Bearded dragons are awesome, BTW. They don't bite unless you really mistreat them and they're often perfectly content to curl up in your lap where it's nice and soft and warm.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
I once dormed with a dude who had a pet iguana. He would pretty much constantly have it on his shoulder. I still haven't quite figured out what I thought about that.
Cichilids are neat pets, too. They're quite intelligent, and will develop noticeable personalities and a definite social pecking order.
And their eyesight is really sharp. They're among the only fish that can clearly see outside their tank. We had a twelve-inch Amazonian cichlid in a 35-gallon tank, and he would watch you as you walked around the apartment. It was kind of creepy, actually.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
My immediate thought: "They let you have pets in a dorm?"
I guess lizards were an exception? You have a point though. I never saw any other pets...except fish.
Ehn, I kept a chinchilla in a dorm for a couple years, and know a guy who managed to keep a hedgehog, both without the RA's knowledge. I just couldn't imagine keeping something out in the open like that.
It still puzzles me why anyone would want a reptillian pet. Moreso after reading this, for that matter what's up with fish? Anything with scales I guess, they die easy and they arent very nice pets, they just look cool.
I think you underestimate how interactive reptiles can be. Sure, there are some mean ones, but the ones that have been pointed out as good pets are generally good because they're friendly, only take a moderate amount of maintenence, and are fairly sociable.
I won't defend fish, though. I don't get that.
Fish just die easily and can cost alot, and I never really understood what the charm was. I mean they look bright and colorful and all, but other than that whats the point?
I guess I'm just a dog/cat fanboy, they dont shed their skin and they're friendly. But I understand that some people find reptiles to be good pets, I just never understood the logic.
When I used to have bearded dragons (i have nothing atm =( ) the main factors were they required much less maintenance than cats/dogs/other commonly domesticated pets) needed very little space, and were a pretty good conversation topic. People seldom walk into a room and say "woah, what the hell is that?" if you have a dog or a cat . And living alone and being at work or commuting to work from 7-6 It didn't really seem fair to have a dog..and i just downright hate cats for some reason so there goes that. Plus it eventually got to the point where one of mine would wave whenever he saw me coming in anticipation of a feeding, now that is just awesome, whatever you say
I love reptiles, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about being "that guy with the lizard." It must be really weird to walk into someone's house and see a giant fucking green lizard sitting on the table. Imagine if you forgot to tell someone and your six foot iguana wanders into the room. Jesus.
I guess that's one way to keep my mother from ever visiting me again though.
Cichilids are neat pets, too. They're quite intelligent, and will develop noticeable personalities and a definite social pecking order.
And their eyesight is really sharp. They're among the only fish that can clearly see outside their tank. We had a twelve-inch Amazonian cichlid in a 35-gallon tank, and he would watch you as you walked around the apartment. It was kind of creepy, actually.
I did not know about that. I'm always a fan of pets that respond positively to you, as opposed to just sitting there all FEED ME or I JUST SHAT IN YOUR SINK. I've seen some gorgeous cichilids too, and I like the idea of them being burrowing fish (at least in theory, the idea that I'm going to have gravel piled to this side or that has yet to be tested in reality).
Stitch (the lizard) apparently was just waiting a few days before dropping a giant dook. He seems much more relieved, IMHO.
Cichilids are neat pets, too. They're quite intelligent, and will develop noticeable personalities and a definite social pecking order.
And their eyesight is really sharp. They're among the only fish that can clearly see outside their tank. We had a twelve-inch Amazonian cichlid in a 35-gallon tank, and he would watch you as you walked around the apartment. It was kind of creepy, actually.
I did not know about that. I'm always a fan of pets that respond positively to you, as opposed to just sitting there all FEED ME or I JUST SHAT IN YOUR SINK. I've seen some gorgeous cichilids too, and I like the idea of them being burrowing fish (at least in theory, the idea that I'm going to have gravel piled to this side or that has yet to be tested in reality).
Stitch (the lizard) apparently was just waiting a few days before dropping a giant dook. He seems much more relieved, IMHO.
Our smaller African cichlids didn't burrow, but the big Amazonian red terror did. It wasn't so much burrowing as arranging. He piled gravel in a shelf along the front of edge of the tank and hid behind it when there was a lot of activity in our front room.
