Just rescued a pair of dragons -- need advice

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melissajo

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Hello!

Two nights ago my kids and I took two bearded dragons from a family that wasn't able to care for them anymore. TBH, it doesn't seem like they've been very well cared for at all. I'm told they are 2.5 years old. Pretty large. They do look healthy though... They've been housed together in one 20 gallon tank the whole time. It's a male and female pair. I have never owned one of these, but I have a very large and sweet ball python, so I guess I thought I could handle the lizards... It turns out they're very different! :lol:

Their current tank set up is very minimal. Only one light. I purchased 2 UVA basking lights and 2 night heat lamps. I will get the long UVB bulbs online (they're $40 each at the pet shop!). Initially, after reading everything, I thought I should separate them. I have secured two 30 gallon tanks to move them into separately -- if that's the right decision. I can do that today, but now I'm wondering if it's the right move if they've been together all this time anyway?

The male does display some aggressive mating behavior toward the female. The previous owners told me that she once laid a clutch of 19 eggs, but none hatched.

Should I definitely separate them? Finding space for the tanks will be an issue until I can build something more permanent, however, I am confident even these temporary 30-gallon tanks will feel like the taj mahal after living together in a 20 gallon. I also got them felt mats to use instead of sand (what they're on right now), hammocks, some dried worms and crickets, a cricket box full of tasty bugs, and some pellets to feed supplementally. The previous owners fed them crickets once a month, and otherwise just fed them kale or occasionally fruit.

I really need someone to tell me it's the right thing to separate them because now I'm feeling sentimental or like they may be lonely without each other?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Hi there, good on you for taking this pair in. Can you post pics ? And yes, definitely separate them. The male can really harass the female if they are together all the time and mating will be on his terms. Once you separate them they may act a bit stressed but that can also be attributed to going in to a new " home ". BTW, here's how to post pics :


https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them
 

melissajo

Member
Original Poster
Thank you! Ok I will separate them.

Here's some pics. The darker one is the female. She's smaller also. The lighter/yellow one is bigger and is the male. They have all their fingers/toes and tails look good.

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AHBD

BD.org Sicko
I can tell right away the male has the big blocky head. :) The female will do much better once she's settled in her own tank. She looks just a bit thin [ but not much ] and slightly dehydrated. Give her a 5 minute warm soak to see if she'll drink any.
 

Martadragon017

Hatchling Member
Hi there! I'm so glad you were able to rescue those beardies! Here's a list of foods they can eat: http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html
I think that the pellets aren't necessary. From what I've read, they really don't do much for your beardie. Also, make sure you dust their food with calcium with vitamin D3. I usually dust with calcium on weekdays and Herpivite Multivitamins on the weekends. Also, it may be better to switch to dubia roaches or BSFL (Black Soldier Fly Larvae) instead of crickets. I think there are other options as well like silkworms or locusts, but I don't have much knowledge about those so can't really say if they're better. I personally like dubia roaches since they don't jump or fly, don't make any noise at night, and don't smell as bad as crickets do. I also recommend buying insects online, as it's usually cheaper.
 
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