hello

[jordcluff]

My name's Jordan, I just got a bearded dragon at the weekend, after wanting one for ages. His name is Errol:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=514885648&ref=pymk#!/album.php?aid=476590&id=709645248&ref=mf

Don't know if that'll work, but he's a red colour morph, 5 months old. I got him from a specialist reptile shop that my friend's brother owns in Byker, near Newcastle. I'm signing up for this for the same reason I imagine everyone does, I'd like somewhere to come and ask questions about his behaviour to make sure he's a normal and healthy dragon.

Getting him over the weekend was great, as I got to spend the maxium amount of time with me new pal, but after feeding him this morning and coming home I found him squashed into a corner, behind his bark-log thing, with crickets crawling all over him. I thought he'd eaten all the crickets in the vivarium otherwise I wouldn't have fed him this morning, and there'd been zero cricket activity after the last time i fed him yesterday, but it looks like I cocked that up a bit. He'd gone all dark around his flanks and his neck and back, which I thought was odd. Checked a few care sites, decided to get all the crickets out and put him back. He went straight under his log (that's where the heat-mat is) and stayed there for a bit, opened his mouth, and now he seems lighter and more normal.

So, basically, this is a "Hello", and a request for open advice (and reassurance, if it's appropriate).

Cheers,

Jord

 

[AndyT]

Congrats on getting a beardie! I would just check to make sure that he doesn't have any bite marks from the crickets. One thing, though, they should not have heat mats. These guys don't sense heat very well on their underside, so they can easily be burnt by a heat mat without even knowing it.

Andy

 

[jordcluff]

Cheers Andy, I'll have a spy at him now. He's got a heat mat underneath his log, the fella I got him from made sure I had all the stuff I needed. His vivarium is 3 foot long, heat mat at the right side, UV bulb and basking rock at the left. Was wondering if I should move the light further in to the middle so he's got somewhere to cool down?

 

[AndyT]

Ok, just make sure he isn't bitten all over. You shouldn't move the lights over, you should turn the heatmat off and remove it. Its dangerous to have in there, and as you said, he doesn't have a cool side. It sounds like the guy directed you well, but the heat mat should go.

Andy

 

[luvanimals]

I agree, the heat pad is no good for beardies. You need a heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter. It should be to one side of the cage, creating a temperature gradient. (So your beardie can choose to hangout on the hot or cool side as necessary). Also, don't worry too much about the color changing. Mine looks different colors at different times of day and in different lights. Don't leave crickets in with your beardie overnight as they can bite him when he's sleeping.

 

[jordcluff]

Cheers for the advice fellas, I'll have a word with the guy I bought him from about a heat lamp instead of a mat. I've been checking him for bites, I can't see anything that looks like it might be a bite - what should I be looking for?

Just thinking about it though - the heat mat's under a fair amount of sand, won't this protect him from getting burned? I've checked the sand on the mat, it doesn't seem to be that hot.

 

[AndyT]

Sand is bad as well, that should be removed and replaced with repticarpet, paper towels, tile, or non adhesive shelf liner. Even if he can't get burned, they sense heat from above, so he needs the baking light. These are sun worshiping lizards, so they need a bright white/ yellow bulb in their enclosure. Did he give you a UVB bulb. If not, look for an arcadia 12% or a ReptiSUN(SUN!!)10.0 TUBE light. They need UVB to properly process calcium and other things.

 

[AndyT]

I think taht cricket bites would be pretty noticeable. They would be red wounds, or chunks of skin missing.

 

[jordcluff]

This gets more complicated by the day! I'll get to the shop today and sort stuff out. He's got a UVB bulb, yeah. Pretty relieved about the lack of bites, thanks for the reassurance.

While we're on the subject of his interior, what sort of live plants are good for him to have in there? Also, is there anything you can get to freshen the vivarium in terms of the smell that won't harm the dragon? My flatmate's already complaining about it (to be honest, that might be the carrots...).

 

[tedrickrumohr]

This gets more complicated by the day! I'll get to the shop today and sort stuff out. He's got a UVB bulb, yeah. Pretty relieved about the lack of bites, thanks for the reassurance.

While we're on the subject of his interior, what sort of live plants are good for him to have in there? Also, is there anything you can get to freshen the vivarium in terms of the smell that won't harm the dragon? My flatmate's already complaining about it (to be honest, that might be the carrots...).

I'll attempt to simplify somethings. They need heat and UVA/B. The heat mats don't work because they sense heat from the top, not the bottom, so they could get burned without knowing it. Instead of sand (which can cause impaction and have your beardie die), just use paper towels. Have paper towels on the floor, it's easier to clean if it stinks. Bearded Dragons actually want to keep their living space clean, they usually (well at least my beardies) poop as far away as possible lol. For me, I give my beardies heat, and Itake them outside for natural UVA/B daily. Good luck! Hope to see more pics! (Couldn't go onto your fb)

 

[AndyT]

You could put some glade plugins or something in your area, not in the viv. I'm not sure about plants. Beardies will eat real plants in their vivs, so its not a good idea to have any real ones.

andy

 

[jordcluff]

Can't thank you all enough for the advice and tips, I really appreciate it. He's doing a fair bit better, eaten a couple crickets today and he seems in a much better shift today.

If anyone knows how to put actual photos on here then I'll be more than happy to throw a few on, he's a bloody handsome lad so he is.