Re: Stear me in the right direction
by fresnowitte on Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:54 am
BigMac it would take hours on hours to tell you everything. Here are some basics to start with.
General Care
Heating & Lighting
Beardies require a temperature gradient in their enclosures because they can not regulate their body temperatures like humans. They have to thermoregulate, which means that they have to move between areas of differing temperatures in order to regulate their internal temperature. You should have a basking spot for your Beardie that is around 95*-110* F, as they need to get their bodies around 95* to digest their food. Babies usually like the higher range where adults may perfer the lower range. Your Beardie will also need an area to cool down if he gets too warm. At the opposite end of the tank, you should try to keep the temp around 75*-85*. Night time temps shouldn't be allowed to drop below 65*, whereas 70*-75* is more comfortable for them. Don't guess on temps - you could cook or freeze your Beardie. Use a good thermometer, one on the cool side and another on the basking site. (Note: those stick on thermometers are usually not very accurate can be up to 20* off.) I personally recommend the infrared temp gun, but a digital probe will work as well.
I would not recommend using hot rocks or heat pads as they are potentially dangerous. They can overheat and cause serious burns or short out and cause electrical shocks. Also, Beardies do not have heat sensors on the underside of their bellies so they don't realize they're being burned. This can result in some pretty nasty burns not worth taking the chance.
As far as I know, there are only two types of bulbs that actually produce proper UVB for beardies - mercury vapor bulbs(not recommended for enclosure smaller than 40gal breeder)(Also the MVB's must be mounted level never at a slant and changed every 8 to 12 months. An your beardie should be within 12 to 18 inches depending on wattage and type.) and the Reptisun 10.0 fluorescent tube (remember to replace your fluorescent tubes every 6 months, even if the bulb is still working).(This bulb should be as close as the length of the enclosure as possible. An your beardie should beable to get within 6 to8 inches of light.) Don't be mislead by "full spectrum" bulbs. "Full spectrum" does not mean that it produces UVB. Beardies synthesize vitamin D3 when exposed to UVB, and D3 is necessary for calcium metabolization. In the wild, beardies expose themselves to the natural UVB in the sun's rays, but in captivity, especially in colder climates, they just don't get as much sunlight as they need to produce enough D3. Beardies who are deprived of UVB develop MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) where the Beardie uses calcium out of it's own bone sources to fuel bodily processes. If the MBD isn't treated early, skeletal deformities, broken bones, kidney failure, seizures, and eventually death will occur.
Natural sunlight is the best. Try to get your Dragon outside when the temperature is good and the sun is shining. Don't place your Beardie in a glass cage in direct sunlight as you will overheat him and could fry him. The glass of the aquarium acts like a magnifying glass in the sun - it will heat up the tank very quickly. Always provide a shady area for your Beardie to escape the heat of the sun if he gets too warm.
If the temperature drops below 65* in your home at night, you might want to consider a nighttime heat source for your Beardie. You can not use a bright light or any colored lights of any kind for heat at night. Imagine trying to sleep with the lights on. You wouldn't sleep very well. Your Beardie could get stressed out, stop eating, develop behavorial abnormalities, an it will compromise your beardies immune system if you keep his lights on all the time. Nocturnal reptile heat bulbs produce a dim light which is usually available in blue, purple (black light) and red. Some night lights produce more light at higher wattages. I don't recommend using these bulbs because it is believed that beardies can still detect some light that they are emitting.
The best heat source for night time is a ceramic heating element (CHE). CHE's are non-light emitting heating units. They get very hot but disperse heat over a very narrow (15" in diameter) and shallow area. The range for a 60 watt CHE is 8" down, the range for a 100 watt CHE is 10", the range for a 150 watt CHE is 12", and the range for a 250 watts is 14". CHE's are not effective in heating large enclosures, and a rheostat or dimmer switch may be used for small enclosures so it doesn't get too hot. It is very important that CHE's only be used in porcelain/ceramic light sockets as the amount of heat that they produce is enough to melt regular light sockets.
