Here, There be Dragons

[earthandsky]

Sammy: The Brearded Dragon

June 21st 2012, The Forever Home

The first night I brought Sammy home, he slowly peered out of this little container for a good hour. After realizing that no threats were abound, he quickly bolted over to the highest point in his Viv and slept the whole night upright in the corner.

The next morning I found him happily sitting on the hammock, keeping watch.

As naive as I was, I trusted the pet stores to provide at least a guiding path of proper husbandry for taking care of a Bearded Dragon. I was sorely wrong. Thankfully, I stumbled upon BD.org and was quickly set strait on a few things. The Coil Bulb was a big no, no. Along with most of the other parts of the "Beaded Dragon Delux Starting Kit". After a few more purchases, I found myself with a nice setup and a new Tree!

Is this mine?

comfy tree

trying out new positions

I can see everything from way up here

Happiness in a tree

Sexy Leg

More to come!

Tristan

 

[lauraj1055]

:love5: Love it!

 

[earthandsky]

Story time, followed by more pictures!

A long long time ago, on a Thursday afternoon (June 7th), I was shopping for FISH! You may be thinking, what does this have to do with Beardies? Well, I was shopping for Fish and fish supplies online when I stumbled upon a sale for pet supplies at Petsmart. While looking through the vast number of items in a seemingly random order, I found a something listed as "Bearded Dragon." NO WAY, A DRAGON! I thought dragons were fake. Well, with a few more clicks of the mouse, I found a picture of the hansom creature. Low and behold there were truly dragons, and they looked beautiful.

I spent the next few weeks doing some preliminary research on Bearded Dragons through a few "retail" websites. Armed with new knowledge (and incorrect information), I set out to by the home for my future Dragon. I purchased the Deluxe Bearded Dragon Starter kit, thinking that it was indeed "Deluxe." I quickly rushed home to set it up. I thought I found a great deal with this Deluxe kit being on sale and all, but as it turned out, I was sorely mistaken.

With my luck at finding "everything" I needed, I went and purchase my First Bearded Dragon the following week. I was so happy with Sammy, and apparently he was very unsure about me. We made things work however. With my tiny dragon settling in, I decided to find out every detail I could about dragons to make sure I had it all right. That’s when I found the DB.org site and within moments, I knew I had a lot wrong!

The very next day I went out and got all the right equipment which went well beyond what I "saved" with the Deluxe Bearded Dragon starter kit, even with it being on sale. The coil bulb was replace with a Reptisun 10 24" tube, and the Blue light bulb for heat, was replaced with a 75Watt clear house bulb. A temp gun was purchased, though I haven’t yet taken out the useless Zilla paperweight of a Thermometer. On the bright side of things, I also purchase a Reptile Bonsai Tree that Sammy immediately fell in love with (and I was very jealous).

And with that... more pictures!

Look, I blend in!

The clouds look so pretty

What are you doing in my tree?

Umm... a little privicy

Enjoying the shade

This is my tree house!

Tree hug

Tristan

 

[wolfysluv]

LOVE story time!

 

[fresnowitte]

What a cutie Sammy is! :love5:

I love the bonsai tree looks like Sammy does too.
Are sexy legs, especially on a baby beardie, not the cutest thing you have ever seen? :love5:

I'm glad that you got your set up all worked out...pet stores ...don't feel bad most of us ended up like you with a lot of useless supplies in the beginning. However if you had a turtle or something else other than a sundweller those supplies might not go to waste.

I look forward in watching your Sammy grow and you grow as a beardie slave. :wink:

 

[earthandsky]

I absolutely love the little sexy leg poses they do. I saw Sammy do a double sexy leg the other day, but by time I got my camera, he moved.

The bonsai tree is the single most loved piece of furniture that Sammy has. If he could, he would stay up in the tree forever. Though it makes me a little jealous.

I am really amazed how fast they grow in size and into our hearts. I already fret about everything when it comes to Sammy and his well-being. From lighting, space, handling and verity of food. I even broke my aversion to roaches and started up a dubia colony.

Its amazing what we will do for them to live their happy lives to the fullest.

