"After the passing of a hatchling beardie, my family was upset so I got a juvie bearded dragon and a baby ig. We Figured They would be alright in the same enclosure for a few days till my paycheck came and we could buy another enclosure. Everything was fine for a few days and on the third or fourth day we came home to find The beardie snacking on the ig. This was most unfortunate, after the incident we noticed that Ben (the beardie) would try to eat ANYTHING that was green and we also found out that these guys eat small lizards in the wild so I guess that was a deadly combo... live and learn." Justin Rescorl
"Hibiscus flowers are good for dragons that are having trouble adjusting to new homes and not eating well. the scent and taste entices them to gobble down greens when mixed into a salad. another benefit that I've heard of is they promote vivid colors in morphs much like green peppers. Only offer them as a treat not as a staple with every feeding."
BEARDED DRAGONS
What are my thoughts on Bearded Dragons? I have had a few pass through here over the years. They have passed through here because they are not for everyone and are quite often rehomed. They are personable and handlable. But they have no respect for their homes...slobs, they are. And while I love their personalities I get frustrated cleaning up after them. Though I don't think I would ever be without one. Currently we have 4. Mouse will live out his life here. Mouse came with another dragon, also undersized ~ Bent, about 9 inches in length. Tangerine, is back in my care after 2 years elsewhere. The last is another undersized female, housed with an assertive cage mate until they came here, she has grown alot since being with us, but is still on the small side.
Kuani and Big Boy Kel were my first reptiles. Kuani was a gift from my son and Kel followed less than 2 months later. Their personalities were completely opposite. Kuani was adventurous, loved swimming, assertive and brave. Kel was a BIG BOY...the largest many had seen. But his size belied his character and he was submissive, cowardly, gentle and tolerant.
Kuani got very sick shortly after coming here. The stress and new situation overwhelmed him. He was 2. He was a Christmas gift, so it was December. About 2 weeks after his arrival he started to become listless and depressed looking and lost his appetite. I thought it was brumation. After 2 months I took him into the vet. It was internal parasites. He was given a dewormer and an antibiotic and was on the mend in a few days. Until the week he died, it was the only health problem he had.
Kuani was the reason that I put water tubs in with the dragons. Kuani loved to play in water. Kel was terrified of it. Kuani would spend hours in the outdoor enclosure diving into the little pond...circling...climbing out and starting all over again. Or in the indoor pond, he would start on the bridge, dive in, swim for a minute and back to the bridge repeated for an hour or so at a time. We watched from the table overlooking the pond.
Kel absolutely flipped out when put in the water...though he did learn to enjoy it in his last couple of years...when I got it right....Kel liked to dive into the water and be able to find footing immediately to get back out. They used the water about once a week and will stay in for about 20 minutes.
Mouse is new here, a friend needed space for his kids and decided to get out of the hobby. Mouse had been born with the egg sac wrapped tightly around his middle. Just around his rib cage area there remains an indentation still. (Can be seen in the picture.) Although, fully 2 years of age, Mouse is only 2 inches snout to vent. He is a little shy and flghty like you would see in a baby beardie. He eats well, about 3 crickets at a time. Just a couple of pieces of veggies. Mouse is new here and has at this time been here a little less than a month. he will be a concern, for me and will need a close eye kept on him. Mouse is currently living with a leopard gecko and 2 girdled lizards. He and Bent have always lived together without any indication of problems between them but the little guy was regularly being stepped on so I separated them.
Tangerine was purchased at an expo, probably going on 4 years ago. (I have only been one other time since. :C). My husband purchased her through Capitol Dragons. She is some kind of orange phase. We raised Tangerine here but sold her to a friend interested in breeding. Kel was never interested in her and Kuani was very rough on her. So, I housed her separately. Her return here coincided with Mouse and Bent.
Two weeks after her arrival, she laid a clutch. I managed to capture a few pictures.
In the next picture is our fourth beadie. Prior to coming here she had been living with an assertive cage mate, male of the same age. She was approximately half his size. She is 2 years of age approximately, and has been living with this spiny tail iguana for about 8 months. They also live with a berber skink, Tangerine and a African Pygmy Hedgehog.
Beardies are also good about sharing their space with other species if introduced prior to adulthood. I have never had to remove anyone from a space shared with a dragon. The smaller desert iguanas make good cage mates for dragons. The iguanas are like living with teenagers! For both the iguanas and agamas and other more cautious reptiles the beardies act as a very calming influence. Bearded dragons can fit into active homes and acclimate easily. If you want a pet that is handlable place him in a common area of the house. The more activity around him, the more he will learn to live within the midst of it without being stressed but be sensitive to his needs, watch the level of stress and or relaxation/basking.
One last thought ...if you are new to reptiles, and the bearded dragon has been recommended to you...another option I would suggest would be: leopard geckos. Leopards need less room, are potty trained and deficate in a small area consistantly, can be tamed and handlable...and there are other advantages as well. Give me some time and I will find an excellent resource to pin here. LEOPARD GECKOS
I should have known to fill the food bowl and sit patiently to catch a picture of Cactus. Placing Cactus in this environment has managed to improve his situation. It gave him an extra foot of space, running water, natural substrate for digging, heat and I have finally managed to completely change his diet to insects. Cactus is also very good at finding escaped superworms.
What are the negatives for the lizards? you're asking...hmmm.....just give me a minute...I'm thinking...still thinking...sometimes they have to wait in line for the food dish and I am sure it took a few days for them to adjust to the wheel squeaking at night. In the upper left hand corner amongst the leaves you can barely see the back legs and tail of the iggi that shares the space.
MOUSE'S HOUSE ~ Mouse is the king of this castle. The leopards are rarely out during the day and the Girdled lizards are also shy and stay out for an hour or so and then disappear.
This girdled or false armadillo and Mouse, can quite often be found basking together. Mouse is fairly calm though tiny and the girdled feels more secure than I have seen him in 2.5 years. The leopards are in with the Star Agama.
Bearded Dragon (small) and a Star Agama
CACTUS THE HEDGEHOG AND CREW
Excellent Beardie Resources
AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE INFORMATION
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/
WEBSITES
www.beautifuldragons.com
http://www.exclusivedragons.com
FORUMS
www.BeardedDragon.Org
www.Bearded-Dragons.com
www.reptilescanada.com
Building a Cage: http://708designs.netfirms.com/customcage/customcage.htm
Going green: http://www.kricketskritters.com/home.html