Car rides and day trips?

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I haven’t had my girl for long, but on the two occasions we’ve had to take her to the vet, she seems to really love the car. We keep her in a clear plastic box, with a hot water bottle wrapped up so she doesn’t burn her belly, and she likes to be lifted up in the front of the car so she can see over the dashboard and watch all the cars go by.
She hasn’t been feeling herself lately but she cheered up so much yesterday when we went out to the vets and she got to sit in her box and have a look round at everything.

I knew a woman years ago who had a bearded dragon that her and her kids used to take out for car rides. I’m not sure how she kept him warm but I remember she used to post pictures of him sitting in her shoulder in the car. It never sounded particularly safe to me, but seeing how much my beardie likes being out and about, is there any way I could take her out every now and again? I didn’t like the idea of a walking her on a lead, and she also doesn’t really stay still long enough to sit on my shoulder, but she really loves her box. I was thinking of just taking her out for a little drive every once in a while- in the box of course! After seeing how excited she got yesterday, I wonder whether she gets bored of her tank and my room.

If so, how would I keep her warm? Is this even recommended?
 

kingofnobbys

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Make sure the plastic container is secured , if you have to stop suddenly or get reared ended , the tank and the dragon will go flying and will end up hitting the windscreen or dashboard very hard.

I wouldn't recommend taking the pet lizard drives , it's better off staying at home.
 

beaniethebeardie

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kingofnobbys":1189j1a8 said:
Make sure the plastic container is secured , if you have to stop suddenly or get reared ended , the tank and the dragon will go flying and will end up hitting the windscreen or dashboard very hard.

I wouldn't recommend taking the pet lizard drives , it's better off staying at home.

The lid of her box has air holes so it’s always secured. I also always strap the box into my seatbelt with me as well to stop her from moving too much. Thank you for your help!
 

Claudiusx

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For just normal car trips you don't even need to have a setup or a way to add extra warmth. As long as the weather is mild or you're not blasting the AC, she will be fine for an hour long car ride or so.
It sounds like she really likes getting out and seeing the world so I'd do it more often if you can :)

If you were going to make a day trip out of it, you'd want to make plans to give her some warmth, or bring her lamps possibly if you will have a place to plug into. Some cars now are coming with standard outlets that will definitely handle the loads a basking light would pull.

-Brandon
 

DorgEndo

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Devlyn
Before it started getting cold here and my dragon is brumating we went on short trips. Since she had parasites when I got her there were several vet trips in the car. Like you describe she showed enjoyment looking out the window. Having bright colors and white belly looking alert and confident during a car trip. Every one to two weeks I took her out for a trip.

It was summer so I just kept AC off. Cat carrier for Devlyn that I could buckle onto seat. Never drove more than 20 minutes away from home. We would visit a pet store so she could look at all the hides and aquarium stuff and area. Also would sit on a bench to get some real sunlight. I also took her to a very closeby park and into the city once. If nothing else I always made sure she got real sunlight for about 15 minutes or more so that also made a trip outside worth it.
 

CooperDragon

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My dragons have all done well with road trips. We travel to see family a lot. They do pretty well just at normal car temps so I don't worry much about heating or lighting. I have some reptile shipping warmers that I use during winter if we stop for a meal etc. The car hasn't gotten very cold during stops though. I have an adjustable lamp stand with a fixture, timer, and basking lamp (100w MegaRay MVB) to use when stopped at a hotel or at the destination. When the weather is nice I'll usually stop at a rest area to offer some basking time and a snack of salad or black soldier fly larvae.

This is the bag I use. I like it a lot because it is well ventilated, comfortable, and it clips onto a seatbelt to secure it in the car. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EW2WKZU/

Here is a photo of a typical travel setup that I bring with me. I set it up in an enclosed room. My dragon is used to free range so it's just a matter of blocking off areas I can't reach and picking up the floor.
76248-2473803661.jpg
 

beaniethebeardie

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CooperDragon":1fkqqqaf said:
My dragons have all done well with road trips. We travel to see family a lot. They do pretty well just at normal car temps so I don't worry much about heating or lighting. I have some reptile shipping warmers that I use during winter if we stop for a meal etc. The car hasn't gotten very cold during stops though. I have an adjustable lamp stand with a fixture, timer, and basking lamp (100w MegaRay MVB) to use when stopped at a hotel or at the destination. When the weather is nice I'll usually stop at a rest area to offer some basking time and a snack of salad or black soldier fly larvae.

This is the bag I use. I like it a lot because it is well ventilated, comfortable, and it clips onto a seatbelt to secure it in the car. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EW2WKZU/

Here is a photo of a typical travel setup that I bring with me. I set it up in an enclosed room. My dragon is used to free range so it's just a matter of blocking off areas I can't reach and picking up the floor.
76248-2473803661.jpg

Oh that’s so sweet!! One of my dragons, Beans, loves car rides but prefers to be in her box and not free- but my new dragon Mazikeen is used to being out and handled, so I think they’d both love trips. Either way, they’re both very nosy!! Your dragon looks so well behaved!! How do you handle him when he’s out and about in hotels, etc?
 

CooperDragon

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He is used to being free range so I just set up his light and keep his travel bag open. I set up a food dish for him and block off areas I don't want him to go to. Otherwise I just let him roam and do his thing. He will explore the area a bit and then return to the light to bask. He will either go back into his bag or find a cozy corner to curl up in when he wants to sleep. He's generally pretty easy to work with on trips, but that may not be the case with every dragon.
 
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