Complete novice, some advice needed!

[mccracd]

Hi

My Names David. I'm a complete newbie to reptiles in general but i'm completely taken by Beardies so i hope to get one or two over the next few weeks. Before i do though, im doing the sensible thing ans asking a whole heap of (probably stupid) questions to make sure i know roughly what im doing and that im prepared for the day i finally get one (or two). I have kept a range of warm blooded animals ranging from hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, cat (and strays), dogs (and strays), birds, fish, an albino rat, and 2 wild hedgehogs so hopefully this experience counts for something!

1: First things first, Is it advisable to get two to keep each other company? Male vs Male might fight but what about females? Do they even need the company of another animal?
2: Feeding, i know when their young you need to feed them much more proteins (live stuff) but where do you draw the line between veggies and insects etc?
- How much does a young beardie need of each to keep them healthy?
- Can the live food be kept in the fridge or should it be bought fresh each week,
- Any sources where food can be got cheaper?
3: Vivarium: I could make one myself but then a commercially available one might do better. Im worried about the cost of heating/lighting.
- There are sooo many options out there, so whats the best system?
- Should i buy the heat bulbs & UVB bulbs or go for a UVB bulb and a heater mat?
- About 40°C ive heard is good temp for the beardies.
4: Supplements! Im almost freaking out already that when i eventually go for a beardie that i give him/her too much or too little! Please tell me its easy to get it right!
5: Signs that there's something wrong: what are the most common signs that the creature might be ill? Dogs are easy but Beardies might not be as easy to "read".
6: Handling: Again, almost freaking out that i somehow damage the delicate wee thing by mis-handling him/her but i suppose the trick is just to be gentle. Im aware they need to be kept warm so is there a time limitation to how long i can handle the wee beast before i risk causing him/her harm by cooling down? obviously not placing him/her on cold floors etc!
7: Excercise, whats the recomendations here? Do they need regular excercise sessions like a dog or has it got more to do with socialising?

I hope these are all typically "newbie" type questions, if anyone reading this hasnt guessed already im a massive animal lover and the reason for all the questions is simply because i cant stand the thought of causing harm to any creature (even if that creature eats other live creatures, whole)

........and there's a special thankyou for anyone who answers them all!

 

[Em Lynch]

Hi
Hi David! Beardies make great pets but they require quite a lot of time and dedication! but if you're committed to providing the proper care owning one is very rewarding

My Names David. I'm a complete newbie to reptiles in general but i'm completely taken by Beardies so i hope to get one or two over the next few weeks. Before i do though, im doing the sensible thing ans asking a whole heap