I recently lost my little beardie angel Sebastian and really needed to fill the hole in my heart so I decided get a rescue beardie. I found one and went to pick "him" up but what I found when I got there concerned me so much that I ended up leaving with 2 and wishing I could have taken 10. (I am working on rescue for the others as I post this)
Anyway, my question is, can beardies who are supposedly a year old be the size of hatchlings? I can tell they haven't gotten sufficient nourishment or calcium but they are pretty alert and even active when they are awake but looking at them, they quite literally look like hatchlings, maybe 2 to 2.5 inches long.
Any info on this would really help me out. Thanks in advance
DG ?
Unfortunately, they can in extreme situations. I've seen it first hand. It goes to show how strong of fighters these creatures can be. Truly sad.
2-2.5 inches really is small, that is excluding the tail i'd imagine? What is their total length.
It's good that you are working on rescuing them.
When they haven't been fed properly in so long, it's really key to not overfeed them in the beginning. It can be really taxing on their system to all of a sudden get a huge spike of food and nutrients. Start them off slow, and build up. Health is the goal, not growth or weight gain.
Unfortunately, they can in extreme situations. I've seen it first hand. It goes to show how strong of fighters these creatures can be. Truly sad.
2-2.5 inches really is small, that is excluding the tail i'd imagine? What is their total length.
It's good that you are working on rescuing them.
When they haven't been fed properly in so long, it's really key to not overfeed them in the beginning. It can be really taxing on their system to all of a sudden get a huge spike of food and nutrients. Start them off slow, and build up. Health is the goal, not growth or weight gain.
I should have mentioned that they were all housed together so Fable is missing half of his tail (and part of a toe) but Alduin is in tact and with his tail he is about 4 inches and a bit smaller than Fable. I will definitely work on figuring out the photo upload here, hopefully within the next few minutes.
He did say it was a clutch of about 60. Honestly I felt like he wasn't being truthful about their age when he said a year. They are so little and look like they are hatchlings.
Dragons don't have clutches that large. They can have multiple clutches that add up to that, but you still wouldn't call them clutchmates if they were laid at separate times.
It sounds like he isn't being truthful with you, I would doubt they are a year old.
It's possible they are a few months old, but not a year at this point.
Either way, good on you for rescuing them.
Now all you have to do is get them healthy, and post lots of pics for us to follow along with! :mrgreen:
Will definitely be putting 100% into giving them all the love, attention and care needed to make sure they have a good life. Gotta get the others out of there asap as well.
Thanks so much for the advice.
Puts my mind a little more at ease knowing I wasn't crazy for questioning his word. ?
Wanted to leave an update on my rescue beardies. Sadly, Alduin did not make it. He stopped eating completely but fought like a little soldier to bounce back and was an amazing companion while he was with me.
Fable is getting huge. He is shedding more than I would expect (about 4 days between sheds. 4 sheds in last month and a half and starting another) but other than being cranky about it he is doing really well. He is almost 12" now and bright yellow with peach, green and blue patterns. He is absolutely beautiful and the best cuddler in the world. Thank you for the advice and support when we really needed it.
DG ??
Those dragons were much younger that the rescue told you. Sorry that you lost one but the other one looks good now ! Was it an actual rescue that you got them from ? They sure didn't know anything about beardies. At least they looked well fed when you got them but they were likely no older than a couple of months.
Those dragons were much younger that the rescue told you. Sorry that you lost one but the other one looks good now ! Was it an actual rescue that you got them from ? They sure didn't know anything about beardies. At least they looked well fed when you got them but they were likely no older than a couple of months.
It was not a rescue I got them from, just some guy who was trying to sell them on facebook. He said they had only been fed romaine lettuce before I got them and they had not had much handling. Alduin looked very small and malnutritioned when I got him. He ate well the first couple of days but then he just quit eating. Fable was very protective of him and it took him about a week without him to start trusting me again but now he has bonded with me in a very special way. Now I just hope the others found good homes.
Thank you, again. Alduin was a strong little guy and I was lucky to get a chance to love him while he was here. I really appreciate the time you took to respond when I needed the help. Fable is so healthy and strong now and getting bigger every day.