Nathaniel, Cierra, Castiel, Freya, Grrl; RIP GABRIEL

We never expected to get another dragon, but our neighbours next door wanted to give away Cleo, as he was called. We'd babysat him before, he's such a sweetheart. We nicknamed him Velcro because when he snuggles he never wants to go back to his viv, he hangs on as if he's made out of velcro.

So here he is. Today was his first day with us. He ate 13 supers and ate some squash, not bad for the first day he was here. He's only in a 30 gallon tank, which will be ok for now. He's 18" long but weighs only 200g. We figure he's probably 2 yrs old. Our neighbours rescued him last fall, they found him and a female (which they named Puff) on Craig's list. They were in a 30 gallon dirty tank, with sand and a huge log that took up 1/2 the space in the tank. Leo was at the bottom, he was sooooo skinny. He's gained weight, but never got the attention he deserved. I took some pics today, but will take more tomorrow. I think he remembers our place as didn't get stressed as I expected. No stress marks at all. When we let him run around the living room, he noticed our girls and immediate black beard, so his hormones are working!

He had a bath this morning, had a big poop, no smell, so not worried about parasites.

So here are a few pics, he's a yellow & dark gray, light gray colour.

Under the communal power sun in the living room:

Discovering there are girls in those tanks up above, he has a great black beard for such a skinny boy:

On the couch, he's got a pretty diamond pattern on his back:

Hope you enjoy
Deb and my six dragons :shock: :shock: :shock: :love5:

 

[SHBailey]

The social security system in this country is pretty complicated, but I'm keeping an eye on it too. I will also be eligible to apply for benefits in 2 years, but if my husband can keep his job and manage to keep his career from getting derailed again, I'll be better off to wait as long as possible, because as you say, the monthly amount goes up the longer you wait. My husband is 10 years younger than me and hopes to keep working for as long as possible, but lately he has been thinking seriously about whether or not he's ever going to be able to afford to retire so that we can enjoy whatever is left of our so-called "golden years" together, and we've been having some discussions about it. He loves his current job, but he works for a non-profit and they can't afford to pay him what he's worth. They have a retirement plan, but in my opinion, it's not worth investing in, and I told him we're better off just trying to save as much of his take-home pay as possible and investing it ourselves. I often tell him that there's nothing glamorous about growing old together, but I suppose we should be grateful that we're both still alive, at least so far, and still in love too, although I often marvel that he's put up with me for 18 years and hasn't gotten sick of me yet. I realize that many couples aren't so lucky.

I'm still tempted to envy Imp for his fast metabolism, but lately I've been learning that being too thin can actually be just as life and health threatening as being too fat, if not more so, and I guess that if I have to be at one extreme or the other, maybe this is the lesser of the evils. :roll: Either way, I suppose the bottom line is that both bearded dragons and people come in all shapes and sizes and as long as they're healthy otherwise, maybe we shouldn't worry to much about weather or not they fit neatly into the middle of the "bell curve" in terms of size and shape.

Your grandkids are cute and it looks like they had fun -- that looks like a nice beach too. We have a few parks with play stuff around like that in Anchorage, but most of our "beaches" are mud flats and not safe places for children to play. We still have lots of bike trails and "green belt" to make up for it though, even though "urban sprawl" is encroaching on some of it -- some people complain that it's turning into "North Seattle". :wink:

 

[beardie parents]

I haven't been on here for awhile, to busy with other things, then facebook addiction.
We just got back late yesterday from a week trip up to northern AZ - Pason for a viewing trip with our truck and quads. We had booked a hotel in a small town about 29 miles south of Pason. The Hotel was o.k., we had a kitchenette so we didn't have to eat out all the time. It was a bit much of a drive to Pason and back every day. We had fun. Lil Squirt never has been away from our home for more than one day and she seemed to be suffering from a bit of relocation stress, wondering why she was in this room she never was in before We took both girls with us, Rosie slept the whole time, except for the trip up and back. We figured she would sleep and could have left her home but you never know with her when she will wake up and we didn't want her waking up and coming out of her hide wondering where we were and why her lights weren't on. We have been wanting to go up there for quite a while and finally, due to a 30 year bonus from the company I work with. I'm glad all your scaly babies are doing well. Brumation is here, bummer.

 

[SHBailey]

Our beardie doesn't travel well either. The last time we took him on a long trip was about 3 years ago on a visit to his human "grandfather" in Homer about 200 miles south of here. We stayed for about 5 days and he did NOT like staying in a smaller tank than the one he has at home, and he did NOT like taking a bath in an unfamiliar sink, and he tended to cling to me whenever I tried to put him down, probably because I was the only thing that was familiar, and he jumped whenever someone made a noise etc etc etc. (At home I can talk a blue streak at my husband while he's falling asleep on me and the only thing that wakes him up is if something makes me laugh so that I bounce him around.)

Since then we have not done any long trips away from home, just a couple of overnight ones, and we've left him in his familiar tank with half the heat lamps off for one night, and that seems to be less stressful for him, although I wouldn't risk leaving him alone for any longer than that. But they're all different, and I've heard that some people manage to travel with their beardies and they tolerate it fairly well (both the beardies and the people, that is :wink: ).

