Meet JuJu **4/4 we're growing like a weed! pg5**!

To make a long story short, my husband and I purchased our first BD back in early January. It certainly hasn't been without it's trials and tribulations (lighting, No appetite, etc). But since JuJu is back to his normal babied "love me" self, we figured we finally introduce him: ).
From JuJus point of view.
>I'm spoiled and babied
>I like sunny car rides
>I dislike red cars
>I like to people watch from the second story window from our apartment
>I love to cuddle
>My grandma is making me a new security blankie that is a bug shaped pillow
> I am constantly referred to his Highness because I like to be up high and see my kingdom (mom and Dad joke that my name is Yertle )
> I prefer dubia roaches over crickets
> I don't like baths but mom can get me to swim
>I think I'm a guard dog
> I think I can fly
> I watch too much tv
> I like real people movies instead of animated ones

"Momma..I know there's greens in my bowl...but food" face.


Poor baby . He's shedding and looks like hes wearing a skin cone of shame


Starting to shed after a bath.


Such a handsome boy! (just took this one 2/5/14)

 

[sue09]

Lovely little beardie,hope he goes from strength to strength.

 

[swiLLest]

Very nice beardie!

 

[JuJuB]

Thank you all: )

 

[sweetiepie9]

Welcome to our site, JuJu is a beautiful beardie! I was so pleased to read that you'd done your research & got all the right lights for him, especially the UVB, will help him grow. Where did you get him, just out of curiosity, did you get a birth date for him? All of mine are rescues, so they all have approximate birthdays.

I'd really get rid of the sand. I've been raising rescued beardies (I have 5 males and 1 female, all adults from 3 yrs old to almost 11 yrs old) and I've used newspapers for all those years. Solid substrate is much healthier for beardies, as they lick all the time to figure out their environment and licking sand can cause impaction, meaning they sand can turn like cement in their tummies and makes them very sick. So please switch it out to any solid substrate as soon as you can. I've seen a lot of beardies suffer from impaction.

So he went through relocation stress? Glad he's eating for you now, he'll gain good weight soon if he's eating dubia. I have a great dubia colony and mine eat them all the time. They're a really good food for beardies.

Is he eating greens for you. Love the look at the food dish, so funny "You want me to eat that? those are dubia!" :lol:

Beardies are so much fun and it sounds like he's got all his favourite things. Mine all like watching TV, too, I always have the TV on cartoons for them. I'll have to see how they like "real people" movies :mrgreen:

I've always felt that a beardie snuggle is the best thing in the world

 

[JuJuB]

Thank you for the warm welcome Sweetiepie: ).

JuJu was a bit of the spur of the moment present to my husband. He had always wanted one as a kid just never really went after it as much more than a want. We were meandering around our local Petsmart when my husband stopped to look at the reptiles. He and Ju picked each other from the start. He asked "do you mind if we had a reptile"? I said "No, not really". Though obviously I didn't know a lick about them. I said we'll look intoit next week yea? So we walked around various shops for a bit, I could tell my husband was disheartened, he really had his mind set on Ju bug. So I asked "do you want a Beardy "? I thought I was going to slip and fall at the rate he took of practically splitting towards Petsmart; and that's how JuJu came to our family: ). We didn't have an official hatch date for him but we do know it was sometime in Sept. So we added our birthdays together (04+13= 17) and decided Ju's birthday to be 09/17/13. However we thought he was a she for the longest time lol.

The sand was not our first choice, believe me. I was the one who was most apprehensive. We had read the horror stories, cringed at the results and so on. But Ju had been having some trouble and gotten his claws stuck a few times in his repti-mat. I told my husband no, absolutely not, especially with Ju's oral curiousity of the world. We switched him over to sand anyways, and we used a trial portion. Surprisingly to date...it is one thing he doesn't taste (we spent two weekends watching him all day). Immediately it seemed to perk up his attitude. Now he'll hope down from his branch kingdom to bury his toes in the sand. Yup he actually flexes his toes until they are buried, and will bask there for a time. Then! His royal Highness is back to his branches to survey his kingdom and his subjects (us lol).

He does actually love his greens. Collard and mustard in particular! The only time he abandons his bowl is when he suspects he sees even the slightest him of his Dubi keeper. After that...it's on! He'll press himself to the glass and just wait patiently for them! He'll look at me and my husband like "I know I saw it! The tasty's hide in there! GIVES "! He smart to say the least. However we wouldn't be where we are with him without the very helpful suggestions (and patience ) of users Taterbug (for suggesting we try Collard greens) and Shrimpy12 (for suggesting we try Dubia )! He was having spells where he wouldn't eat, and it deeply concerned us. We received those suggestions in our posts and Viola....like magic. It as if those two things were the magic starter potion for him! Now he eats with gusto, he's a whopping 53 g and we couldn't be happier! We are immensely thankful to both users for their knowledge and patience with us as newbies.

Lol he loves loves loves movies! I should've said live action instead, I must've had a brain fart on the word lol. He absolutely loved Last Vegas. He would glare at me any time I walked in .front of me and interrupted his movie watching. He will occasionally watch cartoons, but they don't hold his interest very long. The first time we had ever seen him watch tv was the best. We had been watching the Life Series and reptiles was on. There was a 5 minute segment on the horned lizard (they look similar ) and how it defends itself (much like beardies ). This female horned lizard swelled up and "played dead" with a snake who thought she was dinner. For some reason JuJu got all into it. He was running around his cage like a mad man! Except he wasn't showing signs of aggression, anger or agitation. We think he thought he was trying to be a hero and save the day lol.

He is a big cuddle bug for sure. He likes to be in hoodies, hoods (where he'll sleep on your neck), my electric micro fiber blanket (he'll actually go from my husband to me if it's on), just about anywhere he can inconvenience you but stay warm and survey everything. Lol he earned his title of his royal Highness quickly.

That's amazing that you're one of the many rescuee parents here: ). Honestly any rescued companion makes the best family member: ) (whether they're Beardy, cat, dog, horse, etc).
Thank you again for the warm welcome: ) from JD, LC and JuJu.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Thanks for telling me about JuJu, he sounds like my Gabriel, interested in everything.

The reason I mentioned the sand is that it is a risk, but if he likes it, then so be it. But you might want to switch to newspaper, like I did. I enjoy it a lot as it warms under the lights and they can dig into it & shred it if they want. (I have 3 beardies out of the 6 I own that love to shred their newspaper!) It's cleaner and no problem with impaction. The main reason I don't like sand is that when they poop, there is liquid with the poop and no matter how hard you try, you can't get all of it out. The liquid causes bacteria, that can lead to parasites in JuJu, that's the main reason why I switched. It helps that I get the papers for free, too, and I set them aside for a couple of weeks before I use them in the tanks. Such easy clean up, too.

My dragons mostly poop in their baths, taught them that early on, but if I miss a bath, then easy clean up, which is best for me, as I'm a widow and work full-time. so anything that makes my beardie life easier is tops in my book.

If you want to check out my dragons, here is my thread, just check out the last few pages for pics of each, as my thread has been going since I got Leo in 2010 and is over 300 pages long :lol:
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=123266&start=5070

I'm glad JuJu is giving you so much joy, they are very special reptiles and just glow when they're so well taken care of.

More pics, please!

 

[JuJuB]

Fair enough, kind of like the bacteria cats get from litter boxes. Makes sense. My hubby and I will have a conversation on it, though I don't think he'll change his mind on this one. Men lol.

Yea! I can understand quick and efficient. I looked at your dragons sooooooooo beautiful, all of them! I like the bell collar you made for Issy. If I may ask, how did you do it? It'd be nice to know where Ju. Is when he's around the house lol. And Yes many more pics to come: )


We're getting so big!


Clearly whatever is on tv is interesting to them both


Yay for another recent pic (2/10/14 JuJu is 11.6in ). I apparently interrupted nap time

 

[Taterbug]

Juju is adorable and you speak so affectionately of him, he has clearly found a great home. It's awesome to hear that he is eating well and full if energy!

I've never seen such a clean tank with sand in it, it looks like a zen garden.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Awww, those are great pictures! Thanks for checking up on my boys & girl, they're so dear to my heart & I'd be lost without them JuJu has found a wonderful home with you, he sure is growing quickly!

I got that ribbon & bell from a chocolate bunny that my mom gave me years ago. I still have 4 of them, if you're interested I can mail them to you. I never use them at all anymore because I have the living room completely blocked off. So let me know, just PM me anytime.

Thanks for sharing your pictures, JuJu is just adorable

 

[JuJuB]

Taterbug- we do owe you a big thanks for the collard greens suggestion: ), it's helped so much and he loves them! As soon as the bowl down he runs for them, or will snatch a piece from my fingers. Thank you, I'm really OCD about it. I turn over the sand every day, sift through it, etc.

Sweetiepie - I know how that goes, Ju is out baby since we don't have any kiddos (yet)! He is growin pretty quick, everybody thats met him is shocked a week later to see he's gained weight or lengthened a bit. He and my husband are adorable together! JuJu get excited when he can hear my husband on the phone and he'll wait by the side of his tank for hubby to come home. That's actually very clever! You would be our hero if you are willing to part with one: )

This isn't a pic of JuJu but I took it in Petsmart and other was too cute not to share! It's the ahhhh relaxation face.

 

[sweetiepie9]

PM me your address and I'll send you one. They're just so cute but I haven't used them since I took those pictures back in 2010! In fact I'd forgotten that I had them, you can have them all if you want. You just tie them up behind his neck. I'll have to see if anyone else wants the other 3 but 1 has your name on it!

That picture is very cute, looks like he's enjoying that bath!

You just keep spoiling your JuJu and isn't that cute that he can recognize your husband's voice & waits for him, beardies are just so lovable!

 

[JuJuB]

One will do just fine, Thank you immensely: ). They are indeed! It's funny, you wouldn't think something that's covered in scales would be so loving. Well I know I didn't, at least jot before owning one. Lol Ju is hanging out in the window enjoying the sun as we speak. Of course his royal Highness needed a little step stool so he could see further, silly little thing: ).

 

[sweetiepie9]

You're going to enjoy him for a long time. My Lonzo will be 11 yrs old in April & he still likes his cuddles! Gabriel, who's 3, is running around the living room, he thinks it's spring! Silly goose. Rubio, who 5 and Leo who's 6 are brumating, Didi, who's 5 or 6, not sure, is staring at me, he just woke up after a week of sleeping. And Puff, who's 6, isn't laying any more eggs at this point, not sure if she will continue or not. So they keep me on my toes, that's for sure. :lol:

 

[JuJuB]

Wow, going on 11?!? Very nice! Lol he's still a Mommas dragon then? Cute! Haha I'm sure Gabriel is like "mom! Moooooom it's spring!!" I'm sure DiDi is think what did I miss? Will Rubio and Leo burmate until spring or summer? Were you looking to breed Puff or it it just one of those little quirks, that she lays eggs? Ju is all hyper now from being in the sun, he did not want to go back to his viv. Now he's looking at me and running back and forth like "I still see the sun! Lemme out woman"!

Oh I bet, but that's the fun part right? Can never have just one beardie: ). When JuJu is over being babied (we figured around a year or so) and we have a bigger place (to house two larger vivs) we were thinking of getting our little bug a friend. JD wants a female but I've seen a lot of pretty males also. We'll have to do like we did with JuJu, let him/her pick us: )