Doesn't like mice?

[kelseyinchains]

I've been wondering if anyone elses beardie is like this?..
Zeus is an absolute fatty. He loves food. Crickets, roaches, greens, and he chases and eats lizards when I take him outside
(Thank God for Florida not having a real "winter"!) He eats all the time. Even the day I first got him, he chowed down on greens and crickets. But since I've gotten him, he has yet to eat a single pinky. I've tried to give him one a few times, but he refuses to. The first one I gave him, he stalked, bit, and killed, then left it there to bleed out. (Gross, I know ): ) Now he just leaves them in his tank. He pays no attention to them. Also, I have two hamsters, and I can have Zeus out and my hamsters and he cuddles with them! He lets them crawl on them and he'll put his head on them and just lay there. So I guess I'm wondering, is there anyone else who has a beardie who doesn't like mice or isn't bothered by them?

 

[catUK]

Bearded dragons shouldn't really be fed pinkies

Pinkies are so high in fat, that there is the potential for permanent damage to a Dragon’s liver, even if only fed infrequently. Pinkies can cause digestive problems which can be fatal

 

[Jess]

... He shouldnt be eating other lizards either! Just because they will eat it doesnt mean its good for them.

 

[deepeenignig]

If people feed their dragons mice, i'm sure it's fine to feed him a lizard. Plus in their natural habitat, they eat small birds, lizards, mice, small snakes too i think. Along with a number of insects, flowers, and fruits.

If he's a full grown dragon maybe he wants a bigger mouse, pinkies are small and probably don't appeal to them. I wouldn't imagine them finding too many pinkies crawling around in the desert.
Also one more theory before i go. Maybe your dragon sees you handle your hampsters as a pet and he feels like he shouldn't eat them or anything that looks like one, such as a mouse.
I would suggest feeding him a more mature mouse.
I currently have 1 dragon for myself, got him a few months back and he's still a baby so i'm not telling you from experience, just what i think seems to be the best, most natural decision.

 

[Livey]

PINKIES SHOULD NOT BE FED TO YOUR DRAGON.
They cause a high impaction risk, they are extremely fatty... And they cannot digest there bones,
Nor any other lizards should be fed to the dragon..
More or less every member will agree with me on pinkies...
And no a natural decision is not always best, as they are in captivity we can control what they eat,
and pinkies could kill them if there fed regularly

 

[Paradon]

Well, mice pinkies are fine on occasion, but if they don't eat them, don't worry about it. They do just fine on greens and bugs. The reasons some people give them this as occasional treats is to varied the diet a little and it is beneficial for breeding females and females which have just laid eggs.

 

[catUK]

If people feed their dragons mice, i'm sure it's fine to feed him a lizard. Plus in their natural habitat, they eat small birds, lizards, mice, small snakes too i think. Along with a number of insects, flowers, and fruits.

They might do this in captivity things are slightly different- and i can't see anyone feeding beardies lizards A diet of salad, crickets, specific worms are sufficient for a beardie.

 

[kelseyinchains]

PINKIES SHOULD NOT BE FED TO YOUR DRAGON.
They cause a high impaction risk, they are extremely fatty... And they cannot digest there bones,
Nor any other lizards should be fed to the dragon..
More or less every member will agree with me on pinkies...
And no a natural decision is not always best, as they are in captivity we can control what they eat,
and pinkies could kill them if there fed regularly

I read on here that a bunch of people fed pinkys on occasion. But he doesn't eat them, and I won't try to give him any anymore. And I don't feed him lizards. I said when he goes outside he chases and eats them. By the time I get to him, it's too late, he's already devoured it.

 

[catUK]

Lol i didn't notice the chasing lizards part. i wish we had wild lizards in the uk, bet its cool seeing them all the time!

 

[CLucas976]

If people feed their dragons mice, i'm sure it's fine to feed him a lizard. Plus in their natural habitat, they eat small birds, lizards, mice, small snakes too i think. Along with a number of insects, flowers, and fruits.

I. Maybe your dragon sees you handle your hampsters as a pet and he feels like he shouldn't eat them or anything that looks like one, such as a mouse.
I would suggest feeding him a more mature mouse.
I currently have 1 dragon for myself, got him a few months back and he's still a baby so i'm not telling you from experience, just what i think seems to be the best, most natural decision.

Animals do not have "feelings" like that, they are not human. You're talking about a reptile. I feed my beardies regularly, handle them, they see me and my hands all the time, I still get the occasional puff up from one of them. They see the cat I cuddle constantly, if he's on or near their tank, they still try to lunge at or catch him. They don't have the concious collective ability to go "oh wow look, mom love those little mousey things, must be we aren't supposed to eat them" they don't mentally operate like that.

 

[deepeenignig]

Well a cat is much bigger than a mouse or hampster, plus it looks totally different. Cats eat lizards. I'm not saying he has feelings. I'm saying he makes decisions based on what he sees, not feels.

 

[Jess]

Reptiles wont recognise other animals as pets- Dudley tried to eat my hermit crabs and other small pets through the glass all the time.

Keep in mind that every time you feed a pinky, you are damaging your beardies liver a little more. Mammal proteins are REALLY hard for their livers to process, and this can lead to fatty lover disease. There's also a pretty high risk of impaction. They are insectivores for a reason, ya know. They may eat other animals in the wild, but this is captivity. If a wild beardie is choosing between eating a mouse and starving, its gonna pick the mouse. But captive beardies should never have that problem.

 

[Paradon]

All animals protein are the same.... Their body won't recognize the difference. When they eat animals (bugs or mouse fuzzies), the protein is broken down into purine. There might be a different in concentration of purine and vitamin and minerals, and also fat content. A true omnivore can handle vertebrate preys. The concern is: some ignorant people feed too much baby mice and the animals become obese, and usually, these animals are not kept in the right set-up either causing them to become sick and then stop eating...and eventually die.

 

[kelseyinchains]

Oh lord. Look at what I started. v-v :lol:

 

[drgnfly2265]

My opinion is that pinkies/mice or lizards should not be fed to a bearded dragon. Like what Livey said, it can cause impaction. Sure wild beardies could eat stuff like that but then they don't live as long as beardies in captivity.

Lol i didn't notice the chasing lizards part. i wish we had wild lizards in the uk, bet its cool seeing them all the time!

I have lived in Florida my whole life (29 years) and they are a normal animal to see. When I was younger I would catch them all of the time with my friends and let them go. If I travel to another state I always expect to see them running around.