Found a Beardie in my backyard on Long Island NY

[FoundBeardie8]

Hi guys, I found a Beardie about 14" with tip of the tail, healed but missing in my backyard in my vegetable garden. I live on Long Island the temperature now is 50-65 degrees at night and maybe 75 during the day, which worries me ALOT! I am currently trying to find him a home. I have had him for about a week now and no luck. I have a new infant in the house so I am afraid to keep him. I am an animal lover so I set him up a few options for heat. We have a basking light set up in a Tupperware that is on 24 hours with a heating pad underneath. We kept him in that the 1st 2 days while we fed him veggies, crickets and waxworms in my bathroom. Then the 2nd night he turned bright yellow and ran around the Tupperware like he needed to get out so we added a small opening on the side of the box so he has a choice to leave and put him back out by the garden. 3rd day he basked in the sun and hung out in my garden, 4th day it was raining so I picked him up and put him in the heat encloser but he refused to stay in there...yesterday was sunny he basked in my vegetable garden eating the lettuce and snow peas I left for him where he laid. He walked around my veggie garden and was digging holes and laid in them. When I came home from work as the temperature started to drop I found him in the heat enclosure bright yellow again so I fed him more crickets and waxworms, he ate them all. This am he was still in the heat enclosure, this afternoon he was in the garden again looking brown. Tonight as the outside temp was going down he was in the heat enclosure yellow again, no black by his beard at all. He's either light brown, dark brown through his back or yellow.
I've read almost every post on this site, my question is: could bearded dragons adapt to colder weather? Will he be happier in a tank after he gets adopted by a forever home? He seems happy having the option of cold and hot. My worry is that this guy or girl has lived in the colder weather and he doesn't like the 100 degrees it is under the basking light in a tank set up. He or she is really enjoying his freedom but I don't want him to get sick or die. I'm just torn right now. I don't want to do this guy any injustice. Seems pretty healthy and happy the last couple of days...I need some advice.

 

[Gormagon]

I would be concerned for the safety aspect (lots of predators outside). He is a desert creature and, will surely get sick in those temps outside eventually. He poses no harm to your baby, contact would be the only way anything could remotely happen. Please take him inside. I would gladly take him but Long Island is a bit far from Kentucky.
Look around the board to see what you can do to keep him.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, my concerns are predators, like cats, dogs, large birds, etc.
Do you watch him when he is out in your garden? She could get taken by a predator or just wander off somewhere. I recommend bringing her in for the time being. If you do take her outside, you will need to watch her, for her safety.
If you can, send a picture or two so we can see her condition.
How large is the plastic bin/tote you have setup for her?
If you decide to keep her, we can help you get it all setup for her, correctly.

Tracie

 

[kingofnobbys]

I think he's make a fabulous family pet , my 6 year old has been nursing my beardies nearly his entire life (from about 3 yr old) and petting them under pop's (me) supervision since he was about 2yr old).
Never ever had any of my pet lizards so much as even scratch him and forget about them biting him, my guys are too laid back and people orientated to ever do that to anyone.

But if you want the beardie rescued -
http://www.thebeardeddragon.org/reptile-rescues.php ,
or
http://www.anapsid.org/societies/#us


Here is some more
http://www.reptilerescue.com/contact.html
http://villachardonnay.org/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=313&Itemid=313&gclid=CPmcq4iWl9QCFZkHKgod9GoP0g

 

[Mysty]

What a surprise for you!

Should you decide to keep the beardie, access to an outside pen would be ideal for hot days. Something predator proof where he/she can enjoy a bit of freedom.

The fact that he/she seems to be becoming a bit more accustomed to a viv - not always running to escape and black bearding is a good sign.

I can't say that there is no risk whatsoever of being bitten. However, their bites are not isually serious and like many reptiles, the beardie will give warning like puffing up, even hissing before going to bite.

 

[FoundBeardie8]

 

[FoundBeardie8]

Good morning everyone! Thank you for your replies! My garden is fenced in and netted from predators since I have a berry garden that the birds naturally love to get to. I snapped some pictures. He is in the same Tupperware but we added some of the same dirt from the garden as the flooring and wood plank where the basking light is. It's not that Im afraid he will bite the baby or anything. I do believe he was someone's pet at some point. He is very friendly and loves being held. It's just the time required to keep his tank clean, feeding and bathing to properly maintain his good health, that I can't provide...if he is outside cleaning of the tank is minimal since he only goes in the tank when he is cold. He has been pooping in the garden. I actually found out there is a local herp society that I can reach out to. I just don't trust many people providing the "right" care for animals that want him but maybe I can find a true reptile lover there. Thank you for your posts everyone! I do believe he is currently happy but he would never make it through the winters here.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Good morning everyone! Thank you for your replies! My garden is fenced in and netted from predators since I have a berry garden that the birds naturally love to get to. I snapped some pictures. He is in the same Tupperware but we added some of the same dirt from the garden as the flooring and wood plank where the basking light is. It's not that Im afraid he will bite the baby or anything. I do believe he was someone's pet at some point. He is very friendly and loves being held. It's just the time required to keep his tank clean, feeding and bathing to properly maintain his good health, that I can't provide...if he is outside cleaning of the tank is minimal since he only goes in the tank when he is cold. He has been pooping in the garden. I actually found out there is a local herp society that I can reach out to. I just don't trust many people providing the "right" care for animals that want him but maybe I can find a true reptile lover there. Thank you for your posts everyone! I do believe he is currently happy but he would never make it through the winters here.

