soooo big - soooo small

Was just yesterday in the reptile/exotics pet store where I bought Taco to get some Reptivite (got only the small package, that's why it was already empty). and while looking around (they always have some of their own pets there, and some herps which are usually ball pythons, bearded dragons, green iguanas, leopard geckos, tortoises, and sometimes chameleons, frogs and water turtles, and "exotic mammals"*) surprisingly saw there were two dragons a bit younger than my Taco. (Usually there is one that's a bit younger, from the second clutch.)
That makes at least three - they also have one that is about 9 months older than my Taco, as I saw him the first time I visited the pet store, at that time just acquiring whether they have bearded dragons.
That make me think of how we under- or overestimate their size :D
I remember visiting the pet store for the first time, there was that fat guy covered in spikes (not overweight, but with a good amount of beard and pancaking) of bearded dragon in an enclosure, wow that was sooo big and I had not said "no" to adopting him right away. Climbed up his climbing background, pancaking, and a while after letting down a fat poo and my husband was a bit disgusted ;) They opened the enclosure, the dragon came right to the front and they let me hold and pet him. I had hoped, silently, that once I get my own beardie, he'll get that big. (My husband was asking me if I rather would like a reptile that stays smaller, maybe a gecko, than "something that chunky".)

Now seeing the two younger ones, I think that probably the fat guy covered in spikes was not larger than my Taco now :D
I also remember when my Taco was about the size of the two ones they now raise there, I considered him as "has grown so much", "so big". Now I would call them "small, a long way to grow" ;)
(They had also babies, 2 month old, looking healthy and well-cared, but always when I see some so small I'm a bit shocked, look so fragile. I'm honest that I was happy with the fact that I got my Taco a month older than just 2 months old and already more looking like a fence lizard then those very much round-faced, very much big-headed little ones looking like out of a Disney movie :D and the more critical-looking one month in between he was cared for by the pet store - despite proper setup, healthy looking dragon, I was the "very afraid person" who for some weeks was like "OMG I just hope this little guy hasn't died overnight". For no reason, I know, but I was.)

I just find it funny to some extend what we think about their size :D
Btw.: My husband who a year ago asked me if a reptile that stays smaller wouldn't be a better idea is now using nicknames for Taco that make him smaller "Taquito" (little Taco), "Würzelchen" (little tree root)...


*Chinchillas, ferrets, rabbits, mice, rats. Yes, also the rabbits, rats and mice are considered "exotic pets" here which is everything that's not a dog or cat.
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
I'm the orher way, Zen was my "big man" and Sinatra is my "Big boy" the girls are all "princess" "Sweetie pie" "Sweetems" "pumkin" or something similar lol.
 

ChileanTaco

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
For me, Taco is also my "big boy", "buddy" - looks just so confident and tough.
When Taco relaxes, we make jokes about him having to relax because he has a veeeery hard life :D (as of: he's hard and scaly)
 

Rocky2022

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Rocky, Ruby
Was just yesterday in the reptile/exotics pet store where I bought Taco to get some Reptivite (got only the small package, that's why it was already empty). and while looking around (they always have some of their own pets there, and some herps which are usually ball pythons, bearded dragons, green iguanas, leopard geckos, tortoises, and sometimes chameleons, frogs and water turtles, and "exotic mammals"*) surprisingly saw there were two dragons a bit younger than my Taco. (Usually there is one that's a bit younger, from the second clutch.)
That makes at least three - they also have one that is about 9 months older than my Taco, as I saw him the first time I visited the pet store, at that time just acquiring whether they have bearded dragons.
That make me think of how we under- or overestimate their size :D
I remember visiting the pet store for the first time, there was that fat guy covered in spikes (not overweight, but with a good amount of beard and pancaking) of bearded dragon in an enclosure, wow that was sooo big and I had not said "no" to adopting him right away. Climbed up his climbing background, pancaking, and a while after letting down a fat poo and my husband was a bit disgusted ;) They opened the enclosure, the dragon came right to the front and they let me hold and pet him. I had hoped, silently, that once I get my own beardie, he'll get that big. (My husband was asking me if I rather would like a reptile that stays smaller, maybe a gecko, than "something that chunky".)

