HiddenThylacine
Member
Ok. So I recently picked up my first bearded dragon, (have had lots of other reptiles, but he's me first Beardie 
) I did a lot of research before setting up the cage and going out and getting him. I even had a friend who owns beardies come over and take a look check my probes and make sure everything was snazzy for him.
So last week I got him, he's 1 year old, around 15 inches and a fat little boy to boot. He comes from a weird situation though, and he has stumped those I know with Beardies. He comes from a highschool biology class for Behavioral Disorder children.
So i'll start the list I suppose, with that in mind.
First off, the most disturbing to me is that he does not eat crickets. Flat out refuses. Wont touch them, in his cage or a feeding tank (I tried it in his cage only after the feeding tank failed) I've tried everything I could think of, he refuses. He'll eat his veggies, well kind of. Maybe a pinch worth a day. I have a mix of collared greens, alfalfa plant, dandelion greens and some squash. He refuses to eat pellets, I tried these, again, in hopes that I could find what he is used to. The only thing I have offered him that he will accept is Silkworms and Mealworms. I know the mealworms are a rare thing not a constant in their diet because of the shells and low calcium. I'm lost. I want him to eat healthy, but after contacting the woman I got him from, I was informed this is how he was raised. No greens, just calcium dosed mealworms. Seriously? thats about what I could say after talking to her.
Next, he does not like to have anymore then 8 hours of lights and heat. I have a ground heater for nights so I think this isn't going to so much hurt him, but it's unusual. Apparently once the teacher left for the day she simply shut down his lights and left him. My lights are set to go on at 8am, and go off again at 9:30. around 5 he starts going crazy, he rips apart his tank and starts digging at the tile and just starts flipping his furniture everywhere. He tosses his hidey, knocks down his basking furniture, you name it, he breaks it, until you turn off his light. Once you turn it off, he just collapses and is out like a light within 10 minutes. Right now, he in fact is asleep in a very awkward way. He's lying on two different climbing sticks, his head propped very close to veritcal, and he seems to be just perfectly happy this way.
I worry with this schedule, if I can't correct it, he wont get enough UVA/B rays.
Next, he hates baths. We fill the tub to my second knuckle on my hand, it ends up reaching him mid chest, luke warm water. He jumps outta there as fast as he can. Its a huge fight to get him in the bath, i promise you, i've seen cats easier to bathe. Again, I know he gets a large part of his hydration this way, and well its not working well. Once more, in my conversation with the woman I found he has never been put into a bath of any form, only sprayed once a week with a spray bottle.
These are the traits of the bruiser of a bearded named Brock. I'll post up some pictures of him and his tank tomorrow hopefully, but for now unfortunately, I am cameraless.
Anyone have any tips on the oddities exhibited with him? Ways to get him to eat crickets, and get more used to staying up later in the day?
HELP.
) I did a lot of research before setting up the cage and going out and getting him. I even had a friend who owns beardies come over and take a look check my probes and make sure everything was snazzy for him. So last week I got him, he's 1 year old, around 15 inches and a fat little boy to boot. He comes from a weird situation though, and he has stumped those I know with Beardies. He comes from a highschool biology class for Behavioral Disorder children.
So i'll start the list I suppose, with that in mind.
First off, the most disturbing to me is that he does not eat crickets. Flat out refuses. Wont touch them, in his cage or a feeding tank (I tried it in his cage only after the feeding tank failed) I've tried everything I could think of, he refuses. He'll eat his veggies, well kind of. Maybe a pinch worth a day. I have a mix of collared greens, alfalfa plant, dandelion greens and some squash. He refuses to eat pellets, I tried these, again, in hopes that I could find what he is used to. The only thing I have offered him that he will accept is Silkworms and Mealworms. I know the mealworms are a rare thing not a constant in their diet because of the shells and low calcium. I'm lost. I want him to eat healthy, but after contacting the woman I got him from, I was informed this is how he was raised. No greens, just calcium dosed mealworms. Seriously? thats about what I could say after talking to her.
Next, he does not like to have anymore then 8 hours of lights and heat. I have a ground heater for nights so I think this isn't going to so much hurt him, but it's unusual. Apparently once the teacher left for the day she simply shut down his lights and left him. My lights are set to go on at 8am, and go off again at 9:30. around 5 he starts going crazy, he rips apart his tank and starts digging at the tile and just starts flipping his furniture everywhere. He tosses his hidey, knocks down his basking furniture, you name it, he breaks it, until you turn off his light. Once you turn it off, he just collapses and is out like a light within 10 minutes. Right now, he in fact is asleep in a very awkward way. He's lying on two different climbing sticks, his head propped very close to veritcal, and he seems to be just perfectly happy this way.
I worry with this schedule, if I can't correct it, he wont get enough UVA/B rays.
Next, he hates baths. We fill the tub to my second knuckle on my hand, it ends up reaching him mid chest, luke warm water. He jumps outta there as fast as he can. Its a huge fight to get him in the bath, i promise you, i've seen cats easier to bathe. Again, I know he gets a large part of his hydration this way, and well its not working well. Once more, in my conversation with the woman I found he has never been put into a bath of any form, only sprayed once a week with a spray bottle.
These are the traits of the bruiser of a bearded named Brock. I'll post up some pictures of him and his tank tomorrow hopefully, but for now unfortunately, I am cameraless.
Anyone have any tips on the oddities exhibited with him? Ways to get him to eat crickets, and get more used to staying up later in the day?
HELP.