Housing
It is recommended that you house beardies alone as they are truly solitary creatures that will stress and can become ill due to compromised immune system if housed with others. A single adult Beardie can be housed in a 40gal breeder to 120 gallon enclosure. Babies and small juveniles can be temporally housed in a 20 gallon enclosure. Personally I'd start with the 40gal breeder it will save you money. If the enclosure seems to big for your baby then you could place a divider in the enclosure until you beardie grows into it. Dragons need branches or rocks to climb on and a hiding place. Any cage furniture should be carefully secured so it can't fall and injure the Beardie.
Substrates
Playground sand is often used because it is relatively dust free and easy to maintain, although there have been reports of intestinal impaction. We do not use sand of any kind and do not recommend it. Substrates we use or have used in the past include repticarpet, non-stick padded shelf liner, non adhesive linoleum, tile, and paper towels. Substrates that I would not recommend using are: calcium sand, corn cob, walnut shells, alfalfa pellets, kitty litter, or wood shavings. All particle substrates pose a threat of impaction meaning your beardie will ingest it and can not digest it...regardless of what the packaging says. And they also heighten the risk of contracting parasites. As the particles substrates work much like a "Litter Box." It harbors the bacteria from there poops then beardies tongue this and bingo your making a vet appointment to have your pet treated for parasites.
Water & Food
You can provide fresh water for your dragon. It should be in a bowl or dish shallow enough for your Beardie to see into and drink out of. However I myself do not use water dishes as it raises the humidity levels an in general beardies don't drink from standing water. I choose to
bath and offer water by dripping it off their noses. Your Beardie will enjoy a
bath or shower it will help make it easier to shed and will keep your beardie well
hydrated. The tank, however, should never be damp. Beardies are from the deserts of Austrailia and are not used to high humidity.
You must feed very small prey to baby Beardies. The rule-of-thumb for feeding Beardies is don't feed anything larger that the space between the Beardie's eyes. When fed prey that is to large for them, serious physical problems can result including: partial paralysis, seizures, ataxia (loss of motor control), inability to self-feed, gut impaction, and even death. Start with feeding small feeders and gradually increase to larger sizes as the Beardie grows. Also offer a daily mixture of 2 to 3 different greens with a mixture of other veggies for your growing Beardie. Beardies that were raised with greens as a part of their diet are more likely to enjoy greens as an adult. Best list of nutritional value for some beardie foods would be at
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.c ... ition.html
Note this list is color coded as to if and how often items can be fed to beardies.
Beardies consume a wide variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates in the wild, and a variety of protein sources should be offered in captivity. Prey items such as appropriately sized crickets, cockroaches, butterworms, superworms, silkworms, hornworms and phoenix worms can be fed. If you feed freshly molted supers, that will reduce the amount of tough, indigestible exoskeleton. Exoskeletons (chitin) can cause intestinal impaction so the least amount ingested the better(never use mealworms however once your beardie reaches 15 inches you may). As the Beardie reaches adulthood, you can feed less live prey and more vegetarian-based diet as the Beardie's body no longer requires the high protein diet to grow. Adult Beardies need approx. 60% - 80% vegetarian to 20% - 40% live prey/protein. Remember to dust feeders with a calcium supplement just before feeding them to your Beardie with one feeding perday. (5 days a week for baby to subadult and 3 days a week for adults.) Adults don't require as much calcium supplementation as growing beardies and egg-producing females. Also, don't forget to use a multivitamin supplement. (2 days a week). I highly recommend the Repcal brand supplements they were specially designed with beardies in mind.
It is not wise to feed your Beardie in the evening close to bed time as food will sit in his stomach overnight and could rot. Generally, I don't feed anything to my beardies at least 1-1/2 hours before bedtime.
Cage Cleaning
I recommend the following cleaning/disinfecting products: Nolvasan (odors are not harmful) and bleach (odors are harmful!). Do not mix the two chemicals.
Dilute bleach to a solution of 10% bleach and 90% water for a super strong disinfectant. Anything you spray with bleach must be rinsed well with water and free of any bleach odors before allowed to be returned to your Beardies cage. New cage furnishings such as branches from your yard or rocks should be thoroughly cleaned before added to the enclosure. To clean a branch or rock, soak it in the bleach solution for 30 minutes then bake in the oven at 250* to 300* until nice and dry. Heating the wood will kill anything that the bleach happened to miss.
It is a good idea to remove feces everyday as Beardies are notorious for tromping through their poop and getting it everywhere an could also contract parasites. See poop clean poop.