Tristan

 

[fresnowitte]

So very true...the things we give up or take on just to make them happy and help them to thrive to their fullest.
I spent my entire adult life trying to keep roaches out of the house till we moved where we are now out in the country and no roaches like in town. However it wasn't long before I was raising roaches too. My adult kids were totally shocked that I would do that. :lol:

I only go on one weekend vacation a year(get this :roll: to a reptile show :lol: ) and we take Zak-n-Wheezie with us and my oldest 2 sons take care of the rest while we are away. It's very hard to get me out of the house because of all the beardies I have. I hate to leave them an I have to many to take with me. I do take a beardie everywhere I go besides the grocery store though. My life revolves around my beardies. :silent:

They grow up really fast so you it's great that you are taking so many pic's now. I didn't have a camera with a couple of mine when they were babies and I hate the fact that I do not have baby pic's to reminisce over.

 

[littlebirdy]

What a widdle cutie! Does he let you handle him yet?

 

[earthandsky]

Story time!

Sammy lets me hold him off and on depending on his mood. Most of the time, I'm able to pick Sammy up with little fuss and I usually give him a bath before allowing him to roam (just to making sure he doesnt leave me and suprises around that house). After the bath I dry him off and am able to hold him for a few minutes before he roams the living room. Usually he roams around until he finds a place to nap.

Once, about a week ago, after his bath he just sat in my hand for a while. So I laid down on the floor and just let him take a nice nap on my hand. After about 30 minutes, he finally got up and started to roam for a bit before finding another place to nap on the carpet, wedged between my Aquarium stand and the wall (thanks Sammy). It was pretty darn cute. I wish I had my camera with me, but I was afriad that if I moved to get it, he would run off to explore prematurely.

Also, after he takes some extended naps in the evening, he is pretty groggy when I pick him up. A few times I have just held him in my hand for a few minute in his Viv before he wakes up enough to climb in his tree. Once he was so tired, that he did the little but wiggle right in my hand and fell asleep. Needless to say I was in an awkward position holding him there, but I stayed like that for a good twenty minutes. I kept thinking I would stay like that forever if I could, but my legs started to give out and I gently moved him over to his tree. Sammy opened up his eyes just enough to peer out at me with his sad face, and I looked at him and whispered "goodnight".


More pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Weight Training for the Beardie Olympics

Preparing for Distance Jumping

Making new friends

Posing for the camera

What a stud!

Full belly after eating lots of crickets

Hanging out, watching the fish

Using the rocks as a belly rest

Tristan

 

[fresnowitte]

Whao! That was one full belly! :shock: :love5:

Don't you just love the butt wiggle they give when they are getting comfy? :love5:

 

[earthandsky]

I absolutely love when Sammy does the butt wiggle. Usually when I wake him up, by lightly stroking his back, he will do the little butt wiggle as if to say "I'm tired, leave me alone". But I have to make sure he is safe and sound in his Viv for the night, so I pick him up and place him gently back on his tree. Its very interesting that when he sleeps out on the carpet after roaming around for a while, he turns a really light tan color. Its very pretty and I usually only see it after he naps out in the living room for a while. I wish I knew his parentage, but he was a Petsmart baby and they don't keep records of anything.

While shopping around, I found some great deals on a second Viv, lights and furniture and ended up with a whole second setup. Coincidence, or Beardie Fever?

Tristan

 

[littlebirdy]

You have a fever, and the only prescription, is more lizards!

 

[fresnowitte]

Tristan those pretty light colors you are talking about we call "happy colors." :wink:
Okay... :roll: , so maybe only members of bd.org call them that. :laughing6:

Coincidence, or Beardie Fever?

You can call it what you want, but we all know exactly what it is. :laughing6:

 

[littlebirdy]

I thought everyone called them happy colors! Just remember that dark colors do not necessarily mean cranky. Dark colors soak up more heat than light colors, so when they are basking they might turn dark for that reason. Our Clovis turns really dark between her paintbrush markings (that is not an actual term, I just think her markings look like paintbrushes) when she is basking. She will also throw a few beards in the morning and yawn, like she's waking up and stretching. It's fun to see her looking like a little lizard shogun without her being cross or cranky!

 

[earthandsky]

You have a fever, and the only prescription, is more lizards!

I just about died laughing when I read that. I'm a big fan of "more cowbell!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyV2cPLuFuA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I love the happy colors. I once gave Sammy a piece of Peach and it was the most rapid change in colors I have seen yet. It was very cute.

Tristan