Moose Is Here! ( update 8/19)

[BotanicalStig]

Weight= 93 grams, length= unknown... need a new measuring device :?

I haven't seen him get grumpy yet, but I can tell it annoys him. His legs started to peel today, he's been taking breaks from scratching and running around all day to bask and eat :lol: he hasn't gotten it all off yet. His lights were set to go off a few minutes ago but I decided to turn the timer off because he is determined to get it off before bed time. He usually curls up and under his log 60-30 minutes before lights off, tonight, he is up scratching himself :lol:

Anyway, as promised, bunch of new pictures... Believe it or not, these still don't do his colors justice...

 

[Tonja]

wow I love Moose's colors, what a beautiful dragon you have. Love his little face, all happy and smiley!

 

[mudskipper]

I just finished reading the whole thread and enjoyed every second of it. Moose is very handsome! He looks more and more like his daddy everyday.

 

[BotanicalStig]

Thanks guys

I've got a great story today, but it deserved its own thread...: http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=176475

 

[sweetiepie9]

Caught! What a funny video, wonder what possessed him to poop on his log off his schedule, just to get your goat? Moose is just too funny, loved the jump, guess he thought he was invincible & could get throught the glass! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[BotanicalStig]

He's pooped off schedule twice now He used to poo twice every day, but it's been weeks since he started his morning only schedule lol. The jump was the best part :lol:

Moosie growth day was yesterday: *drumroll* 103 grams and... pretty long! Too long for my ruler, should have thought about that before I bought a new ruler, whoops.

His back is turning white as of yesterday, can't wait till he sheds and I get to show off his colors!

 

[sweetiepie9]

I really hate to tell you this but beardies don't believe in schedules. I have on 1 out of 5 that will poop in the bath in the am, like clockwork, but he's the only one. The others can be any time during the day. So you were lucky he pooped as often on schedule as he did, he's going to change as gets older, too. Putting papertowel on his log at ALL times will be the solution to that problem!

I'm glad he's doing so well, I just so loved that video, especially that big jump! That was just too funny :lol:

 

[BotanicalStig]

Been a while since I updated this, mainly because I was waiting on sir Mooselot to shed his back/belly to get some fresh pictures... Well he shed yesterday (yeah, took a while huh) and I got a few pictures to share. Nothing spectacular, I tried to get his colors the best I can, but it's not the easiest thing in the world.

I also may as well mention his pooping habits haven't changed. I've gotten him to go in the bath a few times, but usually he will hold it until I put him back in his tank ( he's had 20 minute long baths... I can't keep him there all day). The towel thing works, it's not perfect, but it works. His adult tank is going to need a different type of basking structure. I knew wood would be bad if he pooped on it, I just didn't think he would poop on it every single day .

After a few weeks of offering silkworms, he will now eat them without me begging... Which is awesome since they're so good for him. I still give him horns, and I've added supers to his diet too.

Last night, he did something weird... The lights went off and he started to dig on the vinyl under his basking log. I went to put him in his blanket so he could burrow and he got mad. He jolted at my hand, gaped and hissed. Totally out of character for him, it isn't that I caught him off guard, he saw me and heard me while I was going to him up... made me feel awful.

He did something else today that was bizarre. I didn't see it myself, but my fiancé saw it when I left the room. It sounded like he did a full blown head bobbing display :shock: He's not even 5 months old- is that possible? She said he was bobbing his head pretty quickly- his beard was dark when I came back in too. Not a full black beard, but some of it was black. Not sure what to think :?

Anyway, pictures

July 10th

Today

First "sexy leg"

Um, Moose?

How's life under the paper towel? Is it nice in there?

Well that's it for now- I've gotta get him out of the towel so I can give him his dinner! :lol:

 

[OwnedByOola]

Oh my gosh, Moose is growing up fast! He looks so much older in his recent photos. I'm sorry he's still giving you grief with his pooping habits, but... he's worth it, right?

I've never had a male so I have no clue when they start head bobbing, but it sure sounds to me like he may be feeling his hormones. About the late-night hissing/gaping thing, I wouldn't take it too personally. There have been a few instances where Oola freaked out about something. She hates seeing birds outside, for example. She has scared me to death by gaping and hissing at ME after these things freak her out. It's like they become possessed with fear. Who knows what got Moose riled up... Maybe it was the hormones again.

 

[BotanicalStig]

Oh of course he is! I just need an awesome non porous basking spot. Anyone know of any awesome plastic basking logs? 8)

Moose is not a fan of flying objects in the sky either. He's never been outside, or near a window. But if he see's the ceiling fan change speed he gets the heck outa sight FAST. He's fine with it moving, as long as it doesn't speed up or slow down. In other words- I have to cover his tank to turn my fan on or off during the day time. Even then, what I'd imagine is his worst instinctual fear, he would never gape or show aggression. I felt so bad last night, I was nervous to pick him up today but he was a total sweetheart as usual. I hope it was just a, "Dad, leave me alone! I'm TRYING to sleep!" reaction... I guess.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Welcome to having a male juvie! He sounds so much like my Rubio, who's now 4 years old, but when he was 5 months old he discovered that he had a beard & that he could make it turn black, puff it out & he could bob his head, too, and foot stamp all at the same time! When he first discovered his black beard, he actually went cross eyed one day to check it out & fell off his log, well you've never seen a beardie right himself so fast, looking around to make sure no-one saw him fall. So funny. Now that he's discovered the big secret about being a male, expect him to black beared & bob just about everything. I have lots of black beards going on in my house at any given time, having 5 adult males. It's so fun to watch!

As for the pooping, Rubio, to this day, has pooped in water once. I could leave him in water for hours but he will hold it & poop in his tank, on the living room carpet, or if the balcony is available, he'll poop out there (easier to clean up than the carpet) and this has been going on since he was little. So guess they have a club going on!

Moose is growing so much! He's growing into his name, for sure. As for the hiss, something startled him or you did, either way, don't take it personally, it's just part of being a beardie.

You were asking about basking spots? I've always used resin basking spots, I have a few that are shaped to fit into a corner and they're hides as well. I'll see if I can fine a pic. Then I have a couple of platforms, with stairs on each side. I found them all at my local pet shop. They are the easiest to clean up, you just wash them off with disinfectant soap & hot water & they're clean. They don't absorb anything and the covering is stone. So they're heavy but never wear out and also hold in heat really well. So see if you can find something like that. I've been using them for 6 years and they've always worked well. They come in different sizes, too. I've also used bricks covered with a facecloth for Didi but he's never pooped on his basking spot, he always poops beside it on a cloth I have there for that reason. That just goes in the beardie wash.

Thanks for the pics, he's got such wonderful colour & I just love his belly & sexy legs!

 

[BotanicalStig]

I didn't think they started doing it until they got closer to a year in age. Rubio sounds like a real character, I haven't seen Moose bob his head yet, but he has been puffing his beard out here and there. He hasn't done a full black beard yet, he just likes to puff it out every now and then when he's basking... It's cute. Whenever he realizes I'm watching him he'll stop. He prefers to face the back of the viv while doing it lol.

I'll look into the resin basking rocks, I know I've seen them before but never gave them much thought. Thanks for the advice

 

[DJDragons]

Craving a Moose update!

 

[Animallover3]

I just read this whole thread and im already in love with Moose hes really growing into his name! He is a
BEAUTIFUL beardie I would love to have my first beardie be his color. I love all the pics, the videos are funny and awsome. Moose looks very happy. Keep up the good work!

 

[BotanicalStig]

Sorry I've been slacking on the updates. I'll see about getting some pictures up tonight, I took a real good one the other day. He was sitting on his log the way he used to, facing the front of the viv looking out over his kingdom... Should make a great size comparison shot- he's gotten so big. He's been going through a head/leg/tail shed for a while now (pretty sure he was starting to show some white color around the time of the last update :shock: ) He's been acting quite frustrated the last few days. He didn't even eat any live food yesterday, however, he didn't leave a single piece of his salad uneaten... It's interesting how much he loves salads, he always has, but recently he eyes it over like it's the most delicious prey item he's ever seen. When I dust it out side his viv, he will sometimes run to the glass and try to get at it. He still seems happy with the variety of feeders I give him, (horns, silks, small supers) but he just REALLY likes greens.

I'll do my best to get a video up later too, watching him run around trying to get his shed off is comical. I'm sure most beardies act similarly but I've never seen it on video. He just can't sit still for long, he'll bask for 10 minutes, run, jump,topple over his decor, make me pick up his decor, run some more and then return to bask. I feel bad for him- he's just uncomfortable in his own skin. Hopefully it won't take much longer.

Anyway, I'll get pictures tonight wether he's done shedding or not. I'll try to get a video but I can't promise anything. Till later,

Steven