Bearded Dragon

Thieves snatch bearded dragon

2010-11-04T11:24:00.000+00:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3056256.stm

Fears have been voiced for the safety of a bearded dragon stolen from Glasgow University.

It is thought that thieves may have smuggled the reptile out of the Zoology Museum in a bag.

Experts have warned that Max, who was one of the favourite exhibits, could start to decline in unfamiliar surroundings.

Strathclyde Police are examining CCTV footage in an attempt to shed light on the theft.

The force has also urged anyone with information about Max's whereabouts to come forward.

Detectives leading the inquiry said the reptile had been taken some time between Thursday of last week and Monday.

No danger

It is thought that thieves posing as visitors to the museum may have stuffed Max into a bag.

Similar to an iguana in appearance, the bearded dragon is about 2.5ft long and dark grey in colour, with a light gold underbelly.

Max is not considered a danger to the public and was described as "friendly" by university staff.

Assistant curator Camilla Nichol said: "We are becoming increasingly concerned about Max's welfare as he will not thrive in an unfamiliar surrounding.
"If he is left outside, he begins to cool and slow down, especially at night.
"He would become very miserable indeed and would not be able to feed and thus enter a decline."
Bearded dragons are native to Australia and can only survive in high temperatures.
A spokeswoman for the university said they were reasonably common pets, which can be bought for between £30 and £100.

Large tank
"They are a manageable size, placid in temperament and, as with most reptiles, once you have a vivarium set up, they are relatively easy to keep," she said.
"In addition they live very well in captivity, develop real character and can be a constant source of amusement."
Max would need a large tank fitted with reptile lamps which replicate daylight and provide the necessary heat.
He eats fruit, salad mixture and a regular supply of live insects and also needs a vitamin and mineral supplement to offset the minimised exposure to real sunlight.

Impaction In Reptiles - what is it and how do I treat it?

2010-11-04T11:17:00.000+00:00

Author: Gordon Bloomfield

Impaction - what is it and how do I treat it?

Impaction is a condition that affects reptiles. It is a common problem in geckos and Bearded dragons, although can occur in most reptiles. It is when a foreign object that it cannot digest becomes blocked in the digestive tract. It can, if not treated, be fatal.

Causes of impaction

Impaction is caused by swallowing objects that the animal cannot digest, such as substrate plastic plantsand unsuitable food items. Most commonly they are swallowed by accident, when the reptile attacks prey. Mostly sand, small rocks and parts of décor are to blame as they aren’t something you’d think your lizard would eat, even accidentally! Giving the wrong type of food at the wrong stages is also a threat.

Preventing impaction

The first line of defence against impaction is prevention. Don’t use fine sands with young geckos or beardies; instead use chunky wood based substrate, ceramic, newspaper or slate that is labelled suitable. Avoid calcium sand with young geckos too; as they will ingest it to get the nutrients from it, unfortunately they can’t fully digest it leading to a risk of impaction. You can supply a small bowl of calcium supplement for the young gecko to dip into from time to time.

Be careful with your décor, especially with young lizards. Quite often the young reptile will mistake the authentic looking leaves for real vegetation! Although most reptile décor is durable enough to withstand this attack, aquarium décor or old décor may not. Checking that there are no bits coming off of plastic plants is a good routine to get into, better still avoid plastic plants all together until your reptile is bigger.

Food items can also pose a problem. Harder foods are often a problem for younger lizards, especially geckos. Avoid black crickets (sometimes called field crickets) and mealworms until the animal is older. Instead feed brown crickets and wax worms, which do not have the hard casing black crickets and mealworms have, which can cause impaction.

How do I know if my pet is impacted?

Usually refusal to eat is the first sign. However this shouldn’t be taken as a symptom alone, many reptiles go off food for periods of time and sometimes it may be down to the wrong environment. So the next symptom is to see if your pet has been passing regularly. If not at all or infrequently you should check the abdomen, which may be swollen, distended, black or blue coloured or puffy. Your pet may also seem sluggish, hiding up and refusing to drink.

I think my pet may be impacted, what do I do now?

