Say hello to Apollo

[xp29]

Been a couple days since he was rehomed with me now and he’s settling in amazingly! He’s also making good progress with getting used to handling again and really loves his veggies so he’s getting a salad every day which he eats from on and off throughout the day then every couple days he’s getting insects with calcium & D3 so given he’s a month away from the 12 month officially an adult age I have his food schedule pretty closely matched to what I do for adult dragons which is a repeating cycle of veggies -> veggies -> insects + supplement -> veggies -> veggies -> insects + supplement etc.
Interestingly I’ve found just like my previous dragon Puff did he’s taken a big liking to my fish tank so when I have him out for handling practice that’s always what he wants to go and look at up close and it does seem to keep him calm (also like Puff).
And that’s got me thinking about whether fish tanks being interesting/calming to dragons is a consistent thing of if it’s just coincidence so if we have other dragon parents here who also have fish tanks maybe we could do some sort of unofficial study on this?
I figure if it’s a consistent thing knowing this might provide a technique we can use to help particularly nervous/anxious dragons or make a rehoming transition a little less stressful?
And check out the length on that back leg when he’s got it all stretched out it’s like 6cm from hip to ankle with a 3cm foot.
Did a check today on that length against my big 10 year old guy Spike who is considered a BIG guy and he has a 6.5cm leg with a 4.5cm foot
View attachment 93574 View attachment 93575 View attachment 93576

Oh he is already a poser I see.
He is a very good looking dragon

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Oh he is already a poser I see.
He is a very good looking dragon

That he is. He tried out this one later in the afternoon he’s showing off a bit because he saw Spike while I had the old guy out to feed him.
Apollo mostly just stared but he did for a bit impressively pull off some waving and bobbing at the same time which was a sight to behold.
As for Spike he doesn’t react to it at all any more than just looking and deciding he’s too old for that nonsense.

 

[NickAVD]

That he is. He tried out this one later in the afternoon he’s showing off a bit because he saw Spike while I had the old guy out to feed him.
Apollo mostly just stared but he did for a bit impressively pull off some waving and bobbing at the same time which was a sight to behold.
As for Spike he doesn’t react to it at all any more than just looking and deciding he’s too old for that nonsense.
View attachment 93592

The photo is awesome!

 

[xp29]

The photo is awesome!

I agree, that's worthy of framing.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Interestingly I’ve found just like my previous dragon Puff did he’s taken a big liking to my fish tank so when I have him out for handling practice that’s always what he wants to go and look at up close and it does seem to keep him calm (also like Puff).

mine also I think it's "colorful things move" - he likes that very much.

I figure if it’s a consistent thing knowing this might provide a technique we can use to help particularly nervous/anxious dragons or make a rehoming transition a little less stressful?

I wouldn't say it calms my dragon but it satisfies his interest in observing.
My dragon - back and side of his enclosure are against a window each, enclosure is fully glass - observes a nearby construction site, fisher boats and container ships going by (we live right at the coast), the military recinto across the street... As well as the fish tank that we got just a week before him.

See attached photo where you can see him looking out; the fish tank is on the other side, where I stand while taking the photo, and the perspective makes the enclosure looking shorter than it is.

 

[ChileanTaco]

I've to make a photo with Taco and the fish tank.
I have a photo with Taco's enclosure and the fish tank, but that was while I still set up Taco's enclosure and no Taco.

Fun thing:
As Taco can see the fish tank, and our apartment has so much glass, I'd bet he thinks that living always takes place in high-up places made of glass

 

[LarryTheLizard]

Been a couple days since he was rehomed with me now and he’s settling in amazingly! He’s also making good progress with getting used to handling again and really loves his veggies so he’s getting a salad every day which he eats from on and off throughout the day then every couple days he’s getting insects with calcium & D3 so given he’s a month away from the 12 month officially an adult age I have his food schedule pretty closely matched to what I do for adult dragons which is a repeating cycle of veggies -> veggies -> insects + supplement -> veggies -> veggies -> insects + supplement etc.
Interestingly I’ve found just like my previous dragon Puff did he’s taken a big liking to my fish tank so when I have him out for handling practice that’s always what he wants to go and look at up close and it does seem to keep him calm (also like Puff).
And that’s got me thinking about whether fish tanks being interesting/calming to dragons is a consistent thing of if it’s just coincidence so if we have other dragon parents here who also have fish tanks maybe we could do some sort of unofficial study on this?
I figure if it’s a consistent thing knowing this might provide a technique we can use to help particularly nervous/anxious dragons or make a rehoming transition a little less stressful?
And check out the length on that back leg when he’s got it all stretched out it’s like 6cm from hip to ankle with a 3cm foot.
Did a check today on that length against my big 10 year old guy Spike who is considered a BIG guy and he has a 6.5cm leg with a 4.5cm foot
View attachment 93574 View attachment 93575 View attachment 93576

Woah, that’s insane how long his limbs are! My lizard (which isn’t a beardie) is 8 inches long, that was kinda rattling! I didnt really know they can get that big

 

[ChileanTaco]

Here it is:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/threads/taco-fish-tank-and-plants.270363/

Foot length: just measured today, Taco has 4.0 - 4.2 cm long feet. Leg I forgot to measure.

