First 24 hours... So excited!!

[newbeardie79]

Hello Everyone! I am a new Beardie Mom and am SO thankful I came across this great site!! Everyone is so nice and supportive here! I am full of questions, mixed with emotions, and filled to the rim with excitement and nerves! My lil guy (I think it's a guy-LOL) is a little over a year old, waiting to see his personality before I name him, and has been a complete sweetheart! I am still a little nervous with him though, as he is my first reptile. (I also have 5 Sun Conures and 2 Guinea Pigs.) I want to make sure I do everything I can to keep him happy and comfortable. I just wish I could get more comfortable trusting him...but I guess that will come in time for the both of us. I have read about the bite one of these lil dragons can give and I think I wish I hadn't read it! LOL Just out of curiousity, what are the chances of a good beardie going bad over night? What are some of the pre-warning signs that things could be going south? I have found that when I put him on the bed, he can come out with sudden instant bouts of energy and go running towards the edge! Do they jump aimlessly or do they usually evaluate their limitations and abillities first? I keep running around the bed just to be safe... he probably has made an amusing game out of it....'mmm, this human is funny...if I keep doing this, she keeps running around the bed... what a weirdo! Hahaha!!' (I'm such a rookie and worrier! LOL) This morning, the FIRST thing I thought of was, is he okay? Then I turned on his lights and he was lying FLAT as a pancake on the floor, eyes closed, chest not moving!!! I was beginning to freak out!! (I know, I'm pretty pathetic! LOL) Then, whatta ya know... he woke up!! LOL!!! Well, guys and gals, I just wanted to say hi and introduce us... you guys are AWESOME and I am so happy I found this site!!

 

[TazzysMamma]

FIrst off, WELCOME!!!!

Secondly, I agree.... he probably WAS quite entertained by you! :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thirdly, beardies almost NEVER attack their "slaves". You can SO easily tell their mood by looking at their.... BEARDS! LOL!!!! But seriously, if aggitated, they will turn their beards black or dark grey and then you know somethings not quite right. This DOESNT mean they will bite. Actually, the most damage Ive ever seen come from a beardie is scratches.... and they dont mean to do that LOL.

Beardies are sweet, docile, mild animals that are normally only aggressive toward OTHER beardies. They are loners, and although they LOVE people, they HATE being housed with another beardie.

Take it slow with him. If you pick him up, be sure that both his front and back legs are supported so that he feels secure. DO watch them because YES they WILL leap, and have been known to hurt themselves.

To make sure you're on the right track with your setup, can I ask a few questions?

1. Are you using a UVB lamp? If so, what type and brand? (coil? compact? tube?)
2. Are you taking the temperature on the cool side of the vivarium, as well as directly in the basking spot? A digital thermometer with a probe or a heat gun are the best ways to get an accurate temperature, and it's IMPERATIVE that you know these temperatures. Adults need their basking spot to be between 95-105, and their cool side to be between 78-82 degrees.
3. What kind of substrate is he on?
4. What is he being offered to eat?
5. Do you, or will you plan to bathe him? They should be bathed several times a week for optimum hydration.
6. What are you using for a basking lamp?
7. Do you offer water, or mist him?

Im so sorry for all the questions, but I just want to make sure you start out on the right foot with him so that both of you are comfortable and happy!

HUGS!

Sandi

 

[newbeardie79]

Hi Sandi! Thank you for the warm welcome!! And for all the questions... I really appreciate the support and info. Here is what I know for far...

1. Are you using a UVB lamp? If so, what type and brand? (coil? compact? tube?)

I'm using a Combination Reptile Hood from "Zoo Med" and in it, I have a long 18" 15w 10.0 Reptile Light, a 10.0 UVB Desert Repti*Sun bulb by "Zoo Med", and a 60w Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb by "Zoo Med".

2. Are you taking the temperature on the cool side of the vivarium, as well as directly in the basking spot? A digital thermometer with a probe or a heat gun are the best ways to get an accurate temperature, and it's IMPERATIVE that you know these temperatures. Adults need their basking spot to be between 95-105, and their cool side to be between 78-82 degrees.

I don't have probe or heat gun (but plan to get one soon as I have seen them recommended on here) but do have the stick on temp and humidity thermometers.

3. What kind of substrate is he on?

He is on Reptile Sand right now... which is what he came with.

4. What is he being offered to eat?

Super Mealworms, Crickets, Mustard Greens, Shredded Carrots, Gapes, Parsley and some frozen mixed vegies.
So far he has eaten everything but the grapes and the mixed vegies (which we haven't given to him yet).

5. Do you, or will you plan to bathe him? They should be bathed several times a week for optimum hydration.

YES!! LOL!!! First time was last night... I put up another post with that crazy experience..."First Bath" He LOVED it!! Even got mad at me when I took him out!! LOL Scared me to death though, 'cuz I thought I had drowned him. (I don't think his previous owners gave him a bath before...?)

6. What are you using for a basking lamp?

Some drift wood under the Daylight Blue Reptile bulb...

7. Do you offer water, or mist him?

Yes, he has a water dish in his home...