Firstly, don’t keep feeding, as the reptile is unlikely to take food. If he or she feels better they might but that doesn’t mean the impaction is cleared and therefore may add to the problem. Secondly you will need to bathe your pet. Take a shallow dish, separate container (or if your reptile is large, even a bath!) and fill it just enough to rest the reptile comfortably in. The water needs to room temperature. Allow it to soak for 10 to 15 minutes; this should encourage the reptile to pass waste and the impaction along with it. You can do this twice a day, but if in a couple of days nothing has happened it may be best to seek a vets advice.

http://www.allpet.co.uk
http://petandreptile.blogspot.com

Does Your Bearded Dragon Eat His Vegetables

2010-10-04T10:17:00.000+01:00

....Ok, I've found an interesting article on teaching your Baby Bearded Dragon to Eat Vegetables.

I hope you enjoy this one.

How to Teach a Baby Bearded Dragon to Eat Vegetables

By CB Michaels

If you're looking into keeping a bearded dragon as a pet for the first time, you might not even know what it is that they eat. Considering how vitally important the correct diet is for any living creature, this is something you need to thoroughly understand before you bring your new friend home from the herp store. Beardies are omnivores like humans, meaning they eat both plants and other living creatures. A good diet for a bearded dragon is similar to what a good diet for a human is (should be, anyway): for the most part they eat salads of dark, leafy greens (romaine, green leaf, red leaf, kale) and also orange and yellow vegetables (carrots and squash are what I use) with occasional feedings of crickets and worms dusted in a calcium/vitamin supplement.

Baby beardies are typically given a diet of crickets only in the pet store, so they will actually need to be trained to eat vegetables. This takes time, patience and dedication, and is of the utmost importance. Most beardies will catch on within a couple days, however if yours doesn't you will need to stick with it. Failing to do so could literally kill your pet. I know, because it did mine. Beardies will become ill and die given only a diet of insects.

The best way to train babies to eat their veggies is this:

Wait for an hour or two past typical feeding time so your beardie is good and hungry.
Prepare a shallow dish full of a very finely shredded dark leafy green like romaine or green leaf, and also some chopped peelings from carrot and yellow squash. Moisten thoroughly, but don't completely drown it. (A spray bottle on the "mist" setting is good for this.)
Position your beardie next to the bowl (if he doesn't come over to investigate when you put it into his enclosure.) If you like, offer him a small piece of the greens by hand - hopefully he will eye it and maybe even lick it.
Take a single baby cricket, which he will be used to eating, and drop it into the bowl in front of the beardie where he can plainly see it.

Ideally, he will lunge for the cricket with his tongue fully extended, and in the process unintentionally get a big mouthful of vegetables. After he has eaten the cricket, wait and see if he considers the vegetables or is still ignoring them.

Repeat consistently for all subsequent feedings. After two or three days offer the greens alone and see how he responds to them. He should gradually start picking at them, at which time you can offer him fewer and fewer crickets to "wean" him off of them so to speak, and eventually he will take to eating his salads completely.

This is the best way that I know to teach a bearded dragon how to eat the nutritious vegetables that are critical for his survival and good health. It worked very well for my current beardie, Bu, who is over six years old and going strong.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=CB_Michaels

6B9AC598EBSF

How to Set Up A Bearded Dragon Vivarium

2010-10-02T18:49:00.000+01:00

Hi again,

I want to talk about setting up your vivarium for a bearded dragon.

I've been doing some research and I can see this is going to be an ongoing subject, as there is lots of debate on how best to do this and as to whether or not you should keep your Bearded Dragons singly or in groups. Below are two examples of how opinions differ. First is an article by Stephen Gordon and afterwards I will post the link to a video.
I will add more articles in the future on the subject but for now.....

Enjoy

Bearded Dragon Vivarium - Set Up Perfect Eco-System For Your Dragon

By Stephen A Gordon

The entire concept of a bearded dragon vivarium is to try as best as feasible to reproduce its natural environment. It must be a mini eco-system permitting your pet to live as naturally as he would in natural habitats, and this is the reason why the vivarium is a touch more specialised than simply employing a hamster or rabbit hutch as your pet's home.

You'll need a massive vivarium for your pet, and ideally for a single adult your bearded dragon vivarium should actually be around five feet long, by two feet wide, and 2 feet high. This guarantees that your pet has lots of room to move round the enclosure and climb to the highest point he will be able to, without getting cramped up or scraping his nose in the midst.

