Should I get an adult or a juvenille?

[herpfreak]

All these months I have been planning on getting an adult male Beardie, but I have recently thought about getting a juvenille, just because their lives are relatively short (compared to my snake's, at least), and I want my best friend to be with me for as long as possible. I want a male because of females laying eggs every year, and the egg-binding thing... anyways.

My main question is, would a juvenille be ok in the 120 gallon (4'x2'x2') wood viv I'm building, or is that too big? If it's too big, I'll stick to an adult.

If I switch my plans to a juvenille, what care would it need relative to an adult? Feeding schedules? Heating/lighting?

Also... how old is a "baby", "juvenille", and "adult"?

 

[beardie parents]

You could get either, whatever you want. It's fun watching a baby grow up, it can be nerve wracking to. When babies loose their appetite there could be something wrong, or maybe they just don't feel like eating. Two years ago Redrock was about 5 months old and eating 20 to 60 crickets every day. Our newest girl is Zoom Zoom and she is about 4 months, I think. Zoom Zoom isn't even eating 1/2 of what Redrock ate at the same age. I was worrying but, as I looked back on the few pics we have of her from 2 months ago and the one I took of her last weekend I've noticed how she has grown, if not quite as fast as some on here do. She went from 8" long and 22 grams to 11.5 inches long and 108 grams (the weight is from today, the inches from last Saturday).

About the size of the tank, I would use that size and, if it's so large it scares the baby/juvie, you could also partition it off and slowly make it larger has he grows. The benefit to using the larger tank from the start is you don't have to spend extra on a larger tank when they grow, unless you get another beardie somewhere down the line. In most cases, it's not a good idea to house 2 beardies together. Vary rarely do two get along and I was lucky enough to have two best friend female beardies as the first two I was given.

 

[ScooterBlenny]

The difference that I would point out is the cost of feedng a baby versus an adult. I spend about $150 a month feeding Pudge, and I'm looking forward to the day that she eats mostly veggies:-D

 

[gulfbrzdawn]

I agree with beardie parents about the amount of stress and worry that comes with having a baby beardie.You do tend to worry a little more with them,but that could also be the case with any new pet you get.There is a certain amount of excitement and awe that comes with watching them grow(and they do grow fast). It's like having a child, they're all grown up before you know it.I guess it depends on what you want from your new bd.Do you want a bd that's full of energy or do you want a bd that's a little more laid back like your python? The baby will definitely keep you entertained and on your toes. Where as the adult will just kinda hang out and be more like your bud.I have to tell you that I wouldn't trade the growing up part for a second(it's pretty amazing).On the other hand my beardie is 5 yrs old now and not so labor intensive,which is nice when you have children and other pets to look after.
So,keep that in mind when your deciding. No matter what you decide I think you will be happy either way...Good Luck !!

 

[peera]

I'd say it depends how many other obligations you have in your life right now. Do you have lots of time to devote to taming and bonding with a baby? The finances to feed them? Do you work long hours, go to school... both? Have small children or any possibility of a baby in the next year or so? If I had to go back, I admit I would have given more consideration to getting Miss Priss. She's going to be just over a year old when my baby comes, and I suspect she's still going to be rather labor intensive (probably more so than a standard dragon because of her "special needs", but the work doesn't just magically end at 1 year with any of them). Even if you do get a yearling or slightly older, you've still got 9 years or so to look forward to, and that's nothing to sneeze at!

 

[herpfreak]

I'd say it depends how many other obligations you have in your life right now. Do you have lots of time to devote to taming and bonding with a baby? The finances to feed them? Do you work long hours, go to school... both? Have small children or any possibility of a baby in the next year or so? If I had to go back, I admit I would have given more consideration to getting Miss Priss. She's going to be just over a year old when my baby comes, and I suspect she's still going to be rather labor intensive (probably more so than a standard dragon because of her "special needs", but the work doesn't just magically end at 1 year with any of them). Even if you do get a yearling or slightly older, you've still got 9 years or so to look forward to, and that's nothing to sneeze at!

