Lost beardie in AZ!!

[FalcorsMama]

So this is my first time posting, I've been on here a lot to read and learn but never had a reason to post until now. We came back from a week vacation and went to pick up Falcor from my parents house, who had watched him. Naturally my 9 year-old daughter was so excited to see him, he was her little best friend. She held him while she walked to the car and I was loading the rest of his stuff, when I heard her start to sob. Falcor had jumped from her hands and ran through the a hole in the neighbors cinder block wall. I jumped the fence, (neighbors were gone for the winter) and we looked for him for over two hours but it was 110 outside, we had to stop. My sister and my mom graciously left work to help us too, but no luck. I work nights so we had to go, I'm just so sad for him. I guess my question is could he survive on his own? I know he's a desert animal so Arizona is perfect but he's only 3-4 months old. We left water out for him. The problem is that nobody really has fences out there (except the ones next to my parents of course) and if they do they have holes so he could be anywhere...it's just open desert. My parents are looking for him as we speak but out there it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I'm just so sad, he was such a spoiled sweetie. I don't know if there's anything I can do?
Thank you!!

 

[AHBD]

Oh boy, I'm sorry to heat this ! Well, the best thing to do is keep looking in the neighbor's yard. He may not actually stray far from where he went. In bad weather [ very hot or cold ] he may come out to bask + look for food for a short time but not travel too far because of the heat. Maybe let your neighbors know just in case you spend a lot of time there and let other neighbors know. I'm not sure what type of insects he could fond, but I'm sure he'll find something to eat. Just keep looking, especially in the morning when it is just getting good + warm. Look around the wall, too. By noon he'd probably seek shade. I hope that he will turn up....he probably won't go far.

 

[FalcorsMama]

Thank you!! I have an exotic vet already for my rats so I asked him too. He said the same thing about going in the morning, so after I got off at 7:30 this am I went to my parents and looked again. I saw a lot of lizards but not my little guy, I just hope he's ok. My parents have a corral with a bunch of stuff piled up and the neighbors have even more stuff, there's just so many hiding places for him. That's good for him but bad for us. I won't give up, I'll always keep looking. And the neighbors ended up coming home so I told them and they said they'd keep their eyes out for him. There's a heat advisory in AZ today, I'm just praying he can make it through it. I put water in little trays all around my parents and neighbors yard. And sprinkled dead crickets. Thanks so much for replying!!

 

[Zeek]

It could be worse, you could live in a not so friendly climate. In AZ, I'd say the toughest challenge would be him finding edible fruits & veggies. I'm in So Cal, and I've had a few reptiles escape, but I eventually found them. A month ago I found a columbian boa in my backyard. Turned out to be a neighbor's. There's some peace of mind knowing it's a similar climate, and that it's possible for him to survive. A lack of humidity would be my only concern. Just keep looking. I've heard of some popping back up weeks or months later.

 

[FalcorsMama]

Thank you! I went and looked again this morning but could only find other lizards. I left more trays of water and squash out, although I knew it would dry up soon. I'm just going to keep hoping and looking. He's only about 3-4 months so he needs a lot of insects...I just hope he can find enough on his own. Sigh, hurts so much. Thanks again for all the support!

 

[Zeek]

You can try making a bunch of rock hides/caves, and check them all at night. Beardies love to hide when the sun goes down and the temp starts to drop.

 

[Pixi]

I'm so sorry to hear that. It's awful to lose a beloved pet. But, I agree with the others, he's in AZ, so he'll probably be fine. Beardies are on their own from the time they're born in nature, so he should be fine.

 

[FalcorsMama]

Thanks everyone. My parents check everyday and leave out water/squash in random places. I look too. Tomorrow I'll bring some of his hiding places that were in his viv and set them out. Today was the last heat advisory day, so if he got through these days he should be ok. I won't give up on him! Thanks so much everyone, your replies really do make me feel better and hopeful.

 

[diamc]

Sure hope you can find him. Your daughter must feel terrible. Something must have scared him.

Where in Arizona? I have a sister that lives in Tuscon and there is another member here that lives in AZ. I want to have them on the look out. Can you cost a picture of him or describe what he looks like, coloring, length, etc?

Good luck & please keep us updated.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh no, how heart breaking to lose him like that. I am so sorry.
He is young, too. At least it is hot & sunny, so he should be fine. Maybe you will find him, hopefully he didn't wander off too far.
Good luck, let us know how the search goes.

Tracie

 

[FalcorsMama]

In Mesa, on Ellsworth in between Brown and McKellips. Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep you updated. I only have recent video of him, we took a lot of pictures when we first brought him home but he was just too cute not to take video of. I'll post the most recent pic. He's a little bigger now, still only 3-4 months old. That's what's so hard about this, he's just so little to be out there one. If he was bigger he'd be so much easier to spot too.

 

[FalcorsMama]

He's about 9 inches long now...still the same color, maybe a little brighter green now.

 

[diamc]

I shared the info with my sister & Lori. He's so cute.

 

[FalcorsMama]

Thank you so much! And yeah, I thought he was cute too. I've never had a beardie before, but my daughter wanted him so we researched about how to care for them together. I fell in love with him fast, he was the sweetest. Going to look for him again right now...

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

He is a cutie! I wish he wasn't so small, too it will make it harder to find him.
You lost him at the edge of the house, right where it becomes desert? Could he have gone under the house or something?
Keep us posted on your search.

Tracie