Tengu's great adventures

She's a bit small in length, 45 cm would be a better length for an adult, but they come in all lengths. Keep up with the crickets, as she needs her protein and it's wonderful that she eats her salads every day. I wouldn't reduce the amount of crickets that she eats, she can even eat a bit more, as she's not full grown yet. They're full grown at 2 years old but some grow even after that age.

She sounds healthy and that's all that matters! Could you post a picture of her.

What matters the most if her UVB light, that it be a full spectrum light, like a Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% or 15% tube, or a correct mercury vapour bulb (heat and UVB in the same bulb). Also her basking temps need to be right, at least 38.8 celcius on the basking spot. So as long a those two things are correct, and you have a good temp guage (temp gun or digital temp with probe), that's really important.

The size of her tank is also important. A sub-adult/adult beardie should be in a 40 gallon breeder tank would be the smallest I'd recommend.

I hope all this helps!

Thank you for the reply

Oh really.... 45cm? She is a female so I thought they were a little smaller and I also thought 1 year is their max growth? I read that somewhere. Oh well good to know

Right now she has started to shed, it is very cute even though she isn't impressed by it!

yes, her tank size and temps are perfect from day one. She is a super healthy and happy girl and yes she loves her crickets!!!! So you are saying she can still eat the 20 plus crickets until two years old? Okay that's good to know. I would have a very sulky beardie otherwise!!

I do have a picture of her on the pictures page on this site. It is black and white and I believe the latest one on the last page. But here it is anyway. Not latest latest but only two months ago.

Yes, she can eat her crickets happily even past 2 years old. She has lots of room for crickets. And no, females can get bigger than males, just depends on their ancestry. My girl Cierra was only 38 centimetres long and 185g when I brought her home from a rescue society in March. She is now 45.7 cm and 462g now at 16 mo old. So it's possible for females to grow bigger in their 2nd year. I have a 1 year old male that is 50 cm long and 582g and still has a year for growing...not sure how big he'll be in the future :mrgreen: I have 5 dragons altogether. Cierra, my only female, her brother Nathaniel, also from the rescue society, who is 47 cm long and 495g; Castiel is the 1 yr old, Leo is 8 yrs old and is also 47 cm and 571g and Gabriel is my 4 1/4 yr old, also 47 cm long and 567g. I don't consider them exceptionally big, as my Rubio, who passed away last year from a brain tumour, was 58.4 cm long and 840g at his heaviest. It was odd that he grew so big as he was a regular sized baby and juvenile. He surpassed any other dragons that I've rescued (I've been rescuing dragons for 9 years), biggest dragon I've ever seen, actually.

So don't worry about her bugs, she needs them and will continue to need them. Dragons can become very ill if they don't get enough protein and the fact that she's eating her salads every day is wonderful, as not all dragons eat salads. She looks extremely healthy and happy, which is wonderful to see!

Thank you for your awesome reply and advice. It is great to read which is why I joined this site, it has been an invaluable wealth of information for me to make sure my beardie is happy and healthy.

She has a vet check twice a year at a veterinary for reptiles to make sure there are no underlying issues.

yesterday our friends from the states brought us a beardie leash so we can let her explore the house without losing her!! She WAS NOT impressed which I am sure is normal, but do they get used to it or shouldn't we use one? Our place has way too many places she can either hide in etc.

Thank you

No using the harness is a great idea, then if she hides you can find her. I can't tell you how many anxiety attacks I've had over the last 9 years trying to find a hiding dragon. Even though I think I have all places straight in my head, they still manage to find a place that makes me frantic, looking everywhere :lol: They are very smart animals and even though she doesn't like the harness, she'll get used to it, especially when she triggers that wearing it means more exploring time.

And I love this site for all the great advice I've been given over the years (I've been rescuing and adopting dragons for 9 years). Without the great people on this site, I wouldn't have the knowledge I love to share.

And more pics!

If you want I can change the title of your thread and move it to "Beardie Tales". I have a thread there I started in 2010 and it's become my journal. It's now almost 500 pages log :mrgreen:

Sure you can move it no problem.

Yes they are super smart!! Right now Tengu is watching me, she knows when I am talking about her and when she is sleeping (too cute) I say "awwwww" and she cracks an eye open! LOL LOL reminds me of that scene in Jurassic park when the dinosaur puts its eye to the car window!

I appreciate all your advice!

It's fun when they know their name and keep an eye on us, no matter what they're doing. You can post pictures here and keep an update on what she gets up to.

