ComicBookMama
Sub-Adult Member
I just watched a great video on YouTube called "10 Things We Wish We'd Known Before Getting a Tegu" and thought, Hey - that would be a great topic for discussion on the forum! As a relative newbie, my personal list of things-I-wish-I'd-known grows daily... but here are a couple of mine to start off, and I hope the veteran posters jump in and add their experiences.
Things I Wish I'd Known Before Getting a Bearded Dragon
Pet Stores are NOT the Best Places to Get Your Beardie.
I don't know why I didn't think this part through, because I'd never buy a dog or cat from a pet store... but even though I adore my Figment, a part of me really wishes I'd chosen to buy from a reputable breeder instead of a Big Box Pet Store. Part of it is ethics; I know that animals in pet stores are mass-produced under less-than-optimal conditions, and buying from a pet store only promotes that kind of factory-farm breeding. Part of it is the uncertainty; you'll never know exactly how old your dragon is, and you'll likely find out the hard way if they didn't get proper care at the store... parasites, MBD, all that lovely stuff. Part of it is pure vanity; you can't get the really pretty, vibrant beardie colors from a pet store, no matter what the tag on the cage says. And part of it is just wanting to do right by a fellow animal lover, the side of me that says, You know, breeder X really loves her beardies and works to make sure she's producing quality dragons for people who love them, too. It's just right to support that sort of small businessperson. So yeah, though I couldn't be happier with Figment, I'll be getting my next beardie from a reputable breeder.
You Will Become Obsessed With Poop
I've owned rats, gerbils, cats, dogs, birds, and fish - and nothing, short of my firstborn son, has made me as obsessed with looking at poop as this bearded dragon. You will question the size, the color, the smell, the texture, the density, and the frequency of the poops. You will stare at the poop. You will closely examine it. You will photograph the poop and post it on this forum, demanding, Does this poop look normal to you folks? Why? Because you can't really tell if your dragon is feeling well or under the weather just by looking at him. Poop becomes your gold standard for determining overall health and wellness. That, and the fact that you will spend a good bit of your dragon time cleaning up those poops, pretty much assures that you will be forming a fairly intimate bond with something you never thought you would, or could, care about.
40 Gallons is the Minimum, But Not the Optimum
If I hadn't read Brandon's, aka Claudiusx's, care guide on this site, I'd probably be beating myself up right now over having settled for the minimum sized tank... but I have, and I know that beardies can live a full and happy life in a 40BR tank. That said, when I can afford it and have the room for it, I'll probably be upgrading to a larger tank. Why? Because it's the kinder thing to do, if it's possible, for a fellow living creature who's going to spend most of his waking life in a glass box. I'd go stir crazy if I was confined to my small bedroom for too long, so I assume that the same is true of my dragon. And while he's still in his 40BR, I'll make darned sure that he gets plenty of time outside the tank to stretch his little lizardy legs.
You Will Spend An Insane Amount of Money on Bugs
I am now a fixture at my local Petco. I walk in, and the first staffer who sees me heads straight for the cricket bins. They know my order before I have to even ask. And at this point, three months into owning my beardie, a sizable chunk of my monthly credit card bill is cricket sales to Petco for about $20 a pop. Considering that I'm in there twice or three times a week, that's a pretty hefty chunk of change to feed a lizard. And that's not counting the mail order dubia roaches, superworms, BSFL, and other goodies I get to provide variety in my feeding. Greens? Pfft. I don't spend a pittance on greenstuff for Figment. It's the bugs that are making me question my monthly pet budget, and making me wish I had the time and effort needed to farm the darn things myself. Because, o fellow newbie-to-dragons, unless you raise them yourself and until your dragon grows into being mostly vegetarian, you're gonna plunk down a TON of money on bugs.
You Will Learn to Love the Roaches
I am a convert. I didn't think I could possibly stomach having 200+ roaches in my home, let alone handle them and care for them (I blame an early trauma involving cockroaches and a box of popcorn) - but I now have them delivered to my workplace so the box doesn't sit out in the heat or the cold, and I can't do without these wonderful feeders for my dragon. While I still feed crickets for variety and convenience, I have been converted mainly by poster KarrieRee's unceasing promotion of Dubia roaches. I hope she makes a post on them, because nobody, but nobody, can sing the praises of Dubias like KarrieRee. I won't even try.