The vivarium should be found somewhere in your home, that (a) has the space required for you to easily access it, and (b) where it isn't going to be in the light for twenty-four hours per day. So if you're considering placing it in the middle of the dining area where the daylight comes in all day, and where the lights are on almost all of the night, this wouldn't be a brilliant idea.

It'll possibly cost a touch more to purchase a specialised bearded dragon vivarium, versus the straightforward rabbit hutch or aquarium, but the results will be worthwhile when you factor in that they'll be nearer to the pet's natural environment you can get, the better possibilities of having a long healthy and cheerful relationship with your pet.

I think when you think about that your dragon should be with you for a minimum of eight to ten years, and you're employed the price (say $250) of the vivarium over that period of time, the yearly cost isn't that bad in any way.

Naturally an alternative choice if you're handy with home workman tools, would be to have all of the materials (glass and timber) cut to size, and then construct it yourself at home. This would save some cash, but I suspect nowadays it wouldn't save lots of money, and you'd need to have the resources and talents to put it together as it should be.

So with all the other enclosures and habitats it makes better sense to have your bearded dragon vivarium established with all the lighting and heating wants, before bringing your pet home from the breeder. If you do this, then all of the dragon has to do is settle in to his new environment, without repeatedly being interrupted by you adding new items to the environment.

You'll need to be sure that you've got the temperatures set precisely in your bearded dragon vivarium, as they need to be so that your dragon has the very best chance from the start. These reptiles are local to Australia, and are used to the Australian sun, so heating control is important for your pet to reach adulthood healthy and without illness. If you see your dragon gaping breathing with his mouth open, you know he's too hot, and at that point the temperature should be reduced by switching off the lights, and gently misting the enclosure with clean water.

To learn and understand more about the best way to set up your bearded dragon vivarium, check out what info you can about the natural environment in the deserts of Australia. This is what you're going to try to mimic for your new pet.

Stephen Gordon is a bearded dragon expert. Discover The ULTIMATE Guide For Bearded Dragon Care, Learn The Secrets How To Grow A Happy & Healthy Bearded Dragon!

Learn more information about Bearded Dragon Vivarium, visit http://www.beardeddragoncaresecrets.com.

How to Set Up A Bearded Dragon Vivarium

Till next time
Tina

Fang - New Pics

2010-07-23T22:48:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,
Thought you might like to see some new pictures of Fang.
He's been out running about the living room again, so like all good mum's out comes the camera.
But before I show you the up to date pictures I found a couple of him when we first got him.
He looks so tiny sitting on his rock. The photo's are a bit blurry as I took them with my old phone.

Taken 11/02/10 - How cute is he!!

And now for the pics I took today

This good looking young man is Stephen.

Fang actually belongs to Stephen, but as with all our animals we all share in the care of our babies.

And sporting a Fang shoulder ornament is the man of my life and soon to be Husband Brandon

Hmm! What can I get into next?

Yeh! Proud to be me!!

Ooops! who polished the floor?

Mum Heeeelp!!

Bond With Your Beardie

2010-07-19T09:56:00.000+01:00

Alot of people ask, "How do you bond with your beardie". Not all beardies are going to be keen on being handled that much, our Fang loves to sit near me on the window sill whilst I work on my computer, the main thing is to observe them and see what they want. When Fang has had enough outside he heads back to Vivarium, and when he wants to come out he taps against the glass.

Anyway I have found an interesting article on "Bonding with your Beardie". I hope you enjoy it.

5 Tips For Bonding With Your Bearded Dragon

By Al Murray

Reptiles are very different to dogs and cats and will not display affection in the same way. However there have been many cases proofing that you can build a bond with a bearded dragon. They have been known to even have favourites, preferring attention from one owner more than another.

Here are 5 top tips to building a relationship with your bearded dragon;

Regular Handling

Bearded dragons are extremely tolerant of being handled. I allow mine to run around the kitchen at weekends for a while. They love to explore every nook and cranny.

Do not be scared of your beardie. They will only show aggression if they feel threatened or stressed. Be firm with them, but careful not to hurt them.