Woah, that’s insane how long his limbs are! My lizard (which isn’t a beardie) is 8 inches long, that was kinda rattling! I didnt really know they can get that big

Yep, they're big when (almost) grown up. That's why they sadly would see a lizard like yours as a snack... and can't be kept together with them. My Taco weights 500 g - large, but not the maximum and he isn't obese. Tail at its base is 3.5 cm wide, I'd guess that's the width of the belly of your lizard. When they are small, they start like a little lizard, however. I remember when I ordered the tank and my husband kept nudging whether it's not a bit too large, that tank. Then I brought Taco home, and my husband was finally convinced that I ordered a much too large tank for the dragon as that animal looked so ridiculous small in it... A year later: Tank size just looks reasonable.
See composite photo below: same branch, same bearded dragon Taco.

 

[LarryTheLizard]

Here it is:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/threads/taco-fish-tank-and-plants.270363/

Foot length: just measured today, Taco has 4.0 - 4.2 cm long feet. Leg I forgot to measure.


Yep, they're big when (almost) grown up. That's why they sadly would see a lizard like yours as a snack... and can't be kept together with them. My Taco weights 500 g - large, but not the maximum and he isn't obese. Tail at its base is 3.5 cm wide, I'd guess that's the width of the belly of your lizard. When they are small, they start like a little lizard, however. I remember when I ordered the tank and my husband kept nudging whether it's not a bit too large, that tank. Then I brought Taco home, and my husband was finally convinced that I ordered a much too large tank for the dragon as that animal looked so ridiculous small in it... A year later: Tank size just looks reasonable.
See composite photo below: same branch, same bearded dragon Taco.

wow, yeah I don’t know why I was even considering keeping a beardie in her tank, that should have been obvious to me and not to mention that the tank I have my girl in, it would be way too small for a bearded dragon (it’s a 20 gallon tank)

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Woah, that’s insane how long his limbs are! My lizard (which isn’t a beardie) is 8 inches long, that was kinda rattling! I didnt really know they can get that big

Yeah they can get pretty sizeable dependent on genetics and which subspecies you have.
Both my dragons are Centrals (Pogona vitticeps) which are the largest readily available variety and usually max out around 50cm in length but some can exceed that by a bit so my 10 year old was around 52cm before he lost a bit off the end of his tail. Easterns (Pogona barbata) are around the 50cm length too but sometimes aren’t quite that long.
Smallest is the Rankin’s/Pygmy dragon (Pogona henrylawsoni) which usually max out at 30cm at the most.
Truly massive though there’s a specifically bred varient called the German Giant which as the name suggests gets pretty big and those you’d usually have to specifically request from a breeder and as far as I’m aware of the maximum they can potentially reach is about 89cm in length.
So there’s definitely options for those of us who don’t have the space for a huge tank or just don’t want a big lizard.

 

[LarryTheLizard]

Yeah they can get pretty sizeable dependent on genetics and which subspecies you have.
Both my dragons are Centrals (Pogona vitticeps) which are the largest readily available variety and usually max out around 50cm in length but some can exceed that by a bit so my 10 year old was around 52cm before he lost a bit off the end of his tail. Easterns (Pogona barbata) are around the 50cm length too but sometimes aren’t quite that long.
Smallest is the Rankin’s/Pygmy dragon (Pogona henrylawsoni) which usually max out at 30cm at the most.
Truly massive though there’s a specifically bred varient called the German Giant which as the name suggests gets pretty big and those you’d usually have to specifically request from a breeder and as far as I’m aware of the maximum they can potentially reach is about 89cm in length.
So there’s definitely options for those of us who don’t have the space for a huge tank or just don’t want a big lizard.

Wow, they are such intricate species, I really am fascinated with bearded dragons! My family however, is a little freaked out by them, but I think they’re cute!

 

[ChileanTaco]

Mine is

Centrals (Pogona vitticeps)

I honestly love the look of the German giants, but I didn't got one for two reasons: First, not available here. Then, as far as I know, significantly shorter lifespan.

 

[LarryTheLizard]

Mine is


I honestly love the look of the German giants, but I didn't got one for two reasons: First, not available here. Then, as far as I know, significantly shorter lifespan.

Ahhh, yeah they’re really cool looking, but they do in fact have shorter lifespans

 

[xp29]

My first girl Puff was a German giant. She was over 25 inches and 1600 grams. Zen was not a German giant but he was over 24 inches and 1300 grams.
Sinatra is about 22 inches and about 550 to 650 grams (normal size)

 

[LarryTheLizard]

My first girl Puff was a German giant. She was over 25 inches and 1600 grams. Zen was not a German giant but he was over 24 inches and 1300 grams.
Sinatra is about 22 inches and about 550 to 650 grams (normal size)

Dang you‘ve had a lot of bearded dragons my dude