardie homes if you get a chance.

Atrax

 

[Static_69]

Originally posted by jwb121377
A bearded dragon would make a nice pet lizard. They are not a lot of work but housing can get very expensive. I have pair I plan to breed one day that will take up home in 135 gallon long tank with several basking spots and a couple of uvb lights. The whole setup will cost me about $500 but will be well worth it. A single dragon could live nicely in a 60 gallon as a adult. They need both a basking spot and a source of uvb light. They feed on veggies and crickets and are always hungry. LOL you will also find a ton of ikingsnake.com
they also have a forum here

Wow...They sound awesome.
How long do they take to mature?
And about how much does a hatchling run for?




thanks,

Risto

 

[jwb121377]

No sweat as soon as I get my camera back form fugi I will post some pics for you.

 

[jwb121377]

Risto they mature in about two years+. They can run you from $50 for a normal to well over $200 for a real nice young dragon. I paid $100 for pure red x snow female 2 month old. Also you may want to look over the first post I did for you as I added a little more for you by doing a post edit.

 

[Static_69]

Sounds really cool...Thanks for the info and everything, guys.
I think I'm gonna start saving up for a baby beardie now. =D






see ya,


Risto

 

[Bry]

Atrax, you picked up an excellent lizard. I used to have one, and they are awesome, such personality. I have not often heard of using any peat moss with them. I personally prefer 100% sand with beardies at least 6 months old, but as long as they're kept dry and quite hot, I don't see why there should be any problem. As for the bath, water should be at around shoulder level, and they seem to swim quite well. Just be warned that the water loosens up their bowels and ahh, you know the rest. That tank does seem small, but will do nicely for a temporary setup. Beardies, even captive bred ones are prone to endoparasite infections, particularly pinworms. But, as long as you stay on top of it, you should be fine.

If I may make a suggestion, I would set up a flourescent bulb on that cage called Repti-Sun so they can help the beardie produce vitamin D3. But, with the weather being warm, you can take him/her outside to bask in the sun. If you have a reptarium, great, use that for outdoor basking, just be sure to provide some shade. If she doesn't seem flighty (not likely), you could probably trust her on some type of wooden fence post or balcony rail. They're rather lazy and love basking they won't move much, but I'd still keep a close eye, just in case. Fifteen minutes of sun equals about a week's worth of what a Repti-Sun bulb puts out. So, if you can take him out regularly during the summer, I wouldn't worry about the bulb until the outdoor temperature starts dropping below 75 degrees regularly.

I'm leaving for Colorado tomorrow morning (Tuesday). If we can get together, I'd be glad to sex the beardie for you, if you like.

Risto, bearded dragons make great pets. Their care is a bit more involved than that of say, a leopard gecko. But, they're not too difficult to care for when you get the hang of their requirements.

Damn, now I miss having a beardie. I want one.

Edit to add: Atrax, I overlooked where you said the bulb is full-spectrum. What brand is it? Is it one of those Zoo Med reptile heating bulbs for around $7-10 (if I remember correctly)? If so, I don't really trust them to be "full-spectrum". Those are just regular flood lights with the Zoo Med name and the claim for full-spectrum just so they can hike up the price a few bucks more than any old flood light. If this is the case, I'd still go with the Repti-Sun flourescent bulb. Or is it one of those Active UV Heat bulbs that go for $40-50? If so, that will do the job just fine.

Bry

 

[Gillian]

Gary,
You got it. Beardies are AWESOME pets.
Good luck!
Peace,
Gillian

 

[Immortal_sin]

wow...that's a nice beardie!
They are the only lizard that I would even consider having, I think they are so cool! If only I had the room
I remember the one in Hoke's suite owned by 'she who should not be named' that Shelby was playing with. What a personality it had....reminded me of a cat!
One of these days, when we either move, or add on to our existing hovel, it shall happen!
congrats on the aquisition!