Fred my new Frilled Dragon! Pics!

[beardo721]

Good morning everyone,
I had made an earlier post asking some questions about new frilled dragon ownership, and I finally got my frill! His (or her) name is Fred, and it's the coolest pet ever! I have pictures of him and his cage, with which I will be replacing the paper towels with cypress mulch this morning (the paper towels don't hold humidity well at all according to my exoterra digital thermo/hygro). Enjoy! Any care and housing tips are much appreciated!

In order, Fred on my finger, Fred on his leaves, and Fred's cage.

 

[Livey]

Fred is very cute

 

[Grimleo]

Fred the frilly

HE's so cool. I want to get a frilly one day

 

[beardo721]

They're great. Got the cypress mulch put in, and a fogger today!

He's having a little re-homing anxiety though, isn't eating much. Any suggestions?

 

[civicgrl88]

Not sure if I suggested this to you before but you can try covering the sides of the tank for a week or 2 and remove a side a day after the week or 2 has passed

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Nice.

 

[Floof]

Oh my gosh, he's so cute! Congrats!

One question, is the heat bulb an MVB? If not, you need a UVB bulb ASAP. It's as important for Frillies as it is for Beardies. If it is an MVB (or even if it isn't) I would highly recommend replacing the cage-style fixture with a solid dome fixture like this one: http://www.bigappleherp.com/Zoo-Med-Repti-Extra-Deep-Dome-Lamp-Fixture. Using the cage fixture causes much of the heat and UVB to escape before it even reaches the cage, as well as exposing you to that UVB radiation (if it's an MVB) and unnecessary, unattractive light and glare where it doesn't belong. The cage fixtures are useful for CHEs, but not for light bulbs.

You might also consider putting a fluorescent or other light source over the cool side so the enclosure is brighter--definitely a benefit for the average diurnal lizard.

Another note, more hiding places would be a good idea. More leafy vines (you can get 6' garlands at craft stores pretty inexpensively) to wrap around the branches, string across the cage, and drape toward the floor will give Fred more places to hide and a greater sense of security as he traverses the cage. I don't know how arboreal Frillies are, but a good hide in that dead space on the floor of the cool side would be a good idea, too, in case he wants to use it. You could even make it a humid hide (with moss) if you're having trouble keeping humidity up otherwise. The increased sense of security should help him settle in more easily, too.

About the new home anxiety, in addition to the increased hiding spaces I already talked about, don't handle him (if you already are) except when necessary, don't open or otherwise disturb the enclosure except to do water changes and to feed, limit "feeding time" to delivering the food and leaving the room, and, as has already been mentioned, cover at least 3 of the enclosure's sides, at least for a week. That time alone will give him a chance to become relaxed within his living place. Once he's comfortable within his new home, you can go back to a normal schedule (though taking handling slow at first would be good to reduce the chances of him getting overwhelmed and overly stressed again).

Just a few suggestions and ideas that seem to work wonders with any baby reptile. Good luck! And don't forget to keep us updated as he grows... :mrgreen:

 

[beardo721]

Thanks for all the advice!

This post is rather old, but here are some answers to your questions:

1. Yes, it's an MVB. I know how high-maintenance frillies can be. Makes my snakes and beardie look like a breeze haha.
2. His re-homing stress stopped (thank God). Now he's just going through adolesence, and is being a real pain in the butt to handle.
3. I'm actually using plastic wrap across the top of the cage to seal in humidity. Has been working well so far.

 

[Floof]

OH! The date on the post before mine threw me off... I thought this thread was only a couple days old!! LOL! Glad he's doing well for you, and thanks for answering even though my post was a couple months late... Haha!