Oh, and they'll chase laser pointers.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
I have and average angel fish but man that thing has a personality, Heck even the plecosthoumous does too. the Pleco is super shy, he hears me getting out of my chair across the room and will go back to sucking the side of the tank fast. The angel is an asshole that rules the tank. I begs for dinner and keeps the Betta in line.
I was never much of a fish person beyond the standard goldfish as a child, but since we moved in here and there were 12 huge goldfish in our pond I have found watching them to be amazingly calming. And then we inhertied the tank with the angel and friends from friends who moved out of province and I kinda like them now too. It made me sad when my pond fish got stolen.
Ultimate aquatic cute factor unless you want to get in to mammals.
Though eels are pretty awesome too.
Sea horses are fragile and very difficult to keep healthy. They also don't compete well with other species, so they do best when alone. If you're experienced enough with saltwater species to take proper care of them, you're experienced enough to know whether you want them already.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
So I take it you're going to grow a mustache and have a van? Because sea horses are right up there with growing you some coral in your living room, dropping a car payment on high intensity lights.
Seriously, reef tanks are like the ultimate sign of disposable income. I've seen small generators in case your power goes out so you can keep your kit running and don't have to worry about watching your coral slowly die during a prolonged power outage.
I know the cichilids at the store will follow my hand in front of the tank, but didn't know the laser pointer bit. They're sounding kind of cattish, minus the hairballs and dander and spraying everywhere. Which is Greek for saying they sound pretty awesome.
This thread has got me considering a bearded dragon. Can someone give me an estimate as to how much it would cost to get one along with a tank and other accessories?
This thread has got me considering a bearded dragon. Can someone give me an estimate as to how much it would cost to get one along with a tank and other accessories?
Frankly, when I was living with my last girlfriend and she was raising dragons, she got everything off of Craigslist. She scored so much free equipment and, occasionally, free dragons that I really don't know. I can tell you that an adolescent dragon in the pet store would run you around $30, and that you're going to want a minimum 30 but preferably 50 gallon tank. Brand new fish tanks that size run $100-200, but I don't see any reason why you should spend that much. Even a leaky tank would work fine since you're not actually putting water in it. Hell, we didn't even buy tank decorations - we went to the beach and collected driftwood and rocks.
The only things we bought new were sand, food, and anything electrical (heat lamp and heat rock).
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
I would also suggets staying away from pet stores for bearded dragons, not because of the price but because pet stores tend to take rather sub standard care of lizards (and all animals for that matter). If you pick up driftwood/rocks/whatever on the beach or anywhere outside its reccomended that you soak it in 10% bleach and 90% water , Allow to dry for at least 24 hours so that the fumes are gone. then bake in the oven at 350F for about 20 minutes and let cool. This process makes sure no harmful parasites or substances that are toxic to the dragon come in with it.
heat rocks are also not reccomended as "Do not use an electrical reptile heat rock or heating pad as a heat source for your Bearded Dragons. These products have the potential to fatally burn the dragon's belly, as many lizards do not feel a 'localized' temperature... but an overall body temperature."
as long as you have a rock for them to bask on it should heat up more then enough from the heat lamp to keep them comfortable
they also require either a full spectrum UV light, or to be fed a dietary calcium/d3 supplement like repcal (it'd pretty easy to give them supplements too, you just dust the crickets with it before you throw em in). If your seriously thinking about getting one i'd suggest giving this page a read here
All that may sound kind of intimidating but they're actually very easy and rather inexpensive to setup, the only thing that costs a fair amount of money is the aquarium you plan on keeping them in. And once its all setup its pretty hands off, except for when you decide to take them out.
If you pick up driftwood/rocks/whatever on the beach or anywhere outside its reccomended that you soak it in 10% bleach and 90% water , Allow to dry for at least 24 hours so that the fumes are gone. then bake in the oven at 350F for about 20 minutes and let cool. This process makes sure no harmful parasites or substances that are toxic to the dragon come in with it.
Yeah, that's what we did.
I didn't know about heat rocks, though. We've used them on occasion with no ill effects, but our heat rocks were adjustable and we always kept them on low and buried in sand.
The UV light is important. A bearded dragon can die from a vitamin D deficiency, and typical household lights don't give off nearly enough of the right spectrum of UV. What we did is put a full-spectrum UV light covering the whole tank, and a heat lamp focusing on one side of the tank. That way you create a temperature gradient so the dragon can move around and get comfortable.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Everything I'm reading about iguanas seems to be that they require a lot of maintenence. If I had known this beforehand I don't know if I would have taken him (a friend is leaving for the Navy, and asked if I would take care of his).
