Hello and welcome. Those were all great questions. Here are my best answers and I hope they help.
1. Although little ones are super cute, it is often easier for a newbie to get one that`s a bit older so you know what you`re getting (boy or girl) AND so that they`re a bit more sturdy and through the sometimes trying and difficult tiny baby stage. And whatever you decide, socialize, socialize, socialize and always be gentle and worthy of his or her trust.
2. Brumation is caused by the changes in weather and other weather-related factors that we don`t even notice. They, however, get sleepy and crawl off, usually to a sheltered and cooler area of their home, where they sleep and sleep and sleep and sleep. As brumation is approaching, they slow down on activity and even start not eating. In brumation, they don`t eat or drink, but strangely, they seldom loose weight, either. It is very important, however, that they get a vet checkup in the late Summer or early Fall to confirm that they`re not ill and don`t have parasites.... From experience, I take advantage of the odd day that they brighten and wake up. I take them out, hold them for a bit, offer them food, and I
bathe them and try to get them to poop. If they drink in the
bath, that`s a bonus. It`s great if they can get back into brumation with empty bowels and a some water in them. Don`t get freaked out...they seldom even breath during this stage and lots of people think their beloved beardies are dying.
3. I have always used tap water, but I live in Toronto, Canada. It`s best to consult a reptile vet in your specific area (NOT A PET STORE EMPLOYEE). You can just pick up the phone, call the vet, and ask...it doesn`t have to be a pull-out-the-wallet situation!
4. Yes, there are basic rules of thumb when feeding the different ages and stages of beardies. Like the other person suggested, take a look at the site`s care section. I`ve always liked having a separate bin or box that I put my beardie in for feeding live feeders like crickets. That way, once he`s chased around and eaten his fill (which can be 30 - 40 small ones once or twice a day - dusted as necessary - for the first little while when they`re growing so fast), you can put him back in his home and get what he didn`t eat out of the feeding bin more easily. You don`t want to leave live feeders with him where he lives...leaving live roaches or crickets, etc. in with him can cause bites which can turn into infections. When they`re young, they don`t eat much greens, but continue to offer them a little every day. As they get older, they`ll eat more greens. Bearded dragons are supposed (!!) to be vegetarians with only the odd protein meal by the time they`re fully grown adults. (I often wonder if anyone has told THEM that!!)
5. Just about any living thing can carry salmonella - even people. It can happen with reptiles as well, and this can be especially dangerous if very young babies or toddlers are exposed to it. This is another important reason to get your beardie to the vet for regular checkups and to insist on handwashing both before and after contact with him.
6. I`ve found that each beardie has his or her own temperment. Some females are really laid back while others are a bit more aggressive - and the same with males. In my experience, it depends on the type of socialization (with people and with other beardies...) they had in the first three or four months. As you get to know yours, you`ll notice he or she has their own sense of style!
7. Personally, I used the carpet when mine was younger, but once he was a year and a half or so, I switched to sifted and cleaned play sand - the kind you get for kid`s sand boxes. It`s inexpensive, easy to maintain, looks good, and has never caused my beardie any problems. I did not EVER use (nor do I recommend) that coloured calcium sand stuff. It`s very expensive, will stain your dragon, and I can`t think of one good thing about it. Others use carpet when they`re older and newspaper or tiles that can be removed, disinfected, and replaced when the beardies are young. There are various options: check them out and find one that works best for you and your little friend.
8. When they`re little, they seem that their entire body is shedding sometimes, but usually, they shed in patches. Their head, then the body, then an arm and a leg or two, then the tail, then another leg, then the head again... They can look a really rough sometimes but the baths really help. Be especially watchful whenever their legs and feet are shedding, and absolutely
bathe them in nice warm water. Gently rub their little hands, feet, and each toe, to ensure the shed is complete and that no little rings of old shed get stuck on their toes and near the nails. This can cut off blood supply and cause the toe to fall off...poor thing... Although sometimes they look like they`re having a complete head to toe shed, they do not shed like snakes - in one piece - but rather bit by bit. This slows down as they reach adult size but continues at a slower rate and in smaller `patches`as needed throughout their lives. Yes, you can handle your beardie when he's shedding, but DO NOT pull or peel shedding skin off as tempting as it might be!! You can really damage the skin underneath. Be warned, too, that they can get grumpy when they're shedding, but as I said before, a half hour swim/soak in warm
bath can do wonders for their shed and their mood!
9. Yes, if they tolerate it, you can clip or file their nails. This is one thing that is not generally an issue if there are rocks and sand in their vivarium. This is also one of the things you can have the vet show you how to do at his checkup. Maybe two or three times a year I use a regular nail file on a couple of my Beastie's nails to round off a sharp point. Then, I always give him a couple of his favorite worms when we're done, and he's content with that arrangement. lol.
This is an excellent place to learn about these wonderful and beautiful creatures. Read read read from all the posts, look at the pictures, get to know how friendly and helpful everyone is. Beardies are wonderful and can be great pets and companions. My husband and I take ours with us all over the place. He's coming with us on our drive from Toronto, Canada, to Florida in a couple of weeks. Just remember having a Bearded Dragon is not a two month deal. They can be happy and healthy and looking to you for love and care for ten or more years! In return, they'll give you a thousand smiles and stories to tell, and there's nothing as sweet as having your little bearded buddy snuggle his nose up under your neck at the end of your long day.
-Annie