Now seeing the two younger ones, I think that probably the fat guy covered in spikes was not larger than my Taco now :D
I also remember when my Taco was about the size of the two ones they now raise there, I considered him as "has grown so much", "so big". Now I would call them "small, a long way to grow" ;)
(They had also babies, 2 month old, looking healthy and well-cared, but always when I see some so small I'm a bit shocked, look so fragile. I'm honest that I was happy with the fact that I got my Taco a month older than just 2 months old and already more looking like a fence lizard then those very much round-faced, very much big-headed little ones looking like out of a Disney movie :D and the more critical-looking one month in between he was cared for by the pet store - despite proper setup, healthy looking dragon, I was the "very afraid person" who for some weeks was like "OMG I just hope this little guy hasn't died overnight". For no reason, I know, but I was.)

I just find it funny to some extend what we think about their size :D
Btw.: My husband who a year ago asked me if a reptile that stays smaller wouldn't be a better idea is now using nicknames for Taco that make him smaller "Taquito" (little Taco), "Würzelchen" (little tree root)...


*Chinchillas, ferrets, rabbits, mice, rats. Yes, also the rabbits, rats and mice are considered "exotic pets" here which is everything that's not a dog or cat.
My story was the opposite, I wanted something bigger. Although I was terrified, 4 to 6 months is what I aimed for. I could tell more about their health, I didn't have the frequent feedings although it was still plenty and I handled them better due to less jumping....or so I thought these things. I believe Rocky was on sale due to his size too...I didn't care. He was buy himself because he was bigger but what I thought meant loneliness and forgotten turned out to be his biggest blessing.
 

ChileanTaco

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
@Rocky2022
That might have been a bit misleading: I'm not afraid of the big ones - rather my husband was. He was more into getting a leopard gecko or crested gecko, an animal that fits on the palm of a hand, with a tank that easily fits on a small side table.
When I looked at the big bearded dragon in the reptile store, I "almost instantly fell in love", i.e. I had hoped mine grows as big as this beautiful large, spiky bearded dragon. I like large reptiles, I like snakes, I like large insects, I like arachnids (spiders, scorpions and such), I'm also not disgusted by having feeder insects at home... as my husband said it multiple times "the problem is that she's not afraid of them" ;)

(Why I had not decided for a reptile larger than a bearded dragon, such as a green iguana, Chinese water dragon, or a monitor lizard: availability, and just the space I have available. I have interacted with such reptiles, I'm not afraid - and I remember some years ago, I met somebody with a water monitor lizard, that lizard climbed up on me (have photos from that and it looked funny because I'm a rather small person), snuggled with me, hey great, it had a long purple tongue, slender and very elegant which I found fascinating, absolutely wouldn't have a problem with having it at home.)
 

xp29

BD.org Addict
Photo Comp Winner
Beardie name(s)
Zen , Ruby ,Snicker Doodles, Sweet Pea, Sinatra
My story was the opposite, I wanted something bigger. Although I was terrified, 4 to 6 months is what I aimed for. I could tell more about their health, I didn't have the frequent feedings although it was still plenty and I handled them better due to less jumping....or so I thought these things. I believe Rocky was on sale due to his size too...I didn't care. He was buy himself because he was bigger but what I thought meant loneliness and forgotten turned out to be his biggest blessing.
For sure!!!
 

ChileanTaco

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Beardie name(s)
Taco
I also had not wanted a 2 month old - 3 months however was fine; that's what I meant that I was happy I hadn't gotten him at 2 months but the one month more was cared by the people at the (I think very good) reptile store.
Regarding frequent feeding: I can't, as I'm away from home some 12 - 14 hours, sometimes also working night shifts; but my dragon was fine from the beginning on with me putting in a bowl of insects and a bowl of greens (he also has live plants that are edible in his enclosure) and he eats during the day in multiple sittings. Controlled it with a webcam. Hand-feeding as an extra for bonding in the evening once I'm back if that's not too late.

I had also immediately taken the "big guy" (I'd now say: that was a sub-adult) if he had been available (which he was not, he's belonging to the owner of the reptile store and was there until he outgrew the enclosure and went home). Or had adopted a bearded dragon of any size/ age (checked online for some months, nowhere reptiles for adoption, there is no community for that here in Chile, and animal shelters, pet foster homes here do only cats and dogs (asked, as I would have also adopted e.g. a turtle, tortoise or a gecko as helping is more important to me than species as long as the animal is not too large for the space I have available)).
 

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