- Beardie name(s)
- Taco
This, but I meant something different:Agreed. In the wild it would be different as they have to show of to win the best basking spots and mates and so on. Probably much of which is lost through captive breeding or experience while growing up in captivity.
In the wild, there are species (also reptile species) among which some of the males are rather defensive, to not get too much into a fight, and for those showing gender dysmorphism, as a male to not look "too much male" (for example, some fence lizards showing just a hint of blue instead of a lot of bright blue). It's like two strategies are working well:
a) Be bold, show off, fight.
b) Be rather shy, move away, don't risk a fight.
With strategy a), you will get what you can defend. It can be a lot, but you'd have to prepared it might last only for a short time.
With strategy b), you will still get a good basking spot - there are plenty, and you take one not taken yet.
With strategy b), you will get a mate - when the "big boss" looks away and considers you as weak, not a threat. With strategy b), you will also get a mate when the "big boss" guys are too injured after fighting. Or just while they fight - some animals do that: Two fight who's the biggest boss, and the third in the meanwhile... just reproduces with the female they are fighting over
Regarding lost through captive breeding:
In fact, I have the impression that Taco is showing more of a wild behavior than some of the dragons here in the forum. Like: Shy in the beginning, still introvert, much more an explorer than a snuggler, and with a lot "if in doubt, rather not". He slowly grew with me into being a "pet", but for months after being brought home he reminded me very much of a foster animal from the wild - that guy didn't come to beg for food, that guy instead feared taking food from me (maybe thinking it's too dangerous stealing from a big animal); he wasn't running happily towards the glass when I came in, but backed off walking around his big branch, peaking out but trying to avoid being seen. I was pretty confident he'd be okay with people after some time - I had foster reptiles from the wild and even they had been, despite I intentionally didn't interact too much with them as they were to be released, and obviously with Taco I wanted to interact as a pet - , but really, it was like I had brought in something from the wild and I remember my husband, over all not being fond of reptiles, believed that this animal would not be much fun.
Also, aggressive/ bold dragons don't seem to be rare - I was asked by the owners of the reptile store how Taco is, and whether he's aggressive grown up. (Taco was at the reptile store for about 1 month, and the owners have several reptiles as pets including at least 2 bearded dragons.)
I'd also be fine at that temperature, means I would not heat to get the temperature higher, but I also would not lower the temperature intentionally by cooling; I'm fine with a variety of temperatures. (Also when we lived in California where there was air conditioning in the apartment, we rarely used it (once while moving out during summer as it was just nicer to the movers), and we used heating at other places in case temperature indoors fell below 17 °C during day. Otherwise we keep the temperature at what it is on its own and adjust with clothes, window shades, fans, airing out; room temperature varies between approx. 20 °C and a bit more than 30 °C over the year here as well as in my office on campus.)I do not plan on breeding but I was aiming for 17°C/62°F since my office is seperate and I personally feel quite comfy at 17-18°C.
The room where Taco's enclosure is is some kind of a dining room, living room - basically across from the kitchen, there is a dining table (and a fish tank and bookcases) and two walls are complete glass, it's like in a winter garden.
Other room (office) is separate, but no doors, and also looks the same with 2 walls completely glass.
In the office, i will put the new hissing cockroach enclosure (other tread: medium-sized fish tank, still have to make an escape-proof sliding lid) as there is a piece of furniture it exactly fits on. It will there get some light and warmth from a window behind. So far, I keep the hissing cockroaches "feeder-style", means in a plastic bin with a "lock & lock" type lid that is escape proof. Biggest issue with the hissing cockroaches is really having a lid they can't open, and so I was restricted to using a bin and it's not really transparent but that milky "transparent" plastic.
Third room is a small bedroom, in the literal sense: a room where a
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