So my dragons are Leo 8 yrs old; Gabriel 4 1/2 yrs old; the "twins" brother & sister Cierra and Nathaniel 1 1/2 yrs old; and my youngest, Castiel 1 yrs old. They keep me busy! They're all slowing down a bit, so I think there will be some brumating this winter. Nathaniel has already slept for 2 weeks and just got up for some basking and a bath. Cierra was asleep for a week when she woke up again I call this Popcorn brumating. Up and down, sleep for awhile, up for awhile. We'll see what the fall and winter brings.

Ahhhh yes brumation! Not looking forward to that! I will be like a first time dad again!

Just now as in 4 minutes ago she decided to do the huge number two right by the rocks and basking area. It is so weird as before she used to go to a perfect spot which was double the paper so its a quick and easy clean up but suddenly shes changed to doing it in the most difficult spots. I often wonder if it is on purpose!!

So I have rearranged the tank so she cant lean on anything near the difficult area to do it! She ran onto her hammock and watched me clean up and now she is sulking on the carpet! Her personality is amazing and oh yes she has a pure grey head now! LOL it is so grey its crazy!!!

Leash update:
Last night I put the leash in her tank and she licked it which is great but then moved back! hahahaha she remembers it! So I left it in the tank so she understands it is not a threat and she stared at it for around 20 minutes which is when I took it back out. I think I will do that everyday for a week and try again. i did actually cut the arm holes more round for her arms as it seems to be catching on her scales.

More tales to come!

Wouldn't you figure she'd find the most awkward place for you to clean. Little brat :lol:
I've got most of mine trained to poop in their baths now, but if I'm late with baths, I have to clean out tanks. They're all on newspaper which is so easy to change out, it helps that the newspaper I get is free :mrgreen:

Hopefully she'll take to her leash! They're so funny about that. I live in a 1 bedroom apartment (yes and I have 7 tanks in the living room/dining room, 5 dragons and 2 geckos, but living alone means I can enjoy them all.) I have a nice balcony that I've dragon proofed, so they can't get off it. On sunny days I have a chair outside with a thick cushion that they can sun on, one by one. Then they like to get down to investigate the balcony (which isn't the cleanest). Cierra likes to get into areas where I haven't swept, so gets covered in old spider webs and leaves. She looks so funny when I finally find her :lol:

LOL dragon proof!

Tengu which in case you didn't know is Japanese for monster (sort of) basically a mythical character called tengu lives in the mountains by me, so what a great name for a beardie!

Well anyway she is currently chillin on her hammock watching me with her beady eye!! Soooooooooooooo cute! What makes me laugh is how they look so interested and so "let me out" and as soon as you go in to their tank to get them they suddenly change to " arghghhghghg get off me human!!!!!!" hahahahhahhhahaha laughing to myself as I type!

I think I will go and get her and see if she wants to sleep on me! Hmmmmmmm

I will be sure to let you know how that goes! LOL

My baby Castiel, he's a year old, 20" long and 582g, he and I had a 2 hour nap yesterday. I love napping with my dragons. I pick 2 or two at a time. They love snuggling up with me, I think because I'm so warm all the time. :lol: They're so much fun! I retire in 5 years and can't wait to be home all the time & not have to leave them unless I want to.

Sounds like you have as much fun with your Tengu as I have with my 5, all different personalities, too.

Awwwwwwwwwwww thats super cute!!! I wish Tengu would nap with me! She is super frisky!

Well today was interesting! I decided to out the leash on her again. She licked it firstly which is always good and then slipped it on and put her down. She thought about it for 5 minutes and then walked off to a step and licked it ahhahahah and then under a table and then I out her on a pillow (covered) and she stood there for a while and just looking around. She puffed a little when I grabbed her but she will get used to it. before I put her back in tank I gave her some crickets so she associates being on the leash as a positive thing. She is now at the front of the tank watching me! LOL

She is in the middle of a monster shed so it isn't really the best time to be doing this. Do you think I should wait until shedding is finished or?

Only if it bothers her, otherwise continue getting her used to the leash. I think it's great that she is getting used to it.

Continuing on......

So today was a lovely day

It was bright sunshine after a miserable week so I took Tengu outside to catch some real UV! She loved it! Sat in her towel in my hands watching the sun and it was nice to see her black turn really black to absorb the rays (amazing) after about thirty minutes she opened her mouth to cool down so indoors we came. She didn't want to go back in her tank and turned her body towards me lol.

After that it was her weekly weigh in and she is now 400g!

Also now it is getting cooler here she is automatically staying under her lamp more. I know this is obvious but isn't nature amazing! Kept in unnatural settings but there natural instincts kick in.

Lets see what the weekend brings!

Have a good one