Newbie with puffy

[hoghat62]

Hello, I have been reading on this site for about a month now. I have gotten my first BD. The story on this was that a teacher found it on the doorstep and took it in. They ended up giving it to a student who then moved to Az and had to choose between a snake and the BD. It was given to my boss who could not keep it and so I took it in.

I have measured it at 17 inches long, but not weight measured. I have no idea how old it is. They tell me puffy is a girl but, I am begging to differ. If I figure out how to put images on this crazy forum I will, to include the backside, then maybe somewhat can tell me if I know the differences between a boy and a girl. I want to get another BD, but I want to get opposite sex.

Any help you can help me with getting pictures on I will appreciate.

Love this site and the information I read.[/img]

 

[Bianca]

Hi,
If you go to Photo Expressions, the first entry there is "How to Post a Picture". Follow those instructions and you should be fine.

Welcome to the forum :wave:

 

[Catalyst]

Welcome to the forum Posting pics is reletively easy once you get the hang of it.
Why do you want a dragon of the opposite sex? Just curious
Feel free to ask any questions you may have, we're always glad to help out.
-- Vanessa

 

[hoghat62]

My son thinks that Puffy needs a husband. He is 8 years old, and has autism. This is more his Dragon than mine, I just get to be the feeder at this time. he is slowly helping out. I have also thought it would be neat to try and breed and learn and teach my children the wonders of the world in letting them see how BD's are born. From reading and all, I do not see that I would want to become a full-time breeder. we thought about a cage mate, but I am not sure about that, since I will more than likely get a juvie.

 

[hoghat62]

Here are pics of Puffy.

 

[shortygirl]

Hi there & welcome!! Your dragon is very nice looking, though a little on the skinny side. She also looks (from the first picture) like she has some retained shed. A nice warm bath would probably help her out in that regards.

Now, as for getting a second dragon, I would honestly NOT recommend it UNLESS you are prepared to go & buy an entirely seperate enclosure, lights, UVB, etc. Dragons are solitary by nature & do not want nor go looking for "company". Male/male combos will fight (and possibly injure or even kill each other) Male/female will breed uncontrollably leading to stress on the female & possible egg-binding. Female/female is the only *possible* combination, however...as in my case with my girls...there is always the possibility for bullying & dominance (dominance can be as aggressive as violent head bobbing & fighting or as passive as one dragon keeping the other from eating, often times simply with it's presence, or laying on top of one another - they do NOT cuddle).

A few questions for you...Is that Calci-death...I mean calci-sand :shock: ...your dragon is on? Cali/vita/repti (sand) is a known killer of drgaons, geckos & reptiles in general...it hardens like cement in their guts & causes major impactions. A safer substrate would be something solid, I personally use & love non-adhesive shelf liner (Wal-Mart $8.97 a roll) and cermic tiles (Home Depot or Lowes, about $1 each & they'll cut them to fit!) IF you insist on sand, clean, sifted children's playsand is safer...but I find it messy, stinky & inconvenient. If she likes to dig, you can always provide a "dig box" with clean sifted playsand/organic dirt mixture...my guys LOVE theirs!

What size tank is he in...I'd recommend a 75 gallon + since Puffy's about adult size.

What kind of UVB lights do you have (some are crap) & what's your temps. Are you measuring with a digital with a probe or temp gun? The stick on ones ONLY measure ambiant temps & are usually pretty inaccurate (by as much as 20*F!!!). These guys require very specific lighting & temps in order to live & thrive.

What are you feeding him (how much & of what, also please include your salad items) & do you gutload your feeders? Remember, you are what you eat & that goes for your dragon too, you want to give him a good, nutritious meal & that means your "bugs" have to get a nice "Last Supper", I gutload for 24-72 hours prior to feeding my kids. What calcium dust & vitamin dust are you using & how often? Are you misting or bathing at all?


I know this ^^ is alot of info, but it's all very important. After the ordeal poor Puffy had to go through, we want to make sure she gets the very best of everything so that you can have a healthy, happy pet for many years to come!

~Michelle

 

[hoghat62]

The pictures are of the day she came to me.


A few questions for you...Is that Calci-death...I mean calci-sand Shocked ...your dragon is on?

It's reptile litter that came with her. I thought of using the play sand on the next round.

What size tank is he in...I'd recommend a 75 gallon + since Puffy's about adult size.

the BD is in a 2x5x3 glass enclosure, but am in the planning stages of making one.

the basking end is reading around 106 and cool end is around 85 degrees.

I gutload the feeders - mainly veggies, crickets and mealworms. I have to go get some calcium stuff w/vitamins. I have read that. I was misting her but now I place a baking dish that came with her with water and she loves it.

I have a 40 gal tank right now also - that was given to me and I was going to use that for the next BD since it will be a small one until I finish the enclosure.

 

[shortygirl]

Ok, at least it's not calci-death, lol. Though honestly, litter isn't much better...(think cat litter....pretty much same concept except cat's don't <usually> lick everything to investigate it). I'd honestly ditch it for something safer, cleaner & more economical. If you think about it, even with just regular playsand, the sand itself has to be changed out once a week or you can have some nasty bacteria build up due to the high heat required. Just not pleasant in general...however, we're just giving alternative suggestions, substrate is a hot topic amongst herpers.

Your temps sound good, but how are you measuring them?

Gutload is extremely important...as I said, you are what you eat, so you want to really feeder your bugs well. "Gutloading" is basically stuffing as much goodness into the crickets/roaches/supers as you possible can. Veggies are a good water source, but not a real gutload. Check out the receipe on the drgecko site...even if you have to make some substitutions (like monkey chow, lol) at least it's better than nothing & my guys do well on it. Make a bunch & it can last for months! Also, toss the mealies, there's too much chitin & not enough meat to make it worth it to feed them. Supers are a better option...while they LOOK like mealies, they are a different species & much better (more meat, less chitin). Chitin blocks fat absorbtion, and by the looks of her, Puffy can stand to gain a few grams. Do it wisely though, at her age/length it's about time to switch to salads. For the moment, give her some bugs every day, when she has adaquet fat pads on her head, then more her to an every other day feed schedule. I usually feed my adult, Spike 3 days out of the week bugs & a daily salad. You can mix up the bugs (variety IS the spice of life after all!). I use silkies, phoenix/butter worms, roaches, crickets & supers routinely. Ordering online will save you time, money & hassel.

If you're misting every day & bathing (I'd suggest once a day until that shed comes off) a water dish in the tank is not necessary & you will probably lose alot of crickets (stupid suicidal things they are, lol) in it. It can also raise the humidity in the tank too high, which leaves room for a RI.

She's a good looking girl, for all she's been bumped around alot. If she's not under-sized, I'd go about the 8 month marker, she's about a sub-adult now. She should be with you for a long time to come...Good luck with her!!!

~Michelle

 

[hoghat62]

I know this could be added over to the feeding section but a question -

When you give salad - what do you make for yours? I basically tear up lettuce (no Iceburg) and put in her cage.

Should I add different things.

I plan to order some supers.

You have been a great help - I have printed it all off to add to my information book.

 

[shortygirl]

I use the nutrional chart from: http://www.beautifuldragons.com as a referance.

No lettuce...dark, rich greens like collard, turnip, mustard & dandalion are good staples & mine prefer bright veggies like squash/pumpkins & red or yellow bell peppers. Carrots are a favorite also, along with yams!

~Michelle