You do have a point. I am a busy person, but I will spend all of what spare time I have with my animals. Also, I can keep my soon-to-be BD or my ball python on my shoulder while I work on my computer and everything... currently, the youngest in my household is 6, but we do occassionally have little cousins and whatnot over; but I am not worried about that, all of my indoor pets are being kept in my bedroom, which is off-limits to everybody.

About the money.... how much have you others spent per month on feeding? I'm guessing I may have around $50 per month for food. Will this be enough for a 12-month-old?

Another thing............ at what age/size could I move a juvenile into the 120 gallon (4x2x2) I'm building?

Thanks everybody! I'm so excited! I need to get everything perfect!

 

[dragons1222]

a baby is newborn -4 months

juvinile is 4months - 12? months and i beleive anything beyond that is an adult

if you are considering a 12month old he will be almost his adult size by then so you should be able to but him in the 120g then

they completly stop showing growth at 18 months and the months between 12-18 are mainly filling out rather than aquiring lenghth

now at that age i beleive is when you switch to feeding feeders 2-3(30-50 feeders) x a week and then feed veggies everyday

so i imagine it would cost around $50 a week at the most for one that age



my guy is 8 months and i can honestly say that u have no idea what i spend on feeders a month as i dont add it up

but ordering crickets online is waaaay cheeper than buying them in the store lol

also when i went to get my beardie i wanted an adult as well my main concern was the size issue not the fact that they ate so much

i was just soooo terrified that somthing would go wrong b/c it would be so small and fragile

but i ended up getting a 3 month old only he was already 12 3/4 inches so he wasnt very small

 

[herpfreak]

$50 a week? That's insane! US dollars, right? I'll be lucky to afford $50 a month, much less a week!

Yes, I am hoping to order from a cricket farm. What are some good farms I could order from? I'm looking for cheapest, but also durable crickets that won't die in the mail.

 

[peera]

For an adult, I personally think that budget would be fine. Veggies are cheap and can go a long way if kept dry and with as little air as possible in the bag (I love our Vacu-Seal, although with 3 it doesn't get as much use as it used to), so you can spend the rest on feeders. I've never actually done the math, but I'd estimate maybe $3 a week on veggies for all three (Don't know if they are where where you are, but I love Megafoods for veggies... remarkably fresh for discount food)... $20 a week for Miss Priss's crickets, and $5-10 a week for Dora & Gibby's superworms (But I'm working on a superworm breeding system so I can dip into that instead of going to the store). It also depends what you want to use as a staple. Some are pricier than others. I use http://www.lllreptile.com for my crickets and I've been happy, but if you're not West Coast there could be better options.

 

[dragons1222]

oops i meant $50 a month not a week oops lol

 

[herpfreak]

oops i meant $50 a month not a week oops lol

LOL, it's ok! Whew! That gave me a scare! :lol:

 

[citrusdragon]

wow I was writing a response saying how he must be feeding gold crickets to spend 150/month lol

Jeff

 

[dragons1222]

yes 150 a month is alot

what feeders do you use that you spend that much?

he must be one happy beardie though lol

 

[herpfreak]

How often do you guys feed your beardies? How often did you feed them when (or if they still are) juvies?

I'm planning to use crickets as a staple food.

Do you get them online? I'm looking for a cheap farm where I can order from. (I'm in the western US) Also, worms. I'm going to use mostly silk worms, occasionally other kinds. Are there such things as "worm farms"?

Lastly, how about cricket size? 1/4in, I was thinking?

Argh, I was all ready with my plans, but if I end up getting a juvie... who knows, I still might stick to an adult, but the younger ones are so cute!

 

[dragons1222]

my guy is 8 months and he gets feeders everyday once a day and greens everyday as well

but b/c of winter he doesnt eat as much as normal

if you get a 12 month old(an adult) they can eat the bigger crickets

when i got my guy at 3 months he could eat the 3/4 inch crickets b/c he was almost 13 inches so those fit in between his eyes mainly get the space that will fity between his eyes

but if you get ones that are a little too small he will still eat them lol

and silkworms are great