Handling
Gently scoop up your Beardie with your hand under its belly. Dragons tend to be very trusting and will not necessarily hold on as well as other lizards, so always take care to support your Beardie. They do not like being firmly held; let them rest in your palm. Since Beardies are inquisitive animals, it is always a good idea to create a controlled space in which it may do some exploring. And watch out for the jumpers. Keep a close eye on your beardie and never leave him unattended when out of his cage.
Bath Time
Bathing is an important part in keeping a healthy dragon. Regular
bathing helps keep the beardie
hydrated, clean, and helps to relax the muscles thus making it easier for them to go to the bathroom.
Make sure that the
bath water is warm to the touch (95*-99* F) and fill it full enough to reach their shoulders. Remember if it feels too warm to you then it's definately to hot for them. Some beardies are comfortable
bathing in the sink or the
bath tub and others may not like
bath time at all. You can try placing a see through Rubbermaid container on your countertop and gently placing your beardie inside. He may feel more comfortable resting on your hand while it is submerged in the water. For babies I suggest using a dish clothe on the bottom of the container so they can walk without slipping this will help your beardie to feel a bit safer. They need to feel secure or they will never enjoy
bath time. And get ready to pick your beardie out of the
bath water should he decide to poop in it.
NEVER EVER LEAVE YOUR BEARDIE UNATTENDED!
Behaviors
Arm waving
This is seen in all Dragons contrary to what you may have read. It is a sign of submission. Basically what they are saying is "please calm down, I do not want trouble" or "you are the king and I am not worth the fuss." Most people believe that if you have two dragons in the same cage the one that waves is the female. This is not 100% accurate. I have seen the males wave to the females. When two males are within sight of eachother one will sometimes wave to the other.
Head bobbing
For male Dragons, this simply means I am king. If two males are within sight of each other this is a must. If both males bob aggressively then a fight may result. However, in most cases, the less aggressive male will slow bob his head, while the dominant male bobs will have lots more motion.Females do a slight nod. In new studies, some herpetologists believe they also bob to judge distance.
Gaping
In a healthy dragon, this behavior is normal. They gape their mouth open to release heat for the same reason a dog pants to cool down. Beardies do not sweat, so they do this to release heat. But, at other times it can be a sign of illness also. If you can see excess saliva then I suggest a vet visit to count out the possiblity of a Respiratory Infection. Which can take your beardies life rather quickly.
Eye Bulging
There has been a lot of talk about eye bulging and why Beardies do it. Eye bulging is when the Beardie pushes his eyes out a little. It looks like their eyes are going to pop right out. It can be a sign of stress, but in most cases I think they do this to break the skin loose when shedding. It also appears that they might do this for the same reason that we rub our eyes. It feels good and we often do it when we are tired.
Push-ups
Sometimes females display what looks to be a push-up in response to male dragons' head bobs. Most of the time this is seen during breeding season.
Beard displaying
All Beardies will display this behavior but males have much larger beards. This is a sign of aggression or showing off for the females during breeding. Both male and female beards turn black when displayed (males are much darker and some times the darkness spreads down to their shoulders). I have also noticed they display their beards when shedding to help break the skin loose. Also, dragons do what we call "morning exercises." They puff up their beards in the morning as a way of stretching.
Digging
Females dig burrows to lay eggs and this is totally normal. An in the wild they would most likely try and burrow down under any loose compost or leaves to hide from birds or pray when bedding down.
Circling and chasing
This is seen in fighting and breeding. Circling with the mouth open means, "I am not turning my back on you," and it could lead to biting and injuries.
Tail up in the air or tail twitching
If the tail is up or twitching it usually means the Beardie is hunting. Sometimes their tail will twitch when they are watching their prey before they give chase. And I call the curled up tail the scorpion stance they will do this when they are alert, warmed up, and happy.
Hissing
Sometimes when startled, both the male & the female will display their beards,open their mouths, and make a kind of hissing noise. This is a defense warning. Don't be alarmed, Beardies will hardly ever act on their on their threats. It's usually all show and no bite.
There's a little info to start with.
EDIT:
I was confused at "tats" too...but I figured it was short for habitats. Barbara
Slave to....9 Beardies
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