Please let me know if I am doing anything wrong... I want to keep him as comfortable and happy as possible... I'll try to get some pics up soon... Question though, he occassionally stands up on all fours, with his head held high and his tail curved UP like a scorpion???? What does that posture mean??
Thanks again SOOOO much for your help! I am head over heals in love with this lil guy...something I NEVER thought I'd be over a reptile of all things!! LOL

 

[herpfreak]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the beardie!! I'd love to see some pictures, if you have any.

You are not alone; I am a beardie worrier too! Better to be paranoid than to overlook something dangerous.


What are the temps at each side? How big is your enclosure?

The only suggestion I can make is to get rid of the sand ASAP. Beardies taste things (they even lick people, wondering 'what is this?'), and can easily get sand in their digestive systems. This is called impaction. It prevents them from excreting and is ultimately fatal. I highly reccommend slabs of tile as a substrate; when one tile is soiled, take it out, rinse it off, and put it back. Tile also holds heat well and keeps them from eating it. (Make sure to soak the tile first in a 10% bleach solution for a few hours and rinse it thoroughly).

This is a great forum, I hope you find just as much help and fun on here as I do!

 

[TazzysMamma]

Sounds like everything is fine other than needing accurate temps, and yes getting him onto some tile or non adhesive shelf liner, or even for now, just paper towels. Oh, also go ahead and take out the water bowl. Most beardies will not drink from standing water, and it can unsafely raise the humidity level in the tank.

Go ahead and bathe him 2-3 times a week (or more if you want! LOL) and you'll find that he'll drink from his bathwater - which is GOOD. Also, DONT be surprised if he poo's in his bathwater... just take him right out and refresh the water if he does :wink: .

I dont recommend meal worms, as they can cause impaction, but if they are super worms (not meal worms) then that's fine. Crickets are also fine, and should be gut loaded and powdered with calcium for one feeding per day.

You also might want to try collard greens, dandelion greens and squash as these are all excellent staple foods for your lil guy.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask away!!!!

HUGS!!!!

Sandi

 

[newbeardie79]

Awesome Info.!! I will definately switch him to some tile slabs... What kind would you recommend? (Like household flooring tile?) I just took some pics...hopefully I'll be able to get them on here... You guys rock!!
Okay... I don't know how to post a pic...? LOL Any hints?

 

[TazzysMamma]

The best is a rougher type tile, lots here use slate. They good thing about slate is that it has the added bonus of keeping your beardie's nails trimmed!

If you open an account with photobucket.com you can upload your pics there, and then post the image links here.

HUGS!

Sandi

 

[newbeardie79]

Oh, ok... cool... I'll see about getting some. Thanks!

This is my attempt to post a pic or two...:

If this goes through, here is my baby...

 

[TazzysMamma]

He's a cutie pie! He does look a bit stressed, but I do think it's just relocation stress, so he should be just fine in a few days. I say this, because his beard is a bit dark - but it could just be the lighting.

Good job on posting pics!!!! Now we're gonna EXPECT them! :laughhard: :whip:

We are beardie picture addicts around here!!!!!

Keep us updated on how you two are doing together!!! I love beardies... they're just the best arent they?????

HUGS

Sandi

 

[newbeardie79]

I was wondering about that too... (I don't think he liked the camera..?) So if it's dark does it mean he can be stressed AND getting angry? I just checked on him in his 'home', and his beard is still kinda dark...? His body is darker now too...? He's just basking... (I switched the lighting from a two piece bulb to an all in one hood...could that affect his coloring? 88 Degrees F and 15% humidity... Are those temps not good? I'm planning to get a better temp reader (probe) soon, but right now, I just have the stick-on the glass (in the middle of the tank) kind... So I'm not sure if its an accurate reading.

 

[TazzysMamma]

WOW, the stick on ones are SO inaccurate.... it could be too hot, or too cool..... you're only getting the ambient temp, and that is definitely off due to the nature of those thermometers.

If you can, get a digital prob thermometer tomorrow. Walmart has a great one for about 10-12 dollars. You'll find it in the gardening/electrical/plumbing area (that's where it is at my store anyway) Then you put the probe ON the basking spot for a good 45 minutes to an hour and you'll get an accurate reading that way. Also, do the same for the cool side of the viv.

The basking area should be between 105-110 for a juvenile, and the cool side should be between 78-80 degrees.

He could very well be stressed still... they all go through relocation stress for up to a couple of weeks.

HUGS

Sandi

 

[annieoakley123]

AWWW he is cute. i cant wait till my baby gets big too. Dont worry, even i was stressing out....and never had a reptile before. im used to barnyard animals!!! hehe. Here is a pic of my baby "girl" hehehe her name is snuggles. Good Luck with ur new addition!

:mrgreen:

 

[TazzysMamma]

What a cutie! I had to giggle that you added your boyfriend in your list of "pets" :shock: :laughhard:

Sandi

 

[annieoakley123]

Thanks!!! yes he is the most rewarding pet to have....my bf that is.... But he is the one who made me fall in love with the idea of having a beardie.....he wanted one and i got one hahahaha!! but im sharing....

 

[msmaui]

That's so cute, you're soooo excited about your new baby! I know exactly how you feel. They are such precious little things. I just wanted to say that, YES, they will just "jump aimlessly", so keep an eye on him. Good luck and enjoy your new little one.

Nancy