question

[bagodto]

So I want a beardy but it seems that I'll be gone most of the time.

My schedule is I leave home at 6AM (or earlier) and come home at 12AM. Then I leave again at 1AM then come back at 3AM.

I don't plan on starting with a baby dragon. I was thinking of starting form a juve dragon. Do you think I can make this work?

 

[zaxon]

You seem very busy! Unless you have someone living with you, I don't think a dragon is right for you. They need a lot of attention and a lot of time and effort is needed to look after a dragon. You have to think of preparing veggies, feeding live food, playing, cleaning, changing water, turning lights off any regulating the temperature in different hours of the 24 hour day. What is taking up all that time? Work? Consider getting different hours if you really want a beardie

 

[bagodto]

I go to two different schools and is quite a distance from home and from each other. After that, I go to work (i have 2 jobs) and my work normally ends at 11. I stay at starbucks until 12:30am because it's close to the gym I go to. I go to the gym every other day so some days I get home at 11:30pm and some days when I do go to the gym, I come home at 3 or 330am.

I can't really get different hours because it will conflict with my school sched. When I'm not working my other job, I'm at the other. I go to two different schools because the classes I need for certain times of the day is not offered in the other. I also rather stay at school between breaks because it's a waste of gas if I were to go back home since it's a 30 mile drive from one school and at 90 miles the other.

I went through the posts made by others about schedule with the dragons and it's pretty intense at times. I thought I could prepare his food in advanced (like days ahead) and before I leave the house, I'd have it in his viv. And when I get home, I would have foos for him again and let him roam around my room for the night while I'm asleep. As for the lights, I could buy those timers.

What I'm afraid of though is the risk of the bulbs exploding while I'm not home and could pose a fire hazard or something.

But I think I already know that I won't have time for the beardy. I really want one and I've even made a well constructed plan for his 4x2x2 viv that I've spent hours on making it perfect.

 

[Brezzy99]

Bearded dragons are awesome pets. You seem very busy. Not being home to feed a dragon would be an issue. The dragon would be sleeping when you left for school and asleep when you got home. You wouldn't want to disrupt their sleep at night. How would you bathe him or offer him water? Dragons do not drink water from a bowl, so you would need to be there to offer it to him with a syringe or during baths.

 

[Taterbug]

I'm sure you could "make it work" but keeping pets can be challenging with busy schedules. You may find a dragon won't be available to interact with you whe you have the time, if you are mostly home at night. Dragons don't need the attention that a dog or cat might, but they still rely on us for all their needs - including "entertainment" so to speak. Personally I would worry more about the ability to no monitor the habitat/dragon than "attention" given.

A few ideas:

You can focus the energy to providing a really sweet setup for once you are done with school. Dragons are great pets, but much more enjoyable when you have time to spend worth them

There are some other herps that might suit your lifestyle better - geckos (leopard and crested) are nocturnal and less needy food and lighting wise. Some are amicable to handling. They have smaller caging requirements as well, though I find large terrariums appealing and can be enriching for residents.

Snakes require much less maintenance are are pretty good about being fine without attention. Some easy to keep species stay small and will eat frozen/thawed mice so fresh food/prep time is basically 15min/week.

 

[bagodto]

I would like a snake, but the idea of getting bit by one scares me. I've held a couple before and it was fine. I don't know what it is about getting bit by one, but I feel like I'm gonna die or contract something when and if I get bit (which I doubt will happen).

 

[jenn4turtles]

Your dragon will be sleeping when you are home, so he/she won't get the benefit of human interaction. If I'm having busy day, and I can't take her out of her tank for "window-time", she gets pouty. You can always use a timer to regulate the lights, but who's going to feed her? Mine eats crickets 2x's a day, with veggies in-between.

I understand your desire for a BD ... We adore ours! But being a good pet owner (of any pet) is making sure that you can commit to that pet and whatever it's needs are. You know this - that's why you are asking before you purchase, which is great! I think you should hold off until the school situation changes ... I work full-time and go to school part-time, so I understand how it is. Can't believe you're working 2 jobs *and* going to 2 schools! You are my hero! :notworthy:

As far as snakes, someone at the reptile show told me that it's not a matter of "if" you are going to get bit, it's a matter of "when", meaning it will typically happen at some point to most snake owners. :dontknow: The good news is that you probably won't die unless it's a poisonous breed, which you wouldn't have anyway. I imagine that it hurts, but that doesn't bother me as much as fooling with frozen mice (could never do live). I think the best way to avoid getting bit is for you to positively handle/interact with your snake on a regular basis, which is going to take time that you don't necessary have right now. In other words, I would hold off until your schedule eases up on you before you purchase any pet.

Good luck!

 

[Taterbug]

Small snakes bites probably won't even break the skin, and while a larger snake can cause bleeding and pain it's not a life or death thing. Good hygiene and first aid should be all you need to be safe if you get bit.

While there are some jerk snakes, and aggressive breeds, many snake bites are "user error". Things like not washing hands after handling food or other pets, not using tongs to feed enthusiastic individuals, startling the snake, not paying attention to its body language etc. I've not been bitten (yet) by either of my snakes but they are both usually calm. So far I've come close when my corn snake was confused about which hand the food was in, but that was my fault and I could see it coming.

It won't be as disruptive to the snakes' life to be handled at night though if they are a nocturnal species, or one with a especially calm temperament. It may just want to sleep in your sleeve anyway. Snakes don't really "like" handling so much as learn to tolerate it. That said, Jen is totally right, like any other animal snakes can get used to not being handled and become grumpy or moody. Even if you raise it from a baby lack of interaction can lead to a willful pet.

I forgot to mention last time - leopard and crested geckos can live around 20 years, snakes 20+.