 

[sweetiepie9]

Mine travel well locally, as long as I'm wearing a coat I can hide them in. They like to be on me when I drive, nowhere else in the car. Previous dragons would LOVE to hang out on the dash where they could see everything outside, but not my current crew. So they visit the pet shop sometimes, one at a time. They think their safe outdoors is my balcony, they freak outside, sky is too big, so that's where they spend their outside time, one at a time.

 

[SHBailey]

That's how Puff came home from the rescue where we got him 4+ years ago -- under my coat. Fortunately, my husband was doing the driving, so I didn't have to worry about juggling the steering wheel with one hand and the beardie with the other. They talked me into it because the carrier we had for him at the time would have been too cold for the early spring in Alaska. He did ok, especially considering that I was a total stranger to him back then. Nowadays we use a cooler with small holes drilled in the lid for air -- add a hot water bottle and some towels and it becomes a "warmer". But I think he still prefers to be under a coat snuggled up to a warm mammalian body whenever it's feasible -- it seems to calm him down and put him to sleep. We often use the same method to keep him out of mischief when we're cleaning out his tank if we're both home -- one of us covers him up with our clothes and cuddles him while the other one takes care of the stuff in the tank.

We have so few days that are warm enough to take him outside that he's just not used to it -- like you say, the sky is too big, and too many things going on -- sensory overload, perhaps, compared to the relatively quiet, controlled, and familiar environment indoors. Same thing with looking out the car window and seeing everything whizzing by -- he tends to get freaked out and turns all black. Just not into traveling. No sense of adventure -- alot like me, really. :wink:

 

[sweetiepie9]

I'm the same, but living in an apartment with a big balcony, is their outside world and they love it, they sit on the big chair in the sun, then jump down and explore and try to find a place to hide that I won't find. A few have spent most of the night out there until I got my flashlight and found them. It's amazing the places they find on the balcony to hide LOL

Mine are always in a coat or sweater when I take them out, even though I do have a gym bag with a shoebox in it for them, plus lots of blankets, but they hate it. I've been very lucky that I haven't had to take anyone in for over a year, being as sick as I was, had no $ anyway because of helping my son and grandkids. My vet even called to find out if all was well. I do have to take Cierra in for an xray asap, but it will probably by November before I can do that. She's brumating but she and the two boys, Nathaniel and Castiel who are also asleep, will get woken up on Sunday for their biweekly baths. I'm going to keep Cierra up and feed her pumpkin until she poops, I'll just turn her hide upside down, so she can still get into it but her lights will be on. I know there's a poop in there that has to come out, but that means work for me, pumpkin, hot baths and belly massages. I've never met a beardie so reluctant to poop, that's why the vet soon.

 

[SHBailey]

It sounds like you must have your balcony nicely "beardie proofed" so that they can't fall off, get hurt, or run off somewhere.

Believe it or not, lots of people around here build "sun decks" onto their houses for going out and enjoying all the extra sunlight in the summer, but many of them would have to be extensively modified in order to be safe for beardies or other small animals.

I guess you figured out that Cierra wasn't full of eggs a while back, and it's good that you're not letting her go completely to sleep unless she's emptied her digestive tract, because I understand that can make them pretty sick. Hopefully she doesn't have anything seriously wrong -- some beardies just seem to process everything slower. You've apparently got the two extremes between Cierra and Imp.

 

[sweetiepie9]

Yes, my hubby found cardboard covered in blue plastic, the dragons can't climb it, so I have still over 2' tall pieces all around the balcony, so they can't get off, but there are still lots of places to hide, because my balcony is a mess. I've asked my son to help me clear it off but in the spring, not now that the weather is turning.

Yes, Cierra has always been a reluctant pooper, especially once she started to lay eggs. This year, when she woke up in Feb, she wouldn't poop on her own at all. I've been stuffing her full of pumpkin every 2 weeks since Feb. So I'm used to her not wanting to poop (which I don't get), just like I'm used to Imp, every day or two. So she'll continue to get pumpkin and hotter baths and massages until she gives it up, then she can sleep. I had to turn her hide upside down so she can't use it to sleep and her lights are going on every morning. I'll be so glad when that is over and she's to the vet as soon as I have the $.

 

[SHBailey]

I've got to wonder if some beardies are like humans in that their digestive tract slows down when they get older, or as some anonymous elderly human once said, "These days I look forward to a dull evening, and my 'wild oats' are mostly enjoyed with prunes and All-bran." :wink:

How old is Cierra now? Maybe she's just going to need a little extra help with the pumpkin and warm baths and belly massages. Hopefully the vet won't find anything seriously wrong with her whenever you're able to get her in for a checkup.

Puff used to poop almost every day when we first got him (the guess was that he was about a year old), but as he got older the interval between poops gradually lengthened. Nowadays I don't start to worry unless it's been more than 2 weeks. We've had him for 4 years, and we've cancelled a number of tentative vet appointments with "Never mind. We got a poop." :mrgreen:

 

[sweetiepie9]

Cierra will be 4 in December, but she's always been like this. I know she needs an xray and fecal to see what's going on with her digestive tract, she just won't poop without 3 days of pumpkin and hotter than average baths, with lots of massaging. So I'll see if I can get her to poop today, that's my goal.