Hand Feeding

A great way of building trust with your dragon is to hand feed them. I hand feed my dragons their live food and vegetables. The key here is not to overdo it. Your pet should not become over reliant on you and lose their instincts to hunt prey and to eat from their food bowl.

Bearded dragons are very gentle and will take from you using their tongue, doing their best not to hurt you. They do make mistakes though and have been known to confuse fingers with food. Personally my dragons have never bitten me, just be careful and be assured that it is not intentional.

Regular Feeding Pattern

Try and install a regular feeding pattern for your dragons. They will come to recognise this and eagerly wait for dinner time. Just be prepared for a look of disapproval if you are late with their dinner.

I struggle to get the food into the food bowl before they are feverishly taking it from my hand. I really should install some table manners into the pair, but its very funny to see.

Bathing

Bathing is a great way of hydrating your lizard. Bearded dragons do not recognise still water and seeing them drink from a water bowl is a very rare sight.

Bath them in a sink, or the bath in warm water. Some dragons enjoy this and others don't. But they will absorb the water through their pores hydrating their bodies.

Disinfect the sink or bath after use.

Respect their Privacy and Sleep

Loud televisions and stereos whilst your dragons are trying to sleep will cause them stress. Try and respect their down time. Also if your dragon is hiding under their log, its probably because they don't want to be disturbed. Respect their privacy and unless its urgent, such as giving them medication, leave them alone.

Bearded Dragons - Basic care

2010-07-18T16:00:00.000+01:00

Hello again,
The following is an article I've found for you on the basic care of your Bearded Dragon.
I hope you enjoy reading it.

Bearded Dragons - Basic care
Author: Gordon Bloomfield

Bearded dragons can make wonderful pet Lizards, with fantastic and fascinating behaviours they are often sold as the perfect 'beginner' lizard. However much care and thought should be put into buying one as a pet. As with all lizards, they are a long-term commitment and have specialist requirements, which need to be understood.

Bearded dragons originate from Australia; although many of the Bearded Dragons sold are captive bred, meaning they are generally healthier specimens. The lifespan of a Beardie is usually around 7 years, which is why careful consideration must be put into owning one! Due to their natural habitats they are terrestrial creatures that like to occasionally climb. They are generally docile creatures that show a lot of expression through body language, so they can be fascinating to watch. They are also one of the few lizards that will tame nicely and some can become quite friendly toward their owners, however you should still keep in mind that they usually prefer their own space.

Housing a Beardie

Bearded dragons are endothermic, like all lizards, meaning they take their heat from their surroundings. With this in mind their enclosure needs to have adequate space and placement to allow them to regulate their temperature. The vivarium itself should be around 36 Inches to 42 inches long and of no less than 18 to 24 Inches widthways. The height should be adequate to place decor and allow the Beardie to climb, so a height of around 18 to 24 Inches should be available.

There are several types of vivarium available, from the usual ply board and sliding glass door type to the all glass type. Either is sufficient, however the wooden types tend to keep heat in more effectively and reduce stress as the wooden sides don't create reflection like glass vivariums and create secluded corners for your pet to retreat to. However some glass vivariums come with metal mesh on the top and ventilation on the doors, allowing for better air movement than the wooden types.
Whatever type of vivarium you choose, placement in your home is important and should be carefully considered before buying. The vivarium should not be placed in draughts or next to radiators, not should it be placed in direct sunlight. All these things will change the temperature of the enclosure and this can lead to problems with your pet. It should also be placed somewhere quiet, where there isn't a lot of 'traffic' or noise either from people or household appliances. Lastly, careful consideration should be put into whether the vivarium is accessible to other pets or younger children who may be overly inquisitive! This also brings about the last point, always make sure the vivarium is secured, either with it's own locking system or a traditional 'viv lock'!

Heat and lighting

Beardies require a temperature gradient of around 30-35 degrees Celsius at the hottest end and 20-25 degrees Celsius at the coolest end. A basking spot reaching around 40 degrees Celsius is also needed. Creating this gradient is the key to beardie success as it governs all of their habits and workings.

So how do you create the correct temperature gradient for a Bearded Dragon? Well, it partly depends on the type of vivarium you have. The main tools of heating are a heat mat (regulated with a thermostat) and a basking spotlight (in addition to UV lighting).