Jump In, Fellow Posters! I hope this thread cotinunes!
Things I Wish I'd Known Before Getting a Bearded Dragon
Pet Stores are NOT the Best Places to Get Your Beardie.
I don't know why I didn't think this part through, because I'd never buy a dog or cat from a pet store... but even though I adore my Figment, a part of me really wishes I'd chosen to buy from a reputable breeder instead of a Big Box Pet Store. Part of it is ethics; I know that animals in pet stores are mass-produced under less-than-optimal conditions, and buying from a pet store only promotes that kind of factory-farm breeding. Part of it is the uncertainty; you'll never know exactly how old your dragon is, and you'll likely find out the hard way if they didn't get proper care at the store... parasites, MBD, all that lovely stuff. Part of it is pure vanity; you can't get the really pretty, vibrant beardie colors from a pet store, no matter what the tag on the cage says. And part of it is just wanting to do right by a fellow animal lover, the side of me that says, You know, breeder X really loves her beardies and works to make sure she's producing quality dragons for people who love them, too. It's just right to support that sort of small businessperson. So yeah, though I couldn't be happier with Figment, I'll be getting my next beardie from a reputable breeder.
You Will Become Obsessed With Poop
I've owned rats, gerbils, cats, dogs, birds, and fish - and nothing, short of my firstborn son, has made me as obsessed with looking at poop as this bearded dragon. You will question the size, the color, the smell, the texture, the density, and the frequency of the poops. You will stare at the poop. You will closely examine it. You will photograph the poop and post it on this forum, demanding, Does this poop look normal to you folks? Why? Because you can't really tell if your dragon is feeling well or under the weather just by looking at him. Poop becomes your gold standard for determining overall health and wellness. That, and the fact that you will spend a good bit of your dragon time cleaning up those poops, pretty much assures that you will be forming a fairly intimate bond with something you never thought you would, or could, care about.
40 Gallons is the Minimum, But Not the Optimum
If I hadn't read Brandon's, aka Claudiusx's, care guide on this site, I'd probably be beating myself up right now over having settled for the minimum sized tank... but I have, and I know that beardies can live a full and happy life in a 40BR tank. That said, when I can afford it and have the room for it, I'll probably be upgrading to a larger tank. Why? Because it's the kinder thing to do, if it's possible, for a fellow living creature who's going to spend most of his waking life in a glass box. I'd go stir crazy if I was confined to my small bedroom for too long, so I assume that the same is true of my dragon. And while he's still in his 40BR, I'll make darned sure that he gets plenty of time outside the tank to stretch his little lizardy legs.
You Will Spend An Insane Amount of Money on Bugs
I am now a fixture at my local Petco. I walk in, and the first staffer who sees me heads straight for the cricket bins. They know my order before I have to even ask. And at this point, three months into owning my beardie, a sizable chunk of my monthly credit card bill is cricket sales to Petco for about $20 a pop. Considering that I'm in there twice or three times a week, that's a pretty hefty chunk of change to feed a lizard. And that's not counting the mail order dubia roaches, superworms, BSFL, and other goodies I get to provide variety in my feeding. Greens? Pfft. I don't spend a pittance on greenstuff for Figment. It's the bugs that are making me question my monthly pet budget, and making me wish I had the time and effort needed to farm the darn things myself. Because, o fellow newbie-to-dragons, unless you raise them yourself and until your dragon grows into being mostly vegetarian, you're gonna plunk down a TON of money on bugs.
You Will Learn to Love the Roaches
I am a convert. I didn't think I could possibly stomach having 200+ roaches in my home, let alone handle them and care for them (I blame an early trauma involving cockroaches and a box of popcorn) - but I now have them delivered to my workplace so the box doesn't sit out in the heat or the cold, and I can't do without these wonderful feeders for my dragon. While I still feed crickets for variety and convenience, I have been converted mainly by poster KarrieRee's unceasing promotion of Dubia roaches. I hope she makes a post on them, because nobody, but nobody, can sing the praises of Dubias like KarrieRee. I won't even try.
Jump In, Fellow Posters! I hope this thread cotinunes!