new beardie-average time to settle in

[shumes]

Hi guys!

I'm the proud new owner of a 1 1/2 yr. old bearded dragon (pictures soon ). This is my first beardie so I have a few questions that I'll be posting around this forum. We just picked him up (no name yet) on Thursday, Dec. 29th so he hasn't been with us long. I usually take him out for 15-20 minutes. He is a very relaxed dragon and doesn't seem stressed by being taken out too much. Last night and tonight I've had him out sleeping on me under a blanket for about an hour. Should I refrain from having him out for long periods until after a certain period of time?

I'd love for your guys' input!

Thanks,
Savannah

 

[bdalton]

Congrats on your beardie! they say usually to not leave them out for more than an hour, but ive heard some people say two. I personally just have a little desk lamp with a ferret bed under it (the bed is not necessary! ) that way when she is out she can warm up when she wants. You will learn your beardie; moods, colors etc, so i can tell just by looking at my girl if shes warm, cold, happy or sad if they are dark colored, usually means they are cold, they get stress marks on their chin and belly if unhappy, and when mines happy shes bright colored and pure white on her beard and belly. as long as your keeping him warm he can stay out, but always make sure hes getting at lease 10 hours of UVB

 

[shumes]

Thanks for the quick response!! When he is sleeping on me I actually have a toasty warm heated throw over us. Its amazing how as soon as I set him on my stomach and put the blanket over him he falls asleep almost immediatly.

 

[RandyMarsh]

I only have Franklin inside his home to get his UVB and to digest his food. Other then that he roams the house and lurks in the shadows!! So far nothing bad has happened, and yeah he even sleeps with me. He has a variety of blankets he likes to be wrapped in. My only advice is to get a few blankets because they aren't always picky about where they poop.

 

[pyffersnpaws]

Hi Savannah, Congrats on your new family member. Standard rule of thumb is the first few days to let him get used to surroundings... handle him at a minimum, make sure he's eating and getting a bath... with that being said... he's a bit older, if he's not showing signs of stress (black beard, or stress marks on the belly) and seems to enjoy "cuddle" time... then by all means have him out and enjoy him. Like the others have said, just make sure you have him enough light exposure... Feel free to ask any questions... many of us will be willing to help the best we can... meanwhile, there is a great website www.beautifuldragons.com go under the nutrition tab... it is highly recommended by this forum. It will give you a list of what and what not to feed your dragon.
Congrats again,
Lisa