Beardies dubbed Dai (Kye) and Cerys * UPDATED*

[saxondragon]

Tuesday night I bought two beardies from a guy who posted on craigslist. When I went I was expecting a 40g tank, instead I found a 20g with two adult beardies. Male and female - the owner never got around to naming them. He had them for a year and got them at about 6 months old. The guy was nice, just not educated on adequate needs of beardies.

Both dragons look to be juvie size to me (compared to some juvie sizes I've seen at a reptile store where I bought my Saxon).

So I bought them and all supplies and etc. He had three lights, a MVB (brand unknown), black light, and Zilla 20watt coil. He fed them every few days with spinach and carrots and dusted it with calcium powder (not sure how often). The tank was a mess, fecal all over and 3-4 climbing logs and two water/food dishes that were full of sand. Calci-sand.

Tuesday night, after class, I got each one out of the tank and put them in small about of water. That alone was a challenge. I don't believe the prev owner ever handled them. The bath time was a scary time for them I believe. I tried to gently pet each one and give them some comfort. To try to associate good ideas with touch or bath, I fed them some baby squash and meal worms while petting them. They gobbled it all up! (and tried to eat the plastic baby spoon).

I eventually put them in a big box lined with paper towels for the night to get them out of such cramped and dirty environment. They both went to sleep.

I have bought two big plastic bins, about an equal of the floor space of the 20g tank. It's not ideal, but it's what I can do for the moment. I can't afford two new 40g tanks, the dragons cost that alone almost - $160.

I'm buying a new MVB bulb tonight to ensure they actually get what they need. I figure one bulb over the two bins will get both areas for basking. I'll put some cardboard between the two so they don't see each other. Get them used to being alone. I bought some cheaper digital therms with probes, the ones I have for Saxon (and pictured regularly on bd.org are $19 here) so I bought the $10. I have some good size rocks in my front yard I can claim and clean/soak them in the tub with some bleach to disinfect anything. I won't have any hides for them unfortantely. Not many tree limbs around my area.

The prev owner has stated the male has bobbed his head and has tried to mount the female, but she never lets him. (Start girl!) hehe But I did notice she is missing a claw and tail has been nipped. (If it is the girl I'm thinking about, I don't know squack about sexing any beardies.) On the male the problem I saw and concerned about the most is the white tip tongue, with a black dot in the center. And of course, both are undersized and look very skinny compared to my Saxon.

I'm unable to afford any vet visits for two new beardies but I'm reading lots of posts on here and trying to follow good advice. And I'm sure they are stressed anyways so any visits would have to wait 2 weeks for fecal tests to give accurate results.

I will post pics tonight and would like any ideas for them.

I have on hand; salad: collard greens, cilantro, mustard greens, butternut squas, winter squash, and raspberries; worms: phoenix worms and mealworms; baby food: squash, chicken, applesauce, apple and raspberries. I also have regular unsweeted apple sauce (for some reason I picked it up...)

I've finally picked names for the two darlings also.

Cerys (female) and Dai (male) - I figure they deserve some names after not having any previously even if the names get changed when I'm able to find some new owners.

I have more supplies coming in I ordered for Saxon. I can't remember what exactly. But I know a probiotic, scale, calcium powder... a few things from reptilesupply.com and beautifuldragons.com. So I have things available for Cerys and Dai.

Sorry for such a long post, I wanted to document all of what I could remember down. I don't want to forget anything of importance when new owner(s) come and can know the history of the two. I'm not sure if they are technically rescues, but I figure inadequate tank, two adults together, and how the tank looked and looking like juvies qualified well enough.

 

[lizardgrrl]

