so, I have had Bodhi for about three months now, and I feel really guilty saying this. I think that I have been a neglectful owner. I only handle her on weekends because of school and I hardly do anything else with her except hand feeding once a day. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could do with her in my spare time? What are some things that beardies like to do? Please forgive me for not being an attentive owner!
I agree that (safely) letting her wander around is great. Also, don't feel bad if you don't have a ton of time to handle her. Reptiles aren't really like mammals where they enjoy playing and stuff. As long as she is healthy, getting everything she needs, and has time to run around and explore, she will be totally fine.
my gang get freerange time in the lounge room, dining area and kitchen everyday in the afternoon after they have their feed and a bit of daddy time, when they are ready they crawl off me onto the lounge next to me, then they'll look over the edge and back at me --- cue I want help to get down onto the floor.
they all love exploring and checking out anything that is moved or new, and they all love looking through the front window .
I have a similar feeling of guilt due to being at work all day and living alone.
What I try to do everyday after work is feed him and then let him have an hour or two to digest his big meal of the day whilst I myself shower/eat etc.. then give around ten to fifteen minutes supervised free roam then back in the viv to warm up followed by ten to fifteen minutes sleep/cuddle time before lights out.
Iv also started leaving three or four locusts in the viv during the day in the hopes that it will give him some stimulation hunting/watching them whilst he's alone all day.
For reptiles it's less about what you can do with them but what they can do while you aren't around. They are generally just as happy to not be handled or messed with so I wouldn't worry too much about not spending time with her in that respect.
Environmental enrichment is pretty important but often overlooked or not possible due to cage size. Giving the dragon plenty of things to climb on and healthy "challenges" in their home environment is so benificial. Routine is not bad persay but monotony can be, and animals that have to deal with challenges more often are much better at dealing with stress than ones that don't. Things such as encouraging foraging by placing leaves of greens in novel places, some animals respond to feeding puzzles for prey insects, others will chase down bugs if they are tossed infront of them. A safe view of a window (not in direct sunlight) can give the opportunity for many dragons favorite past time - watching things. This is a great read about enrichment. https://rainbowsnakes.tumblr.com/post/119229812584/environmental-enrichment-for-reptiles-what-why