Jace, Zy, Sorin, Ava, Nissa, & Koth -->Update 12-18 w/ Pics

Hello,
I'm relatively new to this website, though I have posted questions prior to this "blog." I fell in love with bearded dragons on a trip to Petco. I've always wanted a reptile and I have a dragon statue collection at home so it seemed perfect. Jace, however, was not my first beardie. My first beardie was one of the two smaller ones. The employees hadn't gotten around to putting on of the little ones up for adoption because he would have a seizure whenever he was picked up. They were pretty sure the one I had picked wasn't the seizure one. I bought him the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and am sad to say I returned him that following Monday. This one had seizures whenever he was put down. I knew, being a new owner, that it would be better for the both of us if I returned him to Petco and that was when I got Jace, the love of my life. On a side note, the two that suffered from seizures got adopted to loving homes where someone can take care of them . Anyways, on to my picture show.

This was my first night with Jace. He no longer has that cage - he is in a bigger one and on tiles instead.

The first week montage:

I loved the way he just dug a bed and curled up.

He was so little!

This is his new cage - the sand in the dig bowl has been replaced with flaxseed

My little poser

He loves climbing on my shirt and just hang

I loved the natural blue that came out - don't know how that happened

Again, his dig box before we changed it:

He loves my computer

That's it for now, but he's a very photogenic man so there will be more to follow.

 

[zandi202]

Don't know what is up with Jace and Zy this morning. It's like they have ants in their pants. Jace has been running up and down the width of his tank which faces me and tapping his nose against it, stops and stares, then continues. Zy will be still for a couple minutes, spazz out, then pancake, then spazz again. It's not even that nice of a day out.

 

[morphmom]

NEW BABY Woohoo! Sparta is so striking! Oh my gosh! You're so lucky! What a gorgeous baby! Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! :mrgreen:

 

[zandi202]

NEW BABY Woohoo! Sparta is so striking! Oh my gosh! You're so lucky! What a gorgeous baby! Congrats! Congrats! Congrats! :mrgreen:

Thanks, Holly =) I'm starting to forget how beautiful they are because they have yet to come out of the dirt. The pictures are my only reminder :lol:. We have to go to Walmart and get Sparta a new flood light. The one we bought is way to hot. It's supposed to be in the mid 90's and the 50w is giving off 117. So that might be why we haven't seen them. Until we know for sure, I am just going to say Sparta is a he.

Story time:

So when Paul and I went to Petco, it was orginally to see the ferrets which we never ended up doing :lol:. So we were looking at the reptiles and went to the Sparta's viv. He would almost always be hiding in his wood chips so we always played "find the skink" and we found a 75% off manager special. It wasn't hard to talk Paul into getting Sparta. My biggest fear was that someone who wouldn't bother learning about skinks would take them and not properly care for him, especially after what happened to Zy's sibling. Call me whatever you like, but I'd feel better knowing he was in a good home. We researched him all night. We also did some research at the store to know what substrate to get and stuff.
Then we called an employee over to help us get him. The employee was sifting the wood chips and boy was Sparta fast! The employee and my boyfriend couldn't get a hold on him so I tried. I caught him, he slithered out of my hands, onto my boyfriend's arm and jumped to the ground. That was at least a 4' drop. We got down and herded him into the box The whole process took 15 minutes.

 

[morphmom]

I love that story! :love5: I couldn't have a skink because I really don't like loose substrate which, I know they require. Sparta is a beaut though. All these new babies! Maybe it's not such a bad year! :mrgreen:

 

[zandi202]

Maybe 2013 decided to get its butt in gear finally. Have good weather and new babies.

I'm okay with loose substrate for the most part. I would like to do a 1/2 loose 1/2 tile thing, but I don't know if that is a good idea.

Sparta was up with us until we moved him into my bedroom, then he went under for the night. While we were getting food and stuff ready in my living room, he sat there and watched up. I was expecting him to hide for good.

 

[morphmom]

Sparta says: "You's my mommy's?" "Ok, yous can sees me" "Just for a wittle bit..." :laughing6:

 

[zandi202]

So, Sparta will be a brumate baby. From what I read, with proper care, a Fire Skink can live for 15-25 years and in some cases up to 30. 20 years from know I'll be in my 40's! He's with us for the long haul.

Sparta says: "You's my mommy's?" "Ok, yous can sees me" "Just for a wittle bit..." :laughing6:

I hope so. Maybe the correct temps will bring him out.

I have 4 crickets in their with him and phoenix worms. Maybe food will be enticing.

 

[ohmybandit]

Gorgeous new baby!!! I have to stop walking the the reptile sections at petco because I'm on the verge of buying a Crestie lol. I can't afford any more pets

 

[zandi202]

I can't afford any more pets

That's what I thought too. I mostly go to visit the ferrets and see the baby reptiles. I shouldn't, but I do :roll:. Besides, you have a huge dubia colony, I'm sure you could use a crestie to help you keep it down. I'm bad, I know.

 

[ohmybandit]

Lol! That was my argument for another beardie and Benjie won't even look at them, he runs away!

 

[zandi202]

Lol! That was my argument for another beardie and Benjie won't even look at them, he runs away!

:lol:

For the first while Zy used to wave at them. Now she eats them, runs back to where she can be close to Jace, and waves.

 

[sweetiepie9]

It's spring fever time, Liz, that would explain all the extra energy. I'm waiting it to hit my crew, but not so far, they're all very mellow.

Sparta is beautiful and I think he's a he. Congrats again.

It's nice to have a melange of critters!

 

[zandi202]

I'm glad that spring is doing this to them. Jace has been running around chasing after the itchies so will give him a bath later...once I finish all this stupid math homework. I hope it hits your crew soon =)

Thanks. I'm hoping for a he. They said males tend to be bulkier and brighter in color and sadly you can't just lift up the tail for bulges.

I like having an assortment of babies. I prefer the babies that don't get too big and have long lives. Why? I don't know, but I do :lol:. I still can't believe we got another one. Last night he was making this really cool air sounds with his tongue and he wasn't the least bit aggressive with any of the handling or petting, just scared more than anything. I was surprised how content he was to just watch us.

 

[Lindz0518]

I boycotted craigslist because I just can't have my heart broken all the time. I do still wander to the reptile section in the petstore but I haven't been to petsmart since I got Buffy, I only go to my usual haunt where they know me by name, lol. To my defense a girl I went to school with works there, and I have been going there almost 5 years for crickets/mealworms for the leos. I have promised myself not more animals, and reptiles expecially.

 

[sweetiepie9]

That's great that Sparta is getting used to you already. Do you know how old he is? And he sure if brightly coloured, so he must be a male!