He's a little over two years old, isn't tamed, and the guy who had him didn't really take good care of him at all (he was in his cage most of the time, and fed melons almost exclusively).
If I decide not to keep him anymore, where do I find people who actually know what they're doing who would be interested in taking him? I mean, people with an actual interest in reptiles, who know how to feed and care for them, and not just some teenager who thinks lizards are "cool"?
Everything I'm reading about iguanas seems to be that they require a lot of maintenence. If I had known this beforehand I don't know if I would have taken him (a friend is leaving for the Navy, and asked if I would take care of his).
He's a little over two years old, isn't tamed, and the guy who had him didn't really take good care of him at all (he was in his cage most of the time, and fed melons almost exclusively).
If I decide not to keep him anymore, where do I find people who actually know what they're doing who would be interested in taking him? I mean, people with an actual interest in reptiles, who know how to feed and care for them, and not just some teenager who thinks lizards are "cool"?
A pet store specializing in exotics, probably. If you were in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd suggest taking him to the East Bay Vivarium. I don't know if there are similar businesses where you live.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Everything I'm reading about iguanas seems to be that they require a lot of maintenence. If I had known this beforehand I don't know if I would have taken him (a friend is leaving for the Navy, and asked if I would take care of his).
He's a little over two years old, isn't tamed, and the guy who had him didn't really take good care of him at all (he was in his cage most of the time, and fed melons almost exclusively).
If I decide not to keep him anymore, where do I find people who actually know what they're doing who would be interested in taking him? I mean, people with an actual interest in reptiles, who know how to feed and care for them, and not just some teenager who thinks lizards are "cool"?
This thread has got me considering a bearded dragon. Can someone give me an estimate as to how much it would cost to get one along with a tank and other accessories?
I dropped about $250 on mine. While I'd recommend sites like beardeddragon.org, there's a lot of hyperbole on those sites along the lines of "if you do/don't do this YOUR DRAGON WILL DIE!!! D :" The section on food and impactions is pretty spot on though.
First, let's start with the tank. There's two schools of thought on the tank, since if you get a huge one when he's a wee lizard, he's going to have to hunt more for his food (in a 50 gallon), while in a 20 gallon not so much movement. However around month six or so, you're going to want to think of upgrading to that 50 gallon tank. Beardies are considered "giant" lizards even though they only approach a 1 1/2 to 2 feet when they hit adulthood. Personally, I picked a 20 gallon tank which I'm going to upgrade to a 50 gallon tank in the next few months. You'll also probably want a mesh top, so his light can get through, air and humidity can pass in and out, and its easier for feeding.
Now we've got substrate. Rule of thumb is for the babies/juvies to stay away from any "loose" substrate like sand, and especially walnut shell or any of that nonsense. Butcher paper, stone tile, etc have all been used as acceptable substrates. I've seen gorgeous tanks that use tan stone tile as the floor for the tank. However, I'm waiting until I get the big tank, so for now I'm using ReptiCarpet, which is a thin carpet that fits in your tank, and when it gets filthy you can reuse it by washing it. Each pack generally comes with two, so while one's being washed you can slap on the other one, and then repeat the process when that time comes around again.
You'll need two types of lights for your lizard. An UVA light and an UVB light. I have problems remembering which is which, but generally he gets his UVA from the basking lamp you'll buy him and general ambient light, but he'll get his UVB light from a special flourescent bulb. A ReptiSun 7.0 or anything put out by that company will do you good. Generally you'll need to raise an area so that he's at least 6-8 inches near the flourescent light so he gets the maximum effective dose of radiation. This helps build strong bones and fight diseases in your lizard, which leads to my next point.
Food is one of the biggest things for your lizard. Beardies, being predators, can suffer from a condition called an impaction, where they can't digest chitin and it backs up in their system, which can lead to paralysis and other nasty complications while his systems back up and he tries to force it out. While he's a baby/juvie, you'll want to stay mainly to crickets for the first four months or so, and very small crickets. The rule of thumb is "no bigger than between his eyes" for live prey. Check and make sure your pet store sells small crickets. Pinhead crickets are supposedly the only thing you're "supposed" to feed him but I was feeding mine small crix from the beginning, and he never impacted. Around the third month I started feeding mine waxworms, which are soft and squishy and he loves. Also, your beardie will begin eating greens around this point. There's an excellent site around that lists what you should and should not be feeding your beardie. Generally I find he'll wolf down collard greens, curly parsley, and kale like a champ. Fruits are also recommended - I've come home many a day to find his lips red from where he demolished a chopped up strawberry I've left for him. Some of the pictures of "beardie salads" I've seen seem a little excessive, especially when followed by "and throw it out four hours after you put it in". Eventually, you'll be able to move up to mealworms, superworms, and then feeder mice, if that's your thing, when he's fully grown.
