My first reptile!

[shrambo]

I just got my first bearded dragon today! I'm not sure what to name him yet. He's a leatherback. He's 3 months old and nearly 10 inches long. I drove about 2 hours to get him and he has been great so far. He ate a few crickets. Not too many yet. And he pooped. So that's good. I think his basking spot may have been a little too hot at first though. I'm using a 100 watt basking bulb and have a log propped up about 8 inches or so below it. I put him on the log and he sat up there but then began opening his mouth. Apparently that's called gaping? And means he's too hot? So I moved the basking bulb over a little bit so that it wasn't shining directly over the highest point on the log. He seemed fine after that. He waved alot since I've had him. So I'm not sure what that's all about. He's also just began to shed. In the five hours I've had him he's already done a good amount of peeling. But he seems like a great lizard. So I'm happy. Any advice or tips about anything would be helpful. I'm still getting the hang of this. Obviously. Since I've only really had him for like 7 hours. So.. yea.

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Your baby is simply beautiful! Leatherbacks are so pretty. Make sure you have the Reptisun 10.0 tube bulb (pretty much the most important thing). Second most important thing is to not use sand/woodchips/etc and instead opt for a non edible substrate (tile, repticarpet, paper towels, etc)

Gaping is a form of temperature regulation. It may mean he's hot, or he could just be doing it to be more comfy. Generally he will move if he gets too steamy. X)

Arm waving is a form of submission. He's probably just getting the message out there that he doesn;t want to be eaten. :wink:

This forum can answer any question you have, so don;t be afraid to ask. We don't bite!

 

[shrambo]

Haha I already love this site. I got a reply so quickly! And my basking spot temperature was like 111ish degrees Fahrenheit. Was that fine? I was just worried about burning him lol. And he started peeling so quickly. So I was like "I'm burning all his skin off". But the breeder told me he was starting to shed. I got him from TND dragons in Philadelphia. I'm not sure how popular and well known it is. I think he's one of the top breeders on fauna classifieds though. But the breeder Tom was great. His dragons were all so healthy looking and had personality. So i liked it alot. And yes, reptisun 10.0 is the bulb i got. I also have the 100 watt basking bulb and a 90 watt normal bulb on the cool side. (it's on a dimmer). And I have a 40 gallon tank. And I'm using paper towels. When I turned off his lights I walked out of the room and when I came back he disappeared. I freaked out. But he was under the paper towels. I moved him inside a cave and he's sleeping there now. So i suppose all is well. I'm quite enjoying rambling on this website. It's fun lol.
Oh, and here's the "gaping".

 

[BeardieMommy3991]

Love it! (I'm up so late Xp and a beardie addict, so here I am)

That should do for a baby And yeah, they will shed CONSTANTLY for a good while, cause they grow so much XD

Hey! I know Tom! He was on one of my other beardie forums. He breeds beautiful dragons, and they are quality too!

 

[togburn]

Looks like you are off to a good start! Keep us updated with pics, etc.

 

[wilddanny88]

You're off to a good start! Most noobs on here always have the wrong setup and we have to correct them! *sighs* Tom is actually on this forum. TND is a very good breeder to buy from. Tom's username on here is TheWolfmanTom btw.