Just got a baby today! I'm a basket case!

[chichialero]

So, my 8 year old son and I have been researching Bearded Dragons for a while now. Today we finally went to the store and purchased one. We bought all the required acoutrements but now I am paranoid about the heat. The little guy is (hopefully) sleeping but I fear I may be up all night making sure he is still alive. I'm glad I found this forum as I may have many questions in the very near future.

 

[Kez]

Hi and welcome to the forum
Great pictures, he looks so cute :love5:

 

[LawDragon]

So little! And don't worry too much. They're hardy little guys as long as you get the basics right (temperature, feeding, etc.). If you have any questions, this site is just full of people willing to help.

 

[JadeDL_Angel]

just curious what kind of substrate do you have on the floor of the cage? it is hard to tell in the pic (at least for me it is)

 

[Kiron500111]

Ok, he is cute! Nice Beardie! There are a lot of helpful forums on this site. So if you need help, look them up! Good Luck! Oh, And he most likely is just sleeping, habitat change can be a lot for them. See ya!

Tristin

 

[chichialero]

Thanks for the encouraging words. The kids are at school this morning so I think he is a little less stressed out. Still hasn't eaten anything.

The substrate is sand.

 

[xXDragon_AddictXx]

I'm still new myself but I don't think sand is quite the best thing for beardies that tiny. I'm sure other people can elaborate better on that.

As for eating... - mine didn't eat for 4 days when I first got him :? I was getting really worried but we took it back to the pet store and the man who sold it to me (gently!) force-fed him two crickets. As soon as we got home he was chasing crickets around the cage! Yeah he's probably just a little stressed.

He's very cute, btw

 

[dr.dolittle]

I love his smile! he is too cute! Takes lots of pics of your little one! They grow up sooo fast!

As for the sand, it is not good. As a baby, they can accidently ingest the sand and become impacted. Their bodies are so tiny they won't be able to pass the sand and may possibly die. Not all babies will ingest the sand, but it is a possibility that most of us don't want to take. A more acceptable substrate is either paper towels, tile, or shelf liner.

 

[Kiron500111]

I'll elaborate on the sand comment. Well the thing is, If a beardie eats sand (mostly young beardies), it turns to concrete in their stomachs. And yes, seriously. Sand is bad for their digestions, and it can absorb too much heat. The beardies have very sensitive underbellies and hot sand can hurt their stomachs. If I'm wrong, someone feel free to correct me. But, I hope your beardie is doing better.

Tristin & Izzy

 

[chichialero]

Drat! I guess I'll be taking the sand out. At what age is it safe to put it back in? Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Kiron500111]

Drat! I guess I'll be taking the sand out. At what age is it safe to put it back in? Thanks for the heads up.

Oh, there is no specific age, but you could put it back in a couple of years maybe. But I suggest you didn't. It is still harmful to beardies no matter what age they are, so I suggest reptile carpet, paper towels, or tile. I hope I helped. Oh, the heads up is my pleasure. I don't want anybody to have a beardie with a concrete filled stomach!

Tristin & Izzy