You'll have to dust your beardie's food with supplements, both Vitamin D and with a multi vitamin 2-3 times per week with the former, and once a week with the latter. Generally getting a small jar and prepping it with some of the powder followed by dumping your crix in there and giving it a stir seems to work well. I have a cricket cage (think a little plastic habitat, but with four tubes coming down from the top and into the cage) that I use for my crix. I also gut load them, so generally they're living pretty well before they're fed to Stitch. Also, beardies eat A LOT as juvies. I try to keep mine from eating too many to prevent impactions, but if I let him he would easily go through over 400 crickets in two weeks. Right now he's going through about 250 - 300 or so as part of his growth spurt (he shed twice last month), but its supposed to level out when he gets to adult status.
As far as heat rocks go, Your Experience May Vary. Personally, I saw no problem with heat rocks, since he seems to know when he's hot enough and gets the hell off of it. He uses it and seems better for it (the warmth actually helps them digest food), so I've kept it in there. I've also got a little reptile hammock (beardies are suprisingly arboreal), and he'll leap onto it from his basking log, which is a good 8-10 jump. There's also a hermit crab log I bought that I use as a ladder of sorts so he can get up there if he dosen't feel like leaping, and some rocks are stacked in a corner in case he's feeling frisky. Also, I've got a dish for water, and a dish for his greens. I also mist him once or twice a day, but he'll drink out of the dish and perform a manuever that looks like he's "licking his chops".
One more thing. You'll need a heat and humidity gauge. I find the gauges you can buy work fine - some people claim you need to drop a nice dime on a digital temp gun, but that's not the case. As far as your basking lights go, I've found a 75 watt bulb is the happy medium. Make sure to set up your cage so that there's a cool side, warm side, and basking area. Generally the basking area should be on the warm side, and it should be raised as well. The temperature should never fall below 70 degrees, even at night. During the day, 80 to 85 is acceptable (raise 5 degrees higher for babies/juvies), 90-95 for the warm, and up to 110 for the basking area. Keeping a steady temp helps them digest their food, which is why it should be higher for the younger lizards in all cases.
Beardies will take food from the hand, if that's your thing too. However some of them may see you leaning in to pet and crane their head back for a nibble, like mine has.
My one particular about owning a beardie (or any animal really) is that if you're living on a fluctuating income, and you might go broke for weeks at a time, you need to think long and hard about getting a beardie and whether or not you're willing to sacrifice nights out and whatnot to make sure your lizard is going to be getting his meals. They also live for up to 15 years, much like a dog, so think about that as well. If you just got a windfall and think a lizard might be a cool pet to have, go get an anole or something.
I hope that covers anything you need to know. Anything else feel free to direct to me in this thread or PM.
Here's some pics of my beardie, so you have an idea of what a cage might look like. These pictures are about three weeks old, so he's gotten somewhat bigger since then.
I'm sorry if this isn't the place for this, but it seems like it's taken a little fish tangent and is no worse for the wear.
I'm going to be living in dorms for two more years and I've been thinking about getting a small animal to keep in my room. I have enough spare time to take good care of almost anything, but I'm wondering if it's a good idea. I was thinking maybe a gecko or something, but then I was leaning towards a couple gerbils. You people seem pretty experienced, and my real question is how would most small caged animals respond to an environment that isn't quiet very often. I normally have music on, but not blaring and there's almost always seems to be one douchebag on every floor who has a subwoofer so massive he's obviously trying to compensate for something. Does anyone know if most small caged animals tolerate sounds very well or if it just wouldn't be fair to a small reptile or mammal to put them in an environment like that?
I'm sorry if this isn't the place for this, but it seems like it's taken a little fish tangent and is no worse for the wear.