He looks in quite good condition, so there is a chance he's been dumped by some jerk who lost interest in him (if he is a he) , or he's had a fright when in a neighbour's yard and wound up in your yard, or maybe simply went exploring when in his original keeper's home and freeranging and simply wondered out a open door and became lost.

Can you weigh him , post some photos of his naughty bits (so we can determine if he's is indeed a boy) .
He looks like a yearling at least to me, perhaps a subadult or even an adult.

His weight will give a better indication of his age (IMO), but the best anyone can do not knowing his history is give an educated guess on his age.

Bathing - not necessary UNLESS
>>> he's soiled himself
>>> he's got a bit of stubborn shed
>>> he's mildly impacted
>>> he's too hot and needs to cool off
>>> he's got an open injury that needs a dilute betadiene soak.
My beardies Peppa and Toothless are near 19 months old and Peppa has has 3 baths in this time and has no smell about her nor does Toothless , and they very healthy.
Some beardies will poo in the bath - trained to do so by their keepers.
Some will only drink when in the bath.
Some actually enjoy a splash and a swim.


If he's 6 months - 12 months old, I recommend two live insect meals per day, over 12 months old I give mine one live insect meal per day.
I always offer fresh nutritious greens and grated or diced veg each day.

UV Lighting : Beardies NEED VERY HIGH levels of UVA and UVB
UV = minimum 10% UVB from either a good quality UVB compact (26W UVB200) , pr a T8 tube , or a T5 tube , or a good MVB. Natural sunlight is very good providing it is warm outside and the beardie can be kept outside (UNDER VERY TIGHT SUPERVISION).

Basking light :
a good MVB, or a clear colourless par38 incandescent spot/flood globe , or equiv in a halogen globe.
An adult beardie needs a basking spot at about 40oC and warm zone at about 34oC and a cool zone about 28oC

Light period = I recommend 14 hours minimum per day.

Substrate = no sand, no soil, no gravel, no sawdust, no bark or wood chips , no coco fibres ,these are all indigestible and if ingested will cause impaction and if they can not be passed with the poo, a horrible painful extended death.

A beardie older than 18 months old needs a viv at least 4ft L x 2ft W x 1.5ft to 2ft T. Anything smaller is not adequate for a full grown adult bearded dragon.

 

[EllenD]

Where are you on Long Island? I live in central PA, and I make trips to the city quite often, I actually got one of my parrots from a breeder in North Hempstead, and I have a good friend who lives in Rockville Centre. I often go to Long Beach in the summer, usually on Saturdays to walk on the boardwalk and shop the merchants, I love it there.

He is going to need a proper UVB light soon, he should not go without one for long. No, he cannot adapt to our winters, and no, he will not ever stop liking desert temperatures. They need a heat source if it drops below 65 degrees at night, so it's currently too cold for him to be outside at night. Last night hear in Pennsylvania it was down in the 50's, way too cold for him, so please do not leave him outside at night, at least bring him inside then. Predators such as birds are a definite threat to him. Long Island is not his environment! Lol.

If I can figure out when to come up to see my friend, depending on where you live, I may be able to come get him. Let me know where you're at.

 

[EllenD]

Bump...Update? If you still have him I'm interested in coming up to get him soon.

 

[EllenD]

I'm trying this one more time...If you still have him or know where he's at I'm interested in driving up and giving him a loving home. I am a very experienced bearded dragon/Reptile owner, and I have several Xtra enclosures and lighting set-ups ready to go. I have a certified Reptile vet of 20+ years 10 minutes away. So I'm not inexperienced or unable to care properly for him if that's your concern.

He cannot live outside at night right now, I checked last night and it was in the low 50's in PA, so I'm assuming it was close to the same in NY, and that's way too low for him. Please get back to me ASAP so I can arrange the trip, depending on where you're at in Long Island it's a 4+ hour drive for me, but again I have a good friend in Rockville Centre that I'll most likely stay with and come home the next day.