Houston 4th Grade Teacher

[mishelly58]

Sorry for the late post but I've been away from the site for a while. First congratulations!! I too am a teacher and my Beardie goes back and forth with me to school. I have a class of 3 and 4 yr olds. They just love having him in class. I have a leash that I made for Puffnstuff so the kids can walk around the classroom with him. He even sits on their lap while they are in the library reading or listening to a story, it's so cute. They give him a bath 3x a week and i have a toothbrush that they use and know to gently use it from his head to tail.

I also have a leopard gecko so this year I was able to talk my principal into allowing me to start a roach colony and the kids loved it they help me get them out and feed everyone.

It is a great learning experience for the children.

If you run into any problems or have any questions fell free to ask.

Michele

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

I apologize for no update! I've been busy the last couple of days. I have taken more pictures, but haven't uploaded them yet, so I'll try to get to that tomorrow.

However, I have some questions. He/she is eating much better now (still not how much he probably should be eating) but we have definitely made progress! He/she is eating about 15-20 worms a day and some of his/her salad. His belly is very creamy white and is getting a little pudge to it, so I think he's on the right track to being a healthy dragon! With eating more, he's got more energy and is much more alert...which leads to my questions....

When I first got him, he didn't really mind the bath. Over the week, he has started to completely hate it and will only tolerate me dropping water on him. He does seem to be drinking water from his water dish in his cage because it is constantly empty! Is it normal for them to hate it at the beginning and "learn" to like it?

Also, he has started to run away when I try to hold him, and when I am holding him, he tries to escape from my hand. I'm worried that I'm going to drop him and hurt him, but at the same time, I want him to get used to being held. He doesn't show any stress marks when I'm holding him or doesn't black beard (is he too young for a black beard?). However, today he opened his mouth and bobbed his head at my hand (an attempt to bite, maybe?). Is this a normal way for a baby to act until he/she is used to being held? Will he get over it? Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks!!

 

[Trogdorpheus]

You mentioned him having much more energy, so that's probably why he's trying to escape your hand. He probably just wants to run around and explore.

Head bobbing is a display of dominance. Basically if he's bobbing at your hand he's trying to get it to submit to him, and I don't know for sure how to handle that... but I'd guess just ignore it and pick him up, so that way he doesn't think he's in charge of your hand.

Easiest time to handle him without him trying to book it would be maybe an hour to half n hour before he normally goes to sleep, so he'll be worn out from the day and won't have a desire to just take off on an adventure.

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

Picture time first. Questions second.

Here goes...

"I need more food, Mom!"

Shedding around his mouth!


Question time...

As I said in my last post, his behavior during holding has changed. He is still doing the head bob with an open mouth, but he also added in a new thing today. As he's bobbing his head with an open mouth, he is shooting his tongue out at me. It is quite a strange feeling and took me by surprise the first time he did it. I'm not really sure what to make of it. I know that Matt (thanks Matt!) said he may be trying to show dominance over me or my hand. What do I do?

 

[Ric]

I don't know exactly but I perform the same actions that they do. In training dogs I've learned that the more you mimic an alpha dog's body language the more they listen. All animals communicate mainly through body languages. Each species is a bit different. So I've just been mimicking mine when/ if she does it. The licking I think is just him trying to smell or taste you. Taste and scent are how animals recognize each other and it's a vary common thing for animals to want to taste new things.

 

[mishelly58]

As far as him sticking his tongue out at you - yes that is the way they taste. Puffnstuff still does that to me sometimes when I go and get him. Here is what he does sometimes but then once I get him out of the tank he just sits on my shoulder. I can even take him into the pet store with me.

Just try to continue to handle him as much as possible and he will get use to it.

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

I must say that this lil dude's sleep positions are hilarious!

This was him last night when I went to bed...

And then this morning when it was time to wake up...

My partner looked at him and then said "He looks dead. Really dead. Are you sure he's okay?" It cracks me up how they "pass out" when they sleep! I wish I could sleep so soundly through the night!

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

I really felt like I had done a lot of research about beardies and possible behaviors before getting one, but I feel like I know nothing now! So...I come with another question...

I had a 24 inch UVB/UVA light in the tank because that was the only size I could get on short notice (since I wasn't expecting to have the little guy home with me when I got him). So today, my 36 inch (to fit across the entire tank) came in. I got it all hooked up and and put it on the tank. I noticed that when I went to turn the lights off so my lil one could go to sleep, his belly pattern was very dark. Now, he's gotten dark marks on his belly before (during one or two baths) which I assume are his stress marks. However, when that happened, it looked differently than it did tonight. I went back in about an hour after he fell asleep to check him out and the dark belly pattern had subsided. He still continues to improve with his eating and seems to be putting on weight. I had also held him before I put the new light in and his belly was the normal creamy color with a faint pattern. Could he be reacting to the light? Should I be concerned?

 

[AndyT]

He could just be reacting to the change in light, or you moving everything around. Is it the same brand?

Andy

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

No, the new one is the ReptiSun. The other one I got at Petco and don't remember the brand...

 

[AndyT]

Then they would have different UV outputs. He could just have to adjust to it, don't worry too much about it.

Andy

 

[Freeie]

Yeah any change to their home can cause the stress marks they seem to have a harder time when little with change. He sure is a cutie.

 

[Trogdorpheus]

Since you got one to cover the entire tank, just be sure he can get out of the UV light if he wants to. I set up my viv with 2 basking spots, one right under the UVB light (about 7-8 inches down) and basking light, and another that's maybe 5-6 inches farther out from the UVB light in case she still wants to bask, but isn't feelin the UVB at the moment. My UVB also only spans about 2/3 of my viv, so it only covers about 1/2 of the cool side.

 

[dragonbreederwannabe]

Another start with pictures...

He loves hanging on his rock like this.

It is a cell phone pic and the lights were out so the quality sucks, but you can see him holding on to the frog's back. He slept hanging on the frog's back all night.

Now onto questions...

Like I said last time, I got the new light for his terrarium (the reptisun). After the first day he seemed to adjust to it and the stress marks went away. However, today, I found him hiding behind his frog in the "shade" and had his stress marks showing badly. I turned off the reptisun light (leaving on his basking light) to see if that was the problem. After about 5 minutes, his marks had disappeared and he moved back to his rock. Could he get tired of having that light on? If so, how long does it have to be on per day to ensure he is healthy enough?

And, tying in to the light question...I've read that it is good to have the lights on a 12 on/12 off schedule to mimic the sun. However, my little guy tucks himself into bed on his frog about an hour before it is time for the lights to go off and seems to be pretty upset that they are still on. Then in the morning, he's still sound asleep and when the lights turn on, he seems to get upset again about being awake. Should I put the lights on his sleep schedule or keep them on a 12 on/12 off schedule?

 

[AndyT]

My little guy does the same thing, goes to his sleeping spot an hour before lights out. I just leave the lights on until his bed time. I think that they are just tired after long days. After all, they are babies. I'm not sure what to do about him hiding from the ReptiSun. How close can he get to it?

Andy