Need help with Bearded Dragons

[TheLizard]

Hi please don't slam me for this, and also thanks for your time.
I read bearded dragons are solitary and I fully agree but the petshop(the only one within a 5hour radius) to where I live that sells Bearded Dragons(also can't find any local Breeders)
Anyway the petshop I bought of only sells breeding couples, and will not separate I've tried reasoning with them but they would not separate, even though some of the supposed breeding couples according to the petshop hadn't been breeding for years. So I got a 4 year old Female and Male that were supposedly bought up together, and they said it would be cruel to separate them.
Anyway they don't attack each other, and the male unlike the female seems ancient both were malnourished and only had one light in the petshop I really feel I may of rescued them, I am using two heat lamps and a UVB tube ReptiGlo which I may change soon to ReptiSun as I heard that is best. Anyway my question my male just recently tried to attack me and my mum as we were trying to handfeed it, I leaned over it to look at the female sleeping in the cave, and mum was wearing black(if that counts) and the male Spike just went berserk, puffing his beard up with it going black and gaping his mouth. When I've seen him in the petshop he never even had the energy to do this but since a few days of bringing him home into a big vivarium he has got a bit more energy enough to start eating occasionally and just recently attack(though he did not actually run or walk toward us just signalled) he has puffed his beard out before when my dad was watching him through the glass but it never went black before. Finally he has gone back to sleep next to the female in the cave.
What we may of done(probably did) to upset him, woke him up 12:00 afternoon put him on a basking rock as he was originally in a very cool area(too cool) waited then moved him to feeding dish and tried handfeeding him, which he ignored as he often does when you try to hand feed him, then I leaned in a bit and he went berserk, so it was probably me but is this normal or is it because the females there?, should I take him back to the petshop I have a 7 day return policy, and since Wednesday (its now saturday) he has only eaten 4 crickets and 3 mealworms and I think he sneaked in a bit of banana too.

Should I bother them when they are sleeping to handle them, and I have been trying not to handle them too much only to move her away from him so he can eat, as he is a slow eater(takes his time before grabbing the food even if its in front of him and wiggling like a mealworm) and she tends to pinch it before he gets the chance, I really don't know what to do my book I bought does not cover his particular condition, I feel like I've been ripped by the petshop I only wanted one as I thought two was supposed to be too much but the female I liked came with him, I don't dislike him, I dislike the petshop as it seems they haven't really handled them properly either that or the male is unfriendly, I was told by someone on the web that they could be getting ready to hibernate, also what basking temp at night should I have it set or should I turn it off?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks for your time.

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Yeah idk why people insist on keeping beardies together. I would definitely take him back or get him his own tank maybe even sell him. But since you did only want one and were pretty much forced into taking him I'd take him back.

 

[TheLizard]

Hi. Yeah idk why people insist on keeping beardies together. I would definitely take him back or get him his own tank maybe even sell him. But since you did only want one and were pretty much forced into taking him I'd take him back.

Hi Thanks, Unfortunately my family like him and I've got used to him, also the male and female seem to get along and not sexually active atm. Trouble is really like the female, but petshop will only take both back not one, if you can offer any more advice at why he may of got angry he has'nt always been like that.

And I fully agree with you if If I had another enclosure or could fit one large enough for him I'd do that, but they do seem to like each other which is very wierd.

Please help.

 

[destiny1998]

Yeah they have a way of finding a way to the heart :love10: :love5: . It might be he's stressed from being in the new environment. Give him a few days try bonding. Like when they get ready to sleep before bed hold them and hopefully they'll get use to you soon. Just keep an eye on them if you see him over breeding with her or anyone of them being aggressive to the other then you definitely need to separate.

 

[TheLizard]

Yeah they have a way of finding a way to the heart :love10: :love5: . It might be he's stressed from being in the new environment. Give him a few days try bonding. Like when they get ready to sleep before bed hold them and hopefully they'll get use to you soon. Just keep an eye on them if you see him over breeding with her or anyone of them being aggressive to the other then you definitely need to separate.

Hey thanks, so far he's only attacked me not her, and she's fine towards me except when I have had to handle her she crawls over my back and does not want to sit still is that normal also could you answer some of the other questions I wrote on this post when you get a chance, I have till Tuesday to take them back.

This really means a lot to me, can I like your posts or do anything to show my appreciation?

 

[TheLizard]

The male has only eaten 4 crickets 2 mealworms since wensday and he sleeps all day most days and hides in caves I have in vivarium, once he was basking I shifted him and tried handfeeding and he almost attack blowing his beard up gaping mouth open and leaning forward.

What should I do, Is this normal?
Plus he looks really old and malnourished.
Please reply

 

[destiny1998]

He probably has relocation stress. Sometimes that can last a week or 2. As long as your enclosure has all the proper lights, temps etc...Then I wouldn't worry, you can also get a fecal done to see if he has parasites if his appetite doesn't improve in a week or 2. Can you post a picture of him?

 

[TheLizard]

He probably has relocation stress. Sometimes that can last a week or 2. As long as your enclosure has all the proper lights, temps etc...Then I wouldn't worry, you can also get a fecal done to see if he has parasites if his appetite doesn't improve in a week or 2. Can you post a picture of him?