Yes, it was definitely worth picking them up. :laughing6: It sound like they will need a lot of attention and care, especially to start. Keep checking Craigslist for extra tanks, too, as I have picked up most of mine between 20 and 50 dollars for 55 to 120 gallon tanks. And a couple have been free! Watch out for eggs. Just because she seems not to be letting him mount doesn't mean he hasn't! Nef and Diver were 15 mos and 7 mos old when I picked them up, and he had already managed the act, even though she was three times his weight and wanted none of it! If they are siblings, ( or the relationship is unknown, and there is any possibility that they are siblings, even from different clutches) you need to destroy the eggs by freezing. Given their size, it might be very difficult for her to deliver the eggs, and she must be watched for eggbinding, as this can be fatal. They are both still young enough that they are not finished growing, so be generous with the food, as neither are two years old yet. Treat their injuries, washing well with plain soap and water, and use Neosporin, or generic triple-antibiotic ointment on any open sores. A soft toothbrush for each of them will help in the bath, gently brushing any dirt masses or retained shed, and being a nice massage tool once they get used to it. It sounds like you are on track, understanding what they need for diet, (your list of groceries on hand are all good!) light, housing and heating. I have also used large plastic tanks, and find they work well as a temporary solution for homing. Coming into a new situation, I think they are a little more secure as a brief intro to the new home, almost like swaddling a baby. As they become secure with you and your habits, (one week to one month) they will adapt easier to their larger permanent tanks with much less anxiety. I hope this helps. :notworthy:

It sounds like they are getting you whipped into a proper beardie slave, :whip: and I like their new names! :love5: :love5:

 

[saxondragon]

I will definitely watch if I feel she is digging. I separated them now so if it hasn't happened yet, it won't now (at least while in my house! hehe)

They have no open sores that I've seen. They acted much better today being handled, but worse in their baths. I could only leave them in for a few minutes.

I'm going to offer good size salad tomorrow and worms in new dishes I picked up tonight. I have to convert their lids to make holes in them. The sides are not that tall that I think if they jump enough they could find their way out. It's only a temp solution though, so it will have to work. I also bought a "log" from the pet shop for each of them to have asking area and hide area. It was cheap enough to get. And a new MVB. I'll also set up therms tonight.

But here are some pics:

I also took some pics of the butts... could anyone tell me the sex of each? I'm told M/F but I want confirmation.

 

[lizardgrrl]

They are cuties! A little thin, but you said they have good appetites, so they will probably fill out quick. Keep an eye on your girl, but nothing may show for a couple of weeks or more. It may be 3 to 6 weeks, even longer, before eggs show like small marbles in her belly, as beardie females will retain sperm up to a year. Nef held off 6 weeks from the time I picked her up to when she laid the eggs, maybe delayed by relocation stress, or possibly that her system, nine months younger than the optimum recommended breeding age, was holding off to meet her own continuing growth needs. It was something of a surprise, as I thought Diver was far too young to accomplish such a thing, and as they were possible siblings those eggs were destroyed. On the other hand, I had Astarte two weeks when she let me know she was ready, making her gestational period about 3 weeks. I was warned when I picked her up from her old home that she had been in, deliberately, with mature males.

As far as sexing Dai and Cerys, this is a very good article with photos, http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/sexing/ and has been the basis for the sexing I have attempted. It has worked well for me. As far as your photos of their bottoms, I would say the top photo is the female, the bottom the male, but the angle does not show the hemipenes, or lack of them as clearly as the photo from the link. I base it on the Femoral Pores, the small bumps inside the thighs, with the female being almost non-existant, and the male's showing almost like a line of pimples starting on one leg, across to the other. :roll:

 

[saxondragon]

Good news! Someone inquired about Dai and Cerys. She is experienced with beardies and has several already. She also has two empty vivs available for them! I feel very comfortable handing over the little ones to her and her family.

I'm taking them over tomorrow night after work to help them get settled in. I held Cerys this evening while on the phone with the future owner. Cerys was a bit nervous but was mostly calm, then she got some confidence and wanted to explore. That's when I lost my confidence and put her back in the viv. I then tried with Dai, he was comfortable being petted but when I tried to pick him but it was no go. He's going to take more time.

But I do know Cerys favors butternut squash while Dai favors raspberries. Cerys's butternut squash was all gone, some raspberries remained; whereas, Dai's raspberries were all gone, and butternut squash was not touch it seemed.

And both like phoenix worms.

It's amazing what one can learn in such a few days of caring for dragons. Now I need to get a sheet prepared on the dragons. I figure all info is good info.

But can't forget .... for beardies have a new home and loving new beardie slave! hehe

 

[saxondragon]

I dropped the dragons off to their new owner! They were relaxing quite easily it seemed. And it's been deemed that Cerys is a male and most likely Dai - renamed Kye - is male, but possibly female.

Pictures will be up later I'm told to give progress on the little guys, but they were basking comfortably and all.