I am setting up a 3ft long X 2ft wide X 2 foot high tank for my tiny baby beardie. The highest branch is about 12" from the bottom of the tank. If she jumps off it, will she hurt herself? That was as high as the top of her other tank, and she would sometimes jump from the screen ceiling to the ground, and was fine....
I think beardies are actually pretty strong and hardy animals, but the jumping should be kept to a min. My baby is miss lil daredevil and has jumped from my hand about 3 feet to my carpet. . . it scared the crap outta me, but she was fine, they do things that scare us all. . . there is a member on here that had her dragon die from falling off her shoulder, hers was also full grown.
You dont need to worry about it as much when they are babies. Obviously you don't wnat to encourage it, but as long as there's no rocks under the branch, it shouldn't be a problem. When they get older, they seem less inclined to be throwing themselves off of high places.... or any movement that requires a great deal of effort XP When ours were young, they would climb to the highest branch, then climb upside down over the screen top of their cage. freaked the heck out of us when we came back to find one of our dragons missing, only to discover he was under the UVB light upside down. I imagine more than once he had to 'jump' to get down.
I've had Daytona go from hand to floor before, she's always trying to leap off of something and hasn't come out any worse for wear yet. It's just something they do and the only way to keep it from happening is to keep them from climbing and they like to climb...so he/she should be alright from that small a distance.
They're not exactly acrobatic creatures...you do have to worry about internal injuries with falls. My silly baby still thinks it's OK to dart off of any surface, regardless of it's height, so we really have to watch her.
Mine doesn't jump often, but has jumped from quite a height.
I am over 6ft tall, and she once decided to take a leap from my shoulder.
We were outside in the summer, and she decided to make a break for one of the neighbour's shrubs. She took off like a shot from my shoulder, landing about three feet away. She hit the asphalt running and made a beeline for the shrub that she promptly climbed. She perched herself in a place that seemed particularly difficult to extricate her from.
An injurious shoulder fall was noted earlier. I think that the outcome of an intentional leap may be different from an accidental fall. Their leaping ability is really quite amazing.
In any case, I was shocked and terrified while she was in midair, relieved once she was obviously OK, and particularly relieved that I was able to see where she ran off to and get her back safely.
We have a number of fireflies locally, and lots in our grass and bushes. We take her outside, but we don't usually allow her onto the grass or near the bushes where she might encounter a firefly. She can walk around and bask while supervised in the driveway, but the bushes have always been considered off limits. When she took off like that, I was most afraid of what she might find and try to eat!
Mine doesn't jump often, but has jumped from quite a height.
I am over 6ft tall, and she once decided to take a leap from my shoulder.
We were outside in the summer, and she decided to make a break for one of the neighbour's shrubs. She took off like a shot from my shoulder, landing about three feet away. She hit the asphalt running and made a beeline for the shrub that she promptly climbed. She perched herself in a place that seemed particularly difficult to extricate her from.
An injurious shoulder fall was noted earlier. I think that the outcome of an intentional leap may be different from an accidental fall. Their leaping ability is really quite amazing.
In any case, I was shocked and terrified while she was in midair, relieved once she was obviously OK, and particularly relieved that I was able to see where she ran off to and get her back safely.
We have a number of fireflies locally, and lots in our grass and bushes. We take her outside, but we don't usually allow her onto the grass or near the bushes where she might encounter a firefly. She can walk around and bask while supervised in the driveway, but the bushes have always been considered off limits. When she took off like that, I was most afraid of what she might find and try to eat!
*shudder* And that is why mine never go outside unless leashed. You never know when they're going to get the idea that something looks like a better perch than you!
*shudder* And that is why mine never go outside unless leashed. You never know when they're going to get the idea that something looks like a better perch than you!
That was our new rule for the rest of the summer too.
Unfortunately, she doesn't much care for being leashed. Hates it, actually. She just stands there blackbearding and hissing without even taking a step. She'll stop hissing if picked up, but the black beard stays until we go inside and take the leash and harness off. That is the only time she ever beards.
Exercise was once one of the reasons we took her outside.
Maybe she'll be more accepting next year.
That was our new rule for the rest of the summer too.
Unfortunately, she doesn't much care for being leashed. Hates it, actually. She just stands there blackbearding and hissing without even taking a step. She'll stop hissing if picked up, but the black beard stays until we go inside and take the leash and harness off. That is the only time she ever beards.
Exercise was once one of the reasons we took her outside.
Maybe she'll be more accepting next year.
Poor girl! Perhaps she'd take to training like a puppy? Is there some food that she positivly adores that maybe isn't good enough for her to offer every day (waxworms, banana, sweet potato?) that you can give her as a reward for wearing the leash? I admit, I've never tried training a beardie, but they are intellegent enough (usually...) that it seems like it could work if she associates treats with the leash.