New Here

[TampaGirlCFH]

Hi!

I am Lindsey I am 22 and live in Tampa FL. I don’t have a beardy yet but on Sunday I will have one.

I am not new to the reptile scene. I currently have 2 snakes...a blood python and a boa. In the past I have had everything from milk snakes to a burmese python, but the only lizard I have owned was a Savannah Monitor.

This weekend there is a reptile expo in Tampa and I plan on buying my bearded dragon there since reptile stores here are very scarce (only one that I know of). My questions are…

• What should I look for in a good healthy bearded dragon…what are
some signs that I should be aware of that would cause you to think one
is unhealthy?
• Do you recommend calcium sand or paper towels for bedding in a baby
beardeds cage?
• I have read that they don’t need a water bowl that you can just spray
the cage down 1-2 times a day…what is your opinion on this?

I think that’s all the questions I have for now. I am sure once it is in my home I will have plenty more. Thanks in advance for taking your time to answer my questions!!!!

 

[Ozzie_lady]

Hi Lindsey!

Congrats on getting a baby! Hope you picked a cutie. Post pics!
Anyway, if the breeder didn't answer your questions (and sorry no one got to you sooner) then:

Pick one that is alert, watches you, has its eyes open. Pick him up, check the vent are for fecal smears. You want a clean bum. Look for tail and toe nips. If he is lethargic and 'sleepy' looking, don't buy him.

PAPER TOWELS. NEVER calci sand, even for an adult. When he grows up enough to be put on a particulate substrate, use washed and sifted playsand, coconut husk fibers etc. NOT repti- or calci-sand. For a baby, paper towel or newspaper. You can move him to a particulate when he would no longer come up with a mouthful of sand when he chases a bug.

Better yet, bathe him every day, in water no higher than his chest, and warm, not hot. If you want a water bowl, put it on the side far away from the heat, but I don't recommend it for a baby as they could drown. It is really unneeded even in an adult if they are getting bathed and eat greens (the get a lot of water from veggies but babies don't eat much veg, so your best bet is to bathe daily, or every other day at least).

Good luck, and post any questions you have.

 

[ReptileMom]

i just want to add one thing. you said about spraying the enclosure down, actually if you want to spray your dragon you should do it outside of the cage. if you spray inside the humidity could get too high and cause respiratory infections. so, as ozzie lady said bathing is best.

also, look for one that has a good fat tailbase and full looking legs. if you get a baby, they aren't going to look huge, but you will be able to tell a difference.

 

[TampaGirlCFH]

Thanks for your help guys! You answered all my questions and thanks for the tip on spraying the bearded not the cage…that makes total since! I will post picks as soon as he is home!