The general method for creating this gradient means putting a heat mat under the substrate at one end of the vivarium, it should cover around half of the vivarium floor. The heat mat works on infrared and will literally heat the substrate and therefore your lizard. A thermostat is usually required to control the heat mats output, avoiding it from getting too hot, as the heat mat needs to stay on all of the time. You should also place a thermometer at each end to check the gradients.

At the same end a basking light should be mounted. This will provide your lizard the area of concentrated heat it needs as well as heating the air in the vivarium, known as 'ambient heat. How you mount the bulb will depend on the type of vivarium you have. Glass vivariums presuming they have a mesh top can simply have the bulb and lighting unit stood on top of the vivarium. Some vivariums have special units that can clip onto the top. If your vivarium is wooden you can use a standard light fitment and affix the bulb to the wood, inside the enclosure. Sometimes the wooden type vivariums have these prefitted. If you have this type of vivarium you need to also purchase a light guard that can fit onto the bulb fitment ensuring your beardie doesn't climb onto the light, burning itself.

The wattage of the light also needs to be carefully considered. Generally smaller enclosures require a smaller wattage, 50, 75 and 100 watts are good standards although larger cages may need 150w. It is also important to remember glass will not insulate the enclosure as well as wooden sided vivariums, therefore may require a higher wattage. The best thing to do is to ask your local pet store on the specifics of your tank, going from there you can experiment until you are satisfied. This also emphasizes the need to set up your vivarium and running it for a bit to see what needs changing and so on.

Lastly, UV lighting is needed for Beardies. Without proper lighting your beardie cannot manufacture the vitamins he needs from food. This can cause serious implications for your Beardie. Usually a UV light strip, manufactured especially for use in vivariums, is put at the centre toward the top back of the vivarium, allowing even light dispersal. The light is usually powered by a starter unit, which allows you to power the light as well as mount it. Some vivariums come with them already fitted and some, such as glass vivariums can have special units that fit on the top of the mesh.

The light itself should be around 10.00 UV level, if you are unsure when buying it is best to ask! The light should be replaced around every six months to ensure its UV output is still at optimum levels. To replicate the environment that a beardie is naturally in you should keep both the basking lamp and fluorescent light on for no more than 14 hours. In the winter months this should be decreased to around 12 hours. After this 'day' period you should turn off the fluorescent light and either dim or turn off the basking light. It is generally better to dim the basking light so there is still some heat being produced in the basking area. You can buy a range of timers and dimmers for this purpose although they are not necessary as you can just turn it off manually.

Cage decor for the Beardie
Beardies require only the most basic decor, substrate, water bowl and somewhere to hide and climb. However you may prefer to create a more stimulating environment both for you and your beardie!

Substrate is the most important thing. It should be carefully considered, there are many different opinions on substrate types, so you should generally use your good sense when choosing. It is important to remember the age of the beardie, fine substrates can be swallowed easily and cause impaction in young lizards. You also need to keep in mind how clean the substrate will be, how easy will it be for you to spot clean? Also, substrate should not be more than an inch thick, as this will stop the heat mat from working properly.

Generally people use sand for older beardies, it is easy to clean and looks natural. There are several types of sand, from calcium sand to fine 'repti-sand'. Which one you use is up to you and how well your beardie responds to it.

You can also consider shelf liner, reptile carpet or newspaper, especially for younger Beardies as it reduces the risk of impaction. However it doesn’t look as nice and some people have disputed the cleanliness of such materials, as they can be difficult to clean.

Some people even use ceramic tiles or large slate pieces, although they don't look as good they are easy to clean and heat up rather well under the basking light. However it is important to keep in mind the change to temperature it may cause. As a general rule you should do as much research on substrate and try to decide what you feel is the best for you and your beardie.

After you have decided on substrate you need to now focus on other essentials, like water bowls. The water bowl should be big enough for your beardie to get in but not deep enough for it to not be able to get out again! Some people use large ceramic dog bowls, which are easy to clean. You can also purchase resin bowls, which are also easy to clean and tend to be moulded to look like rocks, enhancing the enclosure's look. It is again, down to personal preference. The positioning of the bowl is important. It needs to be positioned at the coolest end of the vivarium, to ensure the gradient is maintained. You may also want to purchase feeding bowls, in order to contain insects and other foods stuffs.