I'm going to be living in dorms for two more years and I've been thinking about getting a small animal to keep in my room. I have enough spare time to take good care of almost anything, but I'm wondering if it's a good idea. I was thinking maybe a gecko or something, but then I was leaning towards a couple gerbils. You people seem pretty experienced, and my real question is how would most small caged animals respond to an environment that isn't quiet very often. I normally have music on, but not blaring and there's almost always seems to be one douchebag on every floor who has a subwoofer so massive he's obviously trying to compensate for something. Does anyone know if most small caged animals tolerate sounds very well or if it just wouldn't be fair to a small reptile or mammal to put them in an environment like that?
I'm pretty sure that as long as you're not blasting the music right next to the cage you'll be alright. If its constantly so loud in your room that you have to shout to hear yourself, I might be worried. Otherwise, it shouldn't be a massive problem. What'd I'd be worried about more if you get something like a gecko (good choice BTW), or a gerbil is their activity cycle. A lot of geckos (including leopard geckos) are nocturnal, as are gerbils, so if there's a lot of activity going on during the night, it might not effect them as much as a dirunally active critter, who's trying to sleep and having music going on in your room.
I should point out that small rodents are actually very noise-sensitive, and react poorly to stress. I would not recommend a small rodent for a noisy environment.
And BTW gerbils tend to be either diurnal or crepuscular.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
Just want to say thanks to everyone who answered my bearded dragon question. Definitely going to look into getting one if it isn't against my apartment's policy.
I should point out that small rodents are actually very noise-sensitive, and react poorly to stress. I would not recommend a small rodent for a noisy environment.
And BTW gerbils tend to be either diurnal or crepuscular.
Yeah, I wasn't finding much on google about noise v small animals, but its kind of common sense you don't want your critter next to your speakers. There's a lot of factors in play here that I don't know about, like how loud the noise is in your room, how big your room is, when its generally loud, etc etc. Basically use your good judgement, and go from there is what I can tell you.
Good call on the gerbil thing though, Feral. I was thinking of hamsters, which are indeed crepuscular.
But how do they smell? It might not be an issue in a house or decent sized apartment, but in a dorm (which might already have an armoa of it's own), would they stink up the place?
But how do they smell? It might not be an issue in a house or decent sized apartment, but in a dorm (which might already have an armoa of it's own), would they stink up the place?
Lizards or mammals? I mean there's not really a stink factor I've noticed from my beardie, as long as you clean out the cage once a week or every other week. My sister had a gerbil when she was younger, and I don't remember it stinking too badly, but there's a lot of mess to deal with, as far as shavings and what not go.
The important thing is this: Do either of these species do pushups?
Bearded dragons will bob their heads rapidly. It looks a little like a pushup, but their forelegs don't bend. That's what they do to show dominance.
They will also wave. It looks like the Jedi Mind Trick wave, slow and deliberate. This is display of friendliness or submissiveness. It means, either "I'm a bearded dragon too, so don't attack me" or "I don't mean you any harm."
Regarding the stink, bearded dragon scat can be kind of stinky, yeah, but they don't poop all that often and they're easy to clean. Other than that they're relatively scent-less.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
The important thing is this: Do either of these species do pushups?
Bearded dragons will bob their heads rapidly. It looks a little like a pushup, but their forelegs don't bend. That's what they do to show dominance.
They will also wave. It looks like the Jedi Mind Trick wave, slow and deliberate. This is display of friendliness or submissiveness. It means, either "I'm a bearded dragon too, so don't attack me" or "I don't mean you any harm."
But I would still need fence lizards with a wire cage top for the pull-ups.
Posts
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
On the black screen
And their eyesight is really sharp. They're among the only fish that can clearly see outside their tank. We had a twelve-inch Amazonian cichlid in a 35-gallon tank, and he would watch you as you walked around the apartment. It was kind of creepy, actually.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I guess lizards were an exception? You have a point though. I never saw any other pets...except fish.
On the black screen
Ehn, I kept a chinchilla in a dorm for a couple years, and know a guy who managed to keep a hedgehog, both without the RA's knowledge. I just couldn't imagine keeping something out in the open like that.
Household greens, fruits, weeds, odd veggies from the store, etc. Just about any fruit/vegetable that a human can eat, really.
I guess I'm just a dog/cat fanboy, they dont shed their skin and they're friendly. But I understand that some people find reptiles to be good pets, I just never understood the logic.
That someone has a mustache, drives a van, and sleeps with several women at the same time?
I guess that's one way to keep my mother from ever visiting me again though.
Are they also obsessed with Delta Burke and Courvoisier?
I did not know about that. I'm always a fan of pets that respond positively to you, as opposed to just sitting there all FEED ME or I JUST SHAT IN YOUR SINK. I've seen some gorgeous cichilids too, and I like the idea of them being burrowing fish (at least in theory, the idea that I'm going to have gravel piled to this side or that has yet to be tested in reality).
Stitch (the lizard) apparently was just waiting a few days before dropping a giant dook. He seems much more relieved, IMHO.
Our smaller African cichlids didn't burrow, but the big Amazonian red terror did. It wasn't so much burrowing as arranging. He piled gravel in a shelf along the front of edge of the tank and hid behind it when there was a lot of activity in our front room.
Oh, and they'll chase laser pointers.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I was never much of a fish person beyond the standard goldfish as a child, but since we moved in here and there were 12 huge goldfish in our pond I have found watching them to be amazingly calming. And then we inhertied the tank with the angel and friends from friends who moved out of province and I kinda like them now too. It made me sad when my pond fish got stolen.
Ultimate aquatic cute factor unless you want to get in to mammals.
Though eels are pretty awesome too.
Sea horses are fragile and very difficult to keep healthy. They also don't compete well with other species, so they do best when alone. If you're experienced enough with saltwater species to take proper care of them, you're experienced enough to know whether you want them already.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Just gotta have a nice sea herd.
Open range seahorse ranch!!!!
So I take it you're going to grow a mustache and have a van? Because sea horses are right up there with growing you some coral in your living room, dropping a car payment on high intensity lights.
Seriously, reef tanks are like the ultimate sign of disposable income. I've seen small generators in case your power goes out so you can keep your kit running and don't have to worry about watching your coral slowly die during a prolonged power outage.
I know the cichilids at the store will follow my hand in front of the tank, but didn't know the laser pointer bit. They're sounding kind of cattish, minus the hairballs and dander and spraying everywhere. Which is Greek for saying they sound pretty awesome.
Frankly, when I was living with my last girlfriend and she was raising dragons, she got everything off of Craigslist. She scored so much free equipment and, occasionally, free dragons that I really don't know. I can tell you that an adolescent dragon in the pet store would run you around $30, and that you're going to want a minimum 30 but preferably 50 gallon tank. Brand new fish tanks that size run $100-200, but I don't see any reason why you should spend that much. Even a leaky tank would work fine since you're not actually putting water in it. Hell, we didn't even buy tank decorations - we went to the beach and collected driftwood and rocks.
The only things we bought new were sand, food, and anything electrical (heat lamp and heat rock).
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
heat rocks are also not reccomended as "Do not use an electrical reptile heat rock or heating pad as a heat source for your Bearded Dragons. These products have the potential to fatally burn the dragon's belly, as many lizards do not feel a 'localized' temperature... but an overall body temperature."
as long as you have a rock for them to bask on it should heat up more then enough from the heat lamp to keep them comfortable
they also require either a full spectrum UV light, or to be fed a dietary calcium/d3 supplement like repcal (it'd pretty easy to give them supplements too, you just dust the crickets with it before you throw em in). If your seriously thinking about getting one i'd suggest giving this page a read here
All that may sound kind of intimidating but they're actually very easy and rather inexpensive to setup, the only thing that costs a fair amount of money is the aquarium you plan on keeping them in. And once its all setup its pretty hands off, except for when you decide to take them out.
Yeah, that's what we did.
I didn't know about heat rocks, though. We've used them on occasion with no ill effects, but our heat rocks were adjustable and we always kept them on low and buried in sand.
The UV light is important. A bearded dragon can die from a vitamin D deficiency, and typical household lights don't give off nearly enough of the right spectrum of UV. What we did is put a full-spectrum UV light covering the whole tank, and a heat lamp focusing on one side of the tank. That way you create a temperature gradient so the dragon can move around and get comfortable.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
He's a little over two years old, isn't tamed, and the guy who had him didn't really take good care of him at all (he was in his cage most of the time, and fed melons almost exclusively).
If I decide not to keep him anymore, where do I find people who actually know what they're doing who would be interested in taking him? I mean, people with an actual interest in reptiles, who know how to feed and care for them, and not just some teenager who thinks lizards are "cool"?
Steam / Bus Blog / Goozex Referral
A pet store specializing in exotics, probably. If you were in the San Francisco Bay Area, I'd suggest taking him to the East Bay Vivarium. I don't know if there are similar businesses where you live.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Sounds like you want a Reptile Sanctuary.
I dropped about $250 on mine. While I'd recommend sites like beardeddragon.org, there's a lot of hyperbole on those sites along the lines of "if you do/don't do this YOUR DRAGON WILL DIE!!! D :" The section on food and impactions is pretty spot on though.
First, let's start with the tank. There's two schools of thought on the tank, since if you get a huge one when he's a wee lizard, he's going to have to hunt more for his food (in a 50 gallon), while in a 20 gallon not so much movement. However around month six or so, you're going to want to think of upgrading to that 50 gallon tank. Beardies are considered "giant" lizards even though they only approach a 1 1/2 to 2 feet when they hit adulthood. Personally, I picked a 20 gallon tank which I'm going to upgrade to a 50 gallon tank in the next few months. You'll also probably want a mesh top, so his light can get through, air and humidity can pass in and out, and its easier for feeding.
Now we've got substrate. Rule of thumb is for the babies/juvies to stay away from any "loose" substrate like sand, and especially walnut shell or any of that nonsense. Butcher paper, stone tile, etc have all been used as acceptable substrates. I've seen gorgeous tanks that use tan stone tile as the floor for the tank. However, I'm waiting until I get the big tank, so for now I'm using ReptiCarpet, which is a thin carpet that fits in your tank, and when it gets filthy you can reuse it by washing it. Each pack generally comes with two, so while one's being washed you can slap on the other one, and then repeat the process when that time comes around again.
You'll need two types of lights for your lizard. An UVA light and an UVB light. I have problems remembering which is which, but generally he gets his UVA from the basking lamp you'll buy him and general ambient light, but he'll get his UVB light from a special flourescent bulb. A ReptiSun 7.0 or anything put out by that company will do you good. Generally you'll need to raise an area so that he's at least 6-8 inches near the flourescent light so he gets the maximum effective dose of radiation. This helps build strong bones and fight diseases in your lizard, which leads to my next point.
Food is one of the biggest things for your lizard. Beardies, being predators, can suffer from a condition called an impaction, where they can't digest chitin and it backs up in their system, which can lead to paralysis and other nasty complications while his systems back up and he tries to force it out. While he's a baby/juvie, you'll want to stay mainly to crickets for the first four months or so, and very small crickets. The rule of thumb is "no bigger than between his eyes" for live prey. Check and make sure your pet store sells small crickets. Pinhead crickets are supposedly the only thing you're "supposed" to feed him but I was feeding mine small crix from the beginning, and he never impacted. Around the third month I started feeding mine waxworms, which are soft and squishy and he loves. Also, your beardie will begin eating greens around this point. There's an excellent site around that lists what you should and should not be feeding your beardie. Generally I find he'll wolf down collard greens, curly parsley, and kale like a champ. Fruits are also recommended - I've come home many a day to find his lips red from where he demolished a chopped up strawberry I've left for him. Some of the pictures of "beardie salads" I've seen seem a little excessive, especially when followed by "and throw it out four hours after you put it in". Eventually, you'll be able to move up to mealworms, superworms, and then feeder mice, if that's your thing, when he's fully grown.
You'll have to dust your beardie's food with supplements, both Vitamin D and with a multi vitamin 2-3 times per week with the former, and once a week with the latter. Generally getting a small jar and prepping it with some of the powder followed by dumping your crix in there and giving it a stir seems to work well. I have a cricket cage (think a little plastic habitat, but with four tubes coming down from the top and into the cage) that I use for my crix. I also gut load them, so generally they're living pretty well before they're fed to Stitch. Also, beardies eat A LOT as juvies. I try to keep mine from eating too many to prevent impactions, but if I let him he would easily go through over 400 crickets in two weeks. Right now he's going through about 250 - 300 or so as part of his growth spurt (he shed twice last month), but its supposed to level out when he gets to adult status.
As far as heat rocks go, Your Experience May Vary. Personally, I saw no problem with heat rocks, since he seems to know when he's hot enough and gets the hell off of it. He uses it and seems better for it (the warmth actually helps them digest food), so I've kept it in there. I've also got a little reptile hammock (beardies are suprisingly arboreal), and he'll leap onto it from his basking log, which is a good 8-10 jump. There's also a hermit crab log I bought that I use as a ladder of sorts so he can get up there if he dosen't feel like leaping, and some rocks are stacked in a corner in case he's feeling frisky. Also, I've got a dish for water, and a dish for his greens. I also mist him once or twice a day, but he'll drink out of the dish and perform a manuever that looks like he's "licking his chops".
One more thing. You'll need a heat and humidity gauge. I find the gauges you can buy work fine - some people claim you need to drop a nice dime on a digital temp gun, but that's not the case. As far as your basking lights go, I've found a 75 watt bulb is the happy medium. Make sure to set up your cage so that there's a cool side, warm side, and basking area. Generally the basking area should be on the warm side, and it should be raised as well. The temperature should never fall below 70 degrees, even at night. During the day, 80 to 85 is acceptable (raise 5 degrees higher for babies/juvies), 90-95 for the warm, and up to 110 for the basking area. Keeping a steady temp helps them digest their food, which is why it should be higher for the younger lizards in all cases.
Beardies will take food from the hand, if that's your thing too. However some of them may see you leaning in to pet and crane their head back for a nibble, like mine has.
My one particular about owning a beardie (or any animal really) is that if you're living on a fluctuating income, and you might go broke for weeks at a time, you need to think long and hard about getting a beardie and whether or not you're willing to sacrifice nights out and whatnot to make sure your lizard is going to be getting his meals. They also live for up to 15 years, much like a dog, so think about that as well. If you just got a windfall and think a lizard might be a cool pet to have, go get an anole or something.
I hope that covers anything you need to know. Anything else feel free to direct to me in this thread or PM.
Here's some pics of my beardie, so you have an idea of what a cage might look like. These pictures are about three weeks old, so he's gotten somewhat bigger since then.
Stitch on his hammock.
Near the heat rock and basking log.
Classic "WTF r u doin?" look.
The last sight of many a cricket.
Shows how bad my memory is.
silicon's post is really good, BTW.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I'm going to be living in dorms for two more years and I've been thinking about getting a small animal to keep in my room. I have enough spare time to take good care of almost anything, but I'm wondering if it's a good idea. I was thinking maybe a gecko or something, but then I was leaning towards a couple gerbils. You people seem pretty experienced, and my real question is how would most small caged animals respond to an environment that isn't quiet very often. I normally have music on, but not blaring and there's almost always seems to be one douchebag on every floor who has a subwoofer so massive he's obviously trying to compensate for something. Does anyone know if most small caged animals tolerate sounds very well or if it just wouldn't be fair to a small reptile or mammal to put them in an environment like that?
I'm pretty sure that as long as you're not blasting the music right next to the cage you'll be alright. If its constantly so loud in your room that you have to shout to hear yourself, I might be worried. Otherwise, it shouldn't be a massive problem. What'd I'd be worried about more if you get something like a gecko (good choice BTW), or a gerbil is their activity cycle. A lot of geckos (including leopard geckos) are nocturnal, as are gerbils, so if there's a lot of activity going on during the night, it might not effect them as much as a dirunally active critter, who's trying to sleep and having music going on in your room.
And BTW gerbils tend to be either diurnal or crepuscular.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Yeah, I wasn't finding much on google about noise v small animals, but its kind of common sense you don't want your critter next to your speakers. There's a lot of factors in play here that I don't know about, like how loud the noise is in your room, how big your room is, when its generally loud, etc etc. Basically use your good judgement, and go from there is what I can tell you.
Good call on the gerbil thing though, Feral. I was thinking of hamsters, which are indeed crepuscular.
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Lizards or mammals? I mean there's not really a stink factor I've noticed from my beardie, as long as you clean out the cage once a week or every other week. My sister had a gerbil when she was younger, and I don't remember it stinking too badly, but there's a lot of mess to deal with, as far as shavings and what not go.
Bearded dragons will bob their heads rapidly. It looks a little like a pushup, but their forelegs don't bend. That's what they do to show dominance.
They will also wave. It looks like the Jedi Mind Trick wave, slow and deliberate. This is display of friendliness or submissiveness. It means, either "I'm a bearded dragon too, so don't attack me" or "I don't mean you any harm."
Regarding the stink, bearded dragon scat can be kind of stinky, yeah, but they don't poop all that often and they're easy to clean. Other than that they're relatively scent-less.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
But I would still need fence lizards with a wire cage top for the pull-ups.