New All Around

[Kilana]

Hello everyone! I am a new dragon owner as well as new to this forum. I've been lurking around unregistered, reading lots of topics and doing research and now that I am officially a dragon owner I figured I might as well introduce myself, especially since I see myself needing advice in the future, haha..

Anyway, my new beardie just arrived yesterday and is almost 5 months old, 10 inches long. He's very calm and gentle and doesn't mind being held but also doesn't seem the most thrilled either -- though I imagine he'll feel better in due time. It's so hard not to want to handle him all the time though! He also hasn't eaten much, just a couple tiny pieces of strawberry that I managed to get him to eat from me, though I've read lack of appetite after relocation is also normal, so I'm not worried just yet.

His name is Enkou.

Everything else is going well, except I am having trouble getting the basking temp just right. I'm debating getting a ceramic heat emitter but I'm not sure if it's necessary. He's also been really dark today, even under his beard (though not totally black), so I'm not sure if I'm overreacting or if it's just part of his readjustment period.

Anyway, hi, happy to be here and happy to be a new beardie owner!

 

[Faustia13]

Your beardie is gorGEEous! I love the color.

also if it seems like the lighting is giving your trouble you can always try natural sun light, but I would wait until your beardie get more comfortable in his new home first before doing that.

I prefer natural sun light on warm days. I either but my beardie near the window screen or take her outside. She loves it and she doesn't really basks as long in the natural light just to get energy as she does from the artificial lighting.

I'm sure you'll love the time with your bearded dragon.

 

[Claudiusx]

Welcome!

-Brandon

 

[jacody]

He is gorgeous!! How long is he?/ My male Crixus is almost 6 months and @ 16.25" currently.. neat to see what others are @ around the same age.. have fun w/ him..

 

[Kilana]

Ah, thank you everyone!! Sorry for the late reply, been busy being a new mom (heehee) and busy with work and the like.

I bought a stronger bulb and have his basking temperatures a lot higher than they were when I first posted, and he's doing great! I also bought an infrared thermometer based on suggestions I read elsewhere on the forums, and that's helped me make sure his basking spots don't get too hot, since the temp probe tends to fall off of the basking spot from time to time. Anyway, I was worrying over nothing, hehe.

Enkou is about 10.5" long right now. He just finished shedding his back legs and tail, and already it looks like his head is getting ready to shed again! It's such an amazing journey being a new beardie owner. :mrgreen:

Edited, to add some other pictures (which are before the shed came off his tail/back legs)~

Hanging out on the log perch.

Poised, ready to spring into action, clearly.

Hugging the temperature probe!

And asleep in my hand, awww.

 

[jacody]

Looks like you're doing quite well.. your beardie is adorable.. have you gotten him/her to eat his greens yet? that, to me, was never easy, but it will suddenly take and their bowl will be empty every time you check.. Crixus now eats 2 medium sized salads everyday.. he eats the squash out of it and then eats the rest later for a snack.. funny, how in ways they're just like little kids.. spoiled little kids..

 

[zandi202]

Handsome boy! He is so very photogenic.

What temps are you at?

 

[Kilana]

Looks like you're doing quite well.. your beardie is adorable.. have you gotten him/her to eat his greens yet? that, to me, was never easy, but it will suddenly take and their bowl will be empty every time you check.. Crixus now eats 2 medium sized salads everyday.. he eats the squash out of it and then eats the rest later for a snack.. funny, how in ways they're just like little kids.. spoiled little kids..

Thanks! I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. And yeah, Enkou does eat his greens! At least mostly! He never eats his full bowl, but he at least takes a couple bites. Today he ate about half! I had a nice salad of collard greens, and finely chopped bell pepper and strawberries. After he at least made an effort, I fed him his crickets, hehe. But yeah, the strawberries are totally his favorite part, it seems he manages to somehow pick them out of the greens, sneaky little guy. :lol:

Handsome boy! He is so very photogenic.

What temps are you at?

Yeah, I love the pics he's letting me get! He seems to soak up the attention. As if he were saying, "yes, I'm beautiful, take all the pictures!"

I've got his basking spot between 95-110 in different parts of his fake log branch thing, the air temp on that side tends to be in the mid 80s or so. His cool side temp is in the mid 70s during the day. As far as I know, it's doing alright? I have his heat lamp on a dimmer so when our room gets hotter, I can drop the light down a touch, because sometimes the hottest spots of the branch get to 115+ if I don't pay attention. So I'm constantly checking it with the infrared temp gun to make sure I'm not gonna cook Enkou. Or, conversely, make sure it's up high enough. Either way!

I'm definitely enjoying the joys of being a new beardie parent. :love5:

 

[zandi202]

Oh yeah, Jace will pose for the camera and not move until I get a picture. They are little bums. Your temps are great and dimmers are a life saver.

 

[Ashleydmj]

What breeder did you get him from?
He is a beautiful saturated red color!

 

[Kilana]

He came from A1 Reptiles! I found them online, and I just fell in love with him. I continued to look after I saw Enkou, but I always came back to him, so I knew it must be love! They had a few that looked a lot like him, I'm assuming they were clutch mates, but I still was so drawn to him, so I knew I had to have him. They call him a "crimson super blood" which I know is just their name for that color, haha.

This pic is a pretty accurate representation of his coloring also, except his head and arms were in the middle of shedding, so they aren't quite the right color. After his head and arms finished shedding, he had such vibrant colors there too. <3

 

[zandi202]

I can't wait to see his colors as he matures.