Another essential is a hiding spot for your beardie. This can be anything from pieces of cork bark and mopani/bogwood carefully and securely stacked, to shaped hides, made from resin, wood or similar materials. This, again, needs to be put at the coolest end of the vivarium as most lizards when hiding prefer to be cool and temperatures inside the hide will rise if put too close to the basking lamp.

Additional decor isn’t needed, but will make the enclosure a lot nicer for both you and your pet. Things such as plastic plants, branches, slate and rocks can be placed to provide areas for climbing, basking and hiding. Be careful not to put live plants in, as they may be harmful. You should also try to buy wooden branches, as they will be free from pests. When placing decor keep in mind that Beardies are can be heavy and so items should be secure and no sharp edges present.

Cleaning your Beardies Enclosure

Having a clean enclosure is very important, dirty conditions will lead to disease and general discomfort for your pet as well as putting you at risk.

It is important you spot clean. When you see 'deposits' or loose skin from shedding you should safely remove it and any affected bedding. If any of the decor becomes soiled you should clean it with a lizard safe disinfectant and rinse with water.

Food and water bowls should be cleaned daily with lizard safe disinfectant and rinsed thoroughly.

You should completely clean the vivarium at least every three months, completely changing the substrate, cleaning the decor and vivarium with disinfectant and rinsing with water.

Feeding your Beardie

Careful consideration should go into your bearded dragons diet, as it will largely determine the health of you pet. Bearded dragons will eat a mixture of vegetables and live insects. If you are not comfortable feeding insects, you should consider if a lizard is the best choice for you as ultimately you need to think of it's health first.

If you are okay with feeding live insects, feeding time can be a fun and rewarding experience.

Firstly you need to understand how much a bearded dragon likes to eat. They have high metabolisms and therefore should have food available for the majority of the time. This can come in the form of mealworms, dried food and vegetables, with things such as crickets or locusts completing the diet. You should never leave insects such as locusts or crickets in the enclosure for a long time as they will nibble your pet, causing annoyance and pain.

You also need to provide fresh water everyday. Although desert creatures, they need water. Some of this is obtained through food although they will enjoy the very occasional misting of water.

When feeding your dragon, it is best to give it no more food than can be consumed within 10 minutes, with the exception of vegetation, which can be left in for the day. Insects should be removed after 10-15 minutes and vegetation and dry foods removed at the end of the day.

A young bearded dragon should be fed on small amounts of small brown crickets 2-3 times a day. Mealworms should be excluded from their diet at this stage. This is the same for young or 'sub' adult beardies. When feeding crickets, they should be no bigger than the size of the gap in between their eyes.

Young Beardies can also be fed on commercial foods, specially formulated for young bearded dragons. This should be fed in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions.

An adult Beardie can be fed larger crickets, 2-3 times a day. They may also be willing to take locusts. New foods can be introduced to the adult Beardie, including mealworms, which can be left in a suitable bowl in the enclosure. Wax worms can also make a delicious treat for your Beardie, however they should be given in moderation, both to stop selective eating and weight gain!

Adult bearded dragons will also love to eat vegetables; spring greens are a particular favourite. Make sure you wash any vegetables you provide, ensuring any pesticides or preservatives have been removed.

You can also feed manufactured dry foods formulated especially for adult beardies and always in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

Shedding in Beardies

As your Bearded Dragon grows, it will shed its skin. During this time it may be less inclined to be 'active' and may dislike being held. It is important that you don't pull or try to 'help' you pet shed. It is quite capable of rubbing it off on decor items within its enclosure. Unlike snakes, the skin will fall off in parts, so don't be alarmed! If you think it's having trouble shedding you can give it a light mist with some lukewarm water.

Problems you may encounter

Beardies rarely encounter problems if kept properly, however if your beardie does become ill this will help you to know what to do next!