Hi that's a good idea, but he's sleeping in a cave and you can only see his head and the pictures I have are too far away to give a good reading, can you wait till later today and I'll try and handle him and get a picture only thing is I don't want him to bite or run off, day after we got him which was wensday mum tryed putting him in the water bowl because I thought he might be dehydrated as he was not moving, he reacted by not puffing his beard or gaping his mouth but he's eyes went red and he ran to the other side of the vivarium and stood up on the wall. What can that mean apart from he hated it(we never tried it again) apart from that stupid act how do you know your annoying your dragon and is it okay to put of the basking lights at night or should I keep them on, and what temp should I keep the basking area at and the cooling area.

Thanks, will post picture soon. Do you want one of the female too?

 

[TheLizard]

Thanks for being so helpful and not slamming about having two beardies together, he looks really grumpy at the moment, she looks curious is it okay to stroke them on the top of head and under chin or does that annoy them and touching tail, stroking(not picking up tail or holding) does that annoy them ? Also again I just want to say how grateful I am I have posted to various forums with no replies but you have really saved my bacon

 

[SDragon]

You do need to split them up. At some point when they are doing better the male will make her life a misery. There is nothing cruel about removing one, I'm sorry you got such a rough deal from the pet shop. You may find he is calmer alone as well.

If you can stretch to two front opening vivariums these can stack, which takes care of the space issue allowing you to keep both. They can be built out of wood by someone with basic DIY skills.

There shouldn't be light at night, unless their viv gets below 65 then don't worry. Temperature wise you need it to be around 110 under the basking spot and 70 in the cool end ideally (if this goes up to 80 that's ok) measure this with an infa-red temperature gun. You need to make sure these are correct asap. As well as possible relocation stress, this could also cause loss of appetite. I woudl switch to either the reptisun or arcadia T5 desert tubes. If you do you should adjust D3 supplementation accordingly.

I wouldn't stroke on top of their heads as they are sensitive to what they perceive as an aerial threat. Keep your hands low so they can see them when you pet them. I would give them time to settle though before doing too much.

You are right to be concerned about hydration, rather than bathing a stressed dragon try dripping water onto their snouts (a syringe is quite an easy way of doing this).

 

[TheLizard]

You do need to split them up. At some point when they are doing better the male will make her life a misery. There is nothing cruel about removing one, I'm sorry you got such a rough deal from the pet shop. You may find he is calmer alone as well.

If you can stretch to two front opening vivariums these can stack, which takes care of the space issue allowing you to keep both. They can be built out of wood by someone with basic DIY skills.

There shouldn't be light at night, unless their viv gets below 65 then don't worry. Temperature wise you need it to be around 110 under the basking spot and 70 in the cool end ideally (if this goes up to 80 that's ok) measure this with an infa-red temperature gun. You need to make sure these are correct asap. As well as possible relocation stress, this could also cause loss of appetite. I woudl switch to either the reptisun or arcadia T5 desert tubes. If you do you should adjust D3 supplementation accordingly.

I wouldn't stroke on top of their heads as they are sensitive to what they perceive as an aerial threat. Keep your hands low so they can see them when you pet them. I would give them time to settle though before doing too much.

You are right to be concerned about hydration, rather than bathing a stressed dragon try dripping water onto their snouts (a syringe is quite an easy way of doing this).

I agree, I was annoyed with the petshop(still am) because the breeding pairs they sold were mainly all very dominating and head bobbing,etc plus they don't seem handled well, one had a calcium bump and the ones I got had some missing toes and top of tail, which the girl said happened when they were young, also she said she wouldn't split them up but I had to take the female out when feeding the male as she ate it all, obviously something's not right anyway unfortunately I don't have room any more vivariums not even a small one as the one I have takes all the room, unless I get dividers, but the truth is the male is always sleeping and always grumpy and has warned us to get away many a time, plus his very skinny(no fat) so might take him back and see if I can get my $150 back(they cost $300 together) I just want a dragon I can hold and stroke his back, she's pretty good though she won't stay in the same place and is a explorer when she is on me(is this normal) Also do you know where I can buy a good wire cage for my lizard to get them out into sunlight without birds being able to get them? Thanks very much and will split them up asap.
Please reply.

ps: what is the matter with ReptiGlo 10.0 UVB tubes?, are they bad or just not strong enough? Cheers

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. Is the uvb a tube? One of the mods on here said that the repti glo tube is fine. As for a cage I use a rabbit cage. My beardie ( female ) hates the outside , but likes it as long as she can be in the cage. She's too fat to squeeze out. Lol My male on the other hand loves it outside and hates the cage. So I sit outside with him while he sits and basks and explores. My other is just chill and likes it wherever she's put.

 

[TheLizard]

Hi. Is the uvb a tube? One of the mods on here said that the repti glo tube is fine. As for a cage I use a rabbit cage. My beardie ( female ) hates the outside , but likes it as long as she can be in the cage. She's too fat to squeeze out. Lol My male on the other hand loves it outside and hates the cage. So I sit outside with him while he sits and basks and explores. My other is just chill and likes it wherever she's put.

Hi the uvb is indeed a tube
Thanks for that info, I was wondering how would it compare to the ReptiSun?
Male just did poop in the water dish (Lovely ) but is still shy and could be grumpy.

 

[itsjayd]

This should help you out: http://werockscales.com/reptiles/bearded-dragons/

This site has all the info on caring for bearded dragons and there is also an FAQ section, also you can drop a comment in the comments box below the page you're on and someone will reply to you if the info isn't on there. Hope this helps

 

[kingofnobbys]

Keep them, 2 beardies not much more work than one , keep them in separate enclosures and never put them on the floor or anywhere together unless you want the deed to be done.

You'll find 2 beardies will have totally different personalities.