Disclaimer: The information below is a compilation of personal experience, information and advice that I have obtained while owning and researching these animals. It is of a general nature and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or an individual personal consultation. This is by no means an exact or complete care guide. Presented here are some of the most important care items that I have learned from personal experience, books and from the web. I try to answer the most commonly asked questions. Everyone who breeds or sells any animal seems to have their own opinion and methods regarding their care. So you will have to determine the method that works best for you, while keeping your animal’s health and happiness foremost in your decisions. Please consult a veterinarian in person if you think your animal is sick. If your animal is bleeding, unresponsive, paralyzed or has any severe problem, take them to a DVM immediately. Always get care information before you buy your reptile and bring it home. Never buy on impulse.
It feels good to get up and stroll around my cage. My cage has eight square feet of floor space as well as a hide and a log to climb on. When I want to warm up there is a log to climb on so I can get closer to the heat. My nickname is Larry the lounge lizard because I am so lazy. Sometimes when I get to hot, instead of going where it is cooler; I just open my mouth and gape to allow some heat out. After that cool night air, almost 70˚F, brrrrr, it feels so nice to warm up under that 105˚F heat. My younger brother is only 3 months old. He likes it even hotter. His basking temperature is 115˚F. He also has a different type of basking site. He gets wood so he can hang vertically or lay horizontal. It’s easier to digest food when gravity helps. The extra heat helps too since he is small. He can always move further away if he gets too hot.
Oh boy, it’s almost 9 am. I’ve been up for a few hours so my keeper should be here any time now to give us all a bath. Soaking in the warm water while my cage gets cleaned is great. My little brother is lucky because he gets bathed daily. Then again, he poops at least once a day. He gets to eat more often then I do too. Maybe that’s why… OK bath time, hooray! While I relax in the tub my cage gets cleaned out with Chlorhexidine. It’s way better than bleach or any of those smelly cleaners my keeper used to use. One time I got stuck back in the cage too soon and that smell made me real sick. The Chlorhexidine doesn’t bother me at all. Sometimes my keeper uses it in my bath and I get scrubbed with a soft toothbrush. Not exactly my favorite thing but it makes my keeper happy when I am all clean. The other day, I tried shaking off the water like I saw the dog doing but only my tail will get people wet so I splash around in the tub instead. It’s funny seeing my keeper jump when he gets wet, heeheehee.
I didn’t always like bathing. It’s fun now but it’s even better when I get out and lay in my basking spot. After warming up a bit it will be chow time. I love to eat. My keeper is great because he feeds me a large variety of food. One time when he went away, I got the same food almost every day. It was unbearable. I stopped eating so much and lost weight. But now things are back to normal. Every day is different. I get a variety of greens, different types of squashes, green beans and snap peas chopped up with parsnip. A couple of times a week I get mango, papaya and sometimes melon. Once a week is treat day. It’s always different and a great surprise. It can be spinach, parsley, berries, grapes, or flowers like roses or hibiscus. My keeper is always looking on the internet for new and exciting foods for me to try. Once a week, I also get live prey. That’s my favorite day!!! Some weeks it’s roaches others it’s silk worms or crickets or super worms. Vitamins and calcium are also an important part of my diet too. That’s what made me grow so big and strong.
It’s no fair because my baby brother gets to eat live prey every day, twice, sometimes three times a day. I tell ya, it’s just not fair. I got fed that way too until I was about six months old. That’s when I started getting more salad and less fun food. As I got older, I was only getting one meal a day and the live food was coming only a few times a week. When I turned one year old, live prey only came once a week. I wanted a cricket cake for my birthday but instead I got pellets and greens and my keeper took my poop out of my cage in a little bottle. He came back later on and gave me some gross medicine. I showed him though; I spit it out all over him. When he finished screaming, he told me “this will take care of those nasty parasites”. I don’t know what it was but I started feeling better afterwards. I didn’t even know I was sick.
Boy time flies when you’re just soaking up the rays. This new UVB light I got really makes a difference. My color is brighter and now that I am old enough to breed, the girls will go nuts over me. It must be about two o’clock because here he comes with more crickets for my little brother. Lucky kid. Oh and look these crickets are covered with calcium. That makes them such an easy target. I love nice plump crickets, especially after they eat a lot of fruit and greens. They get so juicy that I can skip the stop at the water bowl. It used to be fun chasing them all around. I’ll tell you a secret. I found out it’s easier to stay still and let them come to me.
It’s great to be a Beardie, at least for me. I have a great home with someone who cares for me and looks out for my well being. Not all Beardies are this lucky. If you know someone who has a Beardie, give them this story and encourage them to go online or read a book or even join a herp group. It wasn’t me that asked to be your pet. That was your choice, so learn all you can and we can both be happy. Remember, don’t make Beardies disposable pets! Thanks.
Well, gotta run. I’m going for a car ride. YAHOOOO!!!
© 2005 BeardieDragon all rights reserved