Impaction

This comes from the beardie eating too much or eating fine substrates or other foreign objects, such as sand, plastic plants, small pebbles and so on. Signs include loss of appetite, sluggish behaviour, bloated or discoloured abdomen, hiding away and not passing stools. It can, in early stages, be solved by firstly removing any possible causes, reducing food and bathing for 10-15 mins in warm (not hot) water everyday to encourage the lizard to pass stools and the blockage.

If symptoms persist you should seek veternary treatment.

Mites

Caused by unsanitary conditions, infection from external causes or contact with other infected animals or objects. It is more common on wild caught specimens. Signs include the beardie rubbing on items, scales looking 'lifted' and small brown, white, tan or black specks embedded between scales. You may also see 'specks' running over the surface, particularly near the vent, eyes, mouth and joints. Usually a pre-prepared solution, applied as directed gets rid of the mites on the animal. You should also do a complete clean of the cage and bedding, making sure to soak decor in hot water and buy new bedding. You should also try to find the source of the problem and deal with it accordingly.

Sometimes the problem can be more persistent, in which case treatment from a vet may be required.

Injuries

Sometimes, through climbing or if kept together, fighting, your pet may sustain an injury. A little iodine applied to minor injuries can ensure no infection happens, although it is generally better to seek veterinarian advice. You should always seek a vet's advice for breaks and larger injuries.

Tail/Scale rot
Caused by keeping the enclosure too wet or by keeping the lizard in unsanitary conditions. Symptoms include blackening of the area, softening of the skin and general unhealthy appearance. You should clean the Beardies enclosure and make sure it is kept dry. Because this is an infection a vet's advice should be sought.

Coccidia
This is a intestinal parasite, rarely contracted by captive bred Beardies, however in the case of your pet contracting it you will see sluggish behaviour, diarrhoea, bloating of the abdomen and fluid loss (characterized by 'wrinkly' skin that sticks as wrinkles and appears baggy) You should consult your vet if this occurs.

Metabolic bone disease (MBD)

Rare in well looked after specimens, this comes from ongoing poor nutrition and inefficient lighting exposure (lack of UV) it will cause softening of bone tissue, particularly in jaw tail and spine. It will cause bones to break easily and slow the rate of growth. The only cure for this is usually prevention, which is why it is important to give your pet the correct nutrition. If you have acquired a specimen with MBD you should seek a vets advice.

http://www.allpet.co.uk
http://petandreptile.blogspot.com

Beardies - Great Pets - What Do You Think?

2010-07-17T16:00:00.000+01:00

Hello again,

As the title says - What do you think?

I personally think the Beardie makes and excellent pet. Beardies are absolutely fascinating, and really easy to care for, provided you do a bit of research and make sure you have their feeding and habitats right.

But that's just my opinion, I know that there are a lot of people out there who are quite frankly squeamish when it comes to reptiles.

So the aim of this blog is to give as much information as possible about the care and habitats of Beardies and share some stories about people and their pet Beardies, maybe we can convert a few people on the way or least give them over to being more understanding of our love of Bearded Dragons.

The following is an article by Mark F Hargreaves.

Bearded Dragon Lizards Make Great Pets For All The Family
Author: Mark F Hargreaves

Bearded Dragon Lizards turn into ideal pets for first time owners and children alike.

As you may perhaps have guessed the bearded dragon lizard takes its name from its look. In addition, Bearded
Dragon Lizards are straightforward to handle and will not cause any bother even if they are moved from place to place. The Bearded Dragon lizard is capable of living a healthy and energetic life in captivity.

Captive bread bearded dragons tend to be healthier than the wild-caught bearded dragon lizards and are often free of pesticides. If you mean to keep the Bearded Dragon Lizard in your house, you at least have to know its diet and the methods of feeding them.

Bearded dragon lizards are very much a daytime creature and become sedentary very quickly as soon as the sun goes down.

Bearded Dragons are well-liked exotic pets, most commonly Pogona Vitticeps, the Inland or Central Bearded dragon. They bask most of the day, absorbing the warmth they need to digest their food.

Bearded Dragons or Beardies are well known for their Beard display and other fascinating behaviour. Bearded Dragons have a fantastic temperament, will happily climb on you voluntary if you want.

Bearded dragons are independant lizards that fend for themselves but do not mind being handled. When you are handling a bearded dragon, ensure all of its body is being supported.