Every year it's more difficult for her to poop and she eats alot, so when she does let go, fills the sink. I should be able to get her in in November, I hope.

 

[beardie parents]

We just got back late yesterday evening from our second trip to Payson, AZ. This is a really beautiful area with large mountains, amazing rock formations, pretty wild flowers and many acres of pine trees! When I can, I will try to post pictures on my thread. Lil Squirt handled this trip very well. She's used to being taken with us when we go riding our quads (or as we have to do now, my husband rides and I stay at the truck with her, we take a chair with us so I can sit with her, she gets real sun, then she goes home every evening. I noticed the other posts and tried to post a response on my tablet but it wouldn't let me post it. I'm guessing the internet was to over logged at that time. The first trip, Rosie slept all the time, except for the trip up and the trip back. This trip was the same for Rosie, we woke her up to go up to Payson, AZ then woke her up to come home. Lil Squirt has never been on a trip where we stayed away for several days. Years ago we took Rosie on a camping trip (unfortunately we can't do that anymore - too much problems with my hips - long story) We took Goldie and Rosie with us on the last camping trip we went on and even then it was difficult for me to get up and down from the ground. Anyway, Lil Squirt has never been camping with us. She was less confused this last trip because we were with her and we came home after the last trip so she knew we would come home this trip. She was able to get real sun while I was sitting in the truck waiting for my husband to get back from riding one of our quads. As most of you all know, our beardies really like shoulder time. Lil Squirt is the only beardie we've had that seems to require shoulder time 24/7. Our girls travel very well as we take both of them with us every time we are able to, we have even taken them to church several times, mostly to rave reviews.

 

[sweetiepie9]

You're so lucky that you can travel with your girls. Mine are so used to being on a balcony to be in the sun, that when I tried to let them outside on a leash, they freaked, they were so out of their element. So they came home and get on the balcony when it's sunny. Mind you, I have taken them all to the pet shop, so they've been that far at least and were fine with it. I do envy you, though!

 

[sweetiepie9]

So I got some recent pictures of Imp to show you. First last winter pictures, then the most recent.
This was taken in Feb:

This was taken last week:

Now to maintain the weight because Imp is becoming sleepier and sleepier. So is Gabriel. I still want them up every day as they eat often and both need the protein and greens. So can't let them truly brumate. I let them both sleep yesterday but they were both awake today. Slow and lazy, though. They're the only two up, Cierra FINALLY pooped, took her almost a week after I woke her up, I knew she had a last poop, the urate was more than 1 1/2 " long! Now she's empty so she can sleep. So that's her, Nathaniel and Castiel that are fast sleep. I get them up every 2 weeks for a long soak, snuggles, some UVB an back into their hides. I've tried other ways to keep them hydrated but this seems to work best. Plus, if they still have something in their digestive system, they'll poop it out in the bath, so that's also a plus. Plus they're covered up and their lights are off, even though they're still in the living room and Imp and Gabriel are out and about every morning.

Oh and Gabriel 2 weeks ago while wandering the living room and balcony in bright warm sunshine. Guess he wanted to stretch his legs :mrgreen: I'm glad he's here to still do these sorts of things, as he loves to stand and always has.

 

[MufasasMomMakayla]

Imp is looking great Deb! So glad Cierra went for you. And that pic of Gabriel is adorable, glad he is still moving around and enjoying himself.

 

[SHBailey]

Agreed that you're lucky your beardies are such good little travelers, Beardie Parents. I'm in much the same situation as you when it comes to camping out -- my husband and I used to do it much more often when we first got married 18 years ago, but it's not so easy for me anymore.

The church I used to go to had a "Blessing of the Animals" day in early October (St. Francis day), and I once took our snake, but never tried it with the beardie because I was afraid he'd get too upset. The snake spent almost the whole service hiding under my shirt where he felt relatively safe. All the kids wanted to touch him and he was a little overwhelmed. I had half the parents in the congregation mad at me because then all their kids wanted a snake. :wink:

Your beardies all look good, Deb. Glad to hear you finally got a giant belated poop from Cierra, and glad to see Gabriel and Imp are still doing well.

I've been trying to follow your advice and give Puff some protein snacks in the middle of the week, even if it's just some Repashy Grub Pie. He goes totally nuts for Repashy Grub Pie. "Daddy" fed him a huge meal last Saturday and we are all out of crickets and roaches now, so I'm hoping the store will have them in stock tomorrow (they supposedly get their shipments on Fridays), otherwise we're going to have to make do with the last of the Phoenix worms and Repashy Grub Pie this weekend. Puff doesn't seem to be too crazy about Phoenix worms, but we're not sure if he doesn't like the taste of them or if they're just too small of a target and he gets discouraged because he keeps missing them. But if we let him make a meal out of Repashy Grub Pie because we don't have anything else, he'll probably think that Mommy and Daddy are letting him have "candy" for dinner. :mrgreen: