athenae":262b2 said:
i'm really, really curious about this -- 3 to 4 baths a week sounds excessive to me -- after all, they're desert creatures [not rainforest] -- if they need that much
bathing to
hydrate and shed, how do they survive in the wilds of the Australian outback? -- has selective captive breeding [intentionally or unintentionally] deprived them of some natural traits related to these aspects of life as a lizard? i used to have a kingsnake who always had a water dish in her viv -- she'd drink from it when
thirsty, but didn't need me to force her to
bathe before shedding -- i'd find her entirely curled up in the water voluntarily soaking herself, and i'd know that she was about to shed -- i really don't think she ought to be smarter about her own needs [with her pea-size brain] than the average bearded dragon.
Hi Athena,
You obviously have a different take on baths, great. I'm glad it has worked out so well for your dragon. You've probably already found here at bd.org that while there is certainly ample room for healthy and respectful debate, there is also a certain "consensus" of care advice given, thanks to the many caring and experienced people here on the forum. This was something I sincerely appreciated early on, as I found so much conflicting advice on the web, in books and by people in pet stores, who spoke with utmost authority. I myself, am still new to the game (about 9 months in), however tend to base my advice on the advice
I've received right here on the boards from those caring and experienced people I mentioned above. Our dragon struggled early on due to poor advice given by the pet store, and the help I received on this board saved her life. I'm most grateful for this, and feel confident about passing this advice along.
As to captive beardies vs. wild beardies, I think it is important to point out that bearded dragons in the wild have an average life span of 3 years. Now, of course this is likely mainly due to predation, but I don't think it's out of the question to believe that food and water availability may also play a part.
As to 3 - 4 baths a week, this is relatively common advice given (give or take a
bath) for people with young beardies; babies and juveniles. The reason being that young beardies are under higher heat and have less fat stores than adults, and therefore lose water at a more rapid pace. Babies and juvies also take in large amounts of live feeders, and so regular
bathing can also aid the digestive process. Additionally, many young dragons are not yet interested in veggies and fruits, and while they do get some water from live feeders, it's the veggies and fruits that offer them a more consistent water source.
Perhaps 3 - 4 is more than needed. Under ideal conditions, perhaps I'd be willing to concede to a "minimum of 2 a week" let's say, but I still feel that for a young dragon, frequency can be helpful for all the reasons I've listed above, and something I've kept in mind from participating here on the boards, is that frequency early on can help a dragon become accustomed to the routine of
bathing, and in the long run help a dragon to feel more comfortable in the water. Not true in every case I'm sure, but in ours, true enough. :dontknow:
As to keeping water in the enclosure, this can be a good thing
if beardie partakes, but this is not so for all beardies, an entirely normal occurrence. In addition, for many (myself included) having water in the tank tends to drive up humidity too high, and so isn't always an option... especially right now...
we're having a heatwave, and I'm melting as I write this, lol. :?
As to the stress factor, I haven't done the research. However, I believe anyone going to
bathe a beardie who is not comfortable with the process, is as kind and careful and gentle as they can be with their pet, and do whatever is necessary in making the
bathing experience as calm as possible. Our girl for example, is rather unpredictable. Early on, she would go in rather readily and then for a spell, she was less amenable. But we did persist, learned a few things (which I listed in my above post) that helped her stay calm. Usually, she goes in rather happily but on some days, she less than enthused. Almost always, she calms within a minute or less and anymore takes to the water like a swimming machine... loves the swimming! If I hadn't persisted, I wouldn't now know just how much she likes to swim, and given her ever growing size, I think the exercise is probably pretty important to her health as well. She isn't much into exercise outside the tub. :wink:
I hope this helps in some way to explain the advice I gave the OP. You are most certainly entitled to your own opinion and of course, you have the experience of a long lived, healthy beardie to show for it.
I also stand by the advice I gave.
The best,
Em