Bearded dragons are found all over Australia; they are hardy creatures and can live as well in the desert as they can in the bush; and they are just as contented in urban or populated areas.

When the bearded dragon lizard sits upright and cocks its head towards the heavens, Australian Aborigines know that rain will fall the next day. Lovingly called 'beardiess' by their fans, these lizards are not just tame around humans, but many also seem to get pleasure from the contact.

Many Bearded Dragons have native habitats that are dry and lightly vegetated, so food may often be challenging to come across in the wild. As a consequence, Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a broad variety of food sources.

Fireflies and all other animals with bioluminescence chemicals are fatal to Bearded Dragon lizards.

They are hardy hunters and you will have to provide them with sufficient food so that they can remain satiated.

Bearded Dragon Lizards be partial to grasshoppers, meal worms, and other bugs. Dark green and leafy vegetables are also ideal for bearded dragon lizards.

Feeding supplies, enclosures and accessories are obtainable to purchase from specialist pet and lizard supply stores.

The vital thing to remember when using sand as substrate is to sift it initially to get any stones out to keep your dragon from impacting, clean it each day to keep a fresh and hygienic ecosystem for the bearded dragon
lizard. Thought should certainly be taken to emulate their natural setting to reduce stress to the creature.

The likely life span of a bearded dragon is probably about 10 years when cared for correctly, although longer life spans have been reported. When provided with the proper home, temperatures, and UVB lighting, juvenile
Bearded Dragons are capable of growing up to an inch or more per week.

The nearer the bearded dragon lizard is to the light source, the better. In keeping a bearded dragon lizard, it is imperative that you employ a temperature gradient inside their housing. Kitchen paper towels make excellent substrates for baby bearded dragon lizards. Optional habitat accessories can be placed inside your bearded dragon lizard's habitat to imitate their natural ecosystem.

I suggest that you read at least one book on the care of bearded dragons and that you chat to someone who has experience caring for this special species.

Bearded dragons are becoming the most trendy exotic pet to own in the 21st century.
Exotic pets may perhaps not be everyone's cup of tea but if you knew anything on the subject of the bearded dragon lizard then you might change your mind.

Meet Fang

2010-07-16T16:54:00.000+01:00

Today I'm Going to introduce you to

"Fang"

Our Bearded Dragon

The story so far!!

We bought Fang when he was about 11 weeks old, along with Speedy also 11 weeks old.
They were two runts, niptails, or slightly imperfects. Both were missing toes and Fang has a bit of a blunt tail.

Unfortunately, Speedy died after only 9 days. The pet shop was good and after telling them this they gave us another free of charge, we called this one Gismo, but alas he only lasted 3 weeks.

You see although it is lovely to buy them as babies there are also pitfalls with buying them so young, also with buying the niptails.

The problem with buying young is sometimes the stress of the moving is just too much for them, they become stressed. Also in particular with buying the niptails, you have no way of knowing if they have any other underlying problems, such as injuries internally caused during the little spats which caused the nipping in the first place.

We decided then to wait till Fang was adult to get him a partner, as he had now got used to having the vivarium to himself.

Here are some photos of Fang, Speedy and Gizmo when we first got them.

Speedy and Fang

12th February 2010 - Approx 11 weeks old

(Sorry not very good quality - bad camera at the time)

Speedy

12th February 2010 - Approx 11 weeks old

Unfortunately we lost Speedy shortly after these photos were taken.

He showed no signs of illness and appeared to be eating normally, but unlike Fang did not like to be handled and was very timid, then one morning we came down and he was dead.

The Following are pictures of

Fang and Gizmo

taken March/April 2010

Gizmo

Fang

Unfortunately Gizmo did not survive either - he also showed no signs of illness.

But our little Fang is a fighter and and he is growing stronger all the time.

The last picture I have for today is

Fang

taken on 14th May 2010

I love this picture as it is typical of him and the funny way he sits, showing off his little fat belly

And on that note I realise that I really do need to do some more recent photo's of him, I will do an update shortly, with some new photo's.

Until next time I wish you well and hope you enjoy your pets and take good care of them.

p.s. Please feel free to make comments and send me your stories and pics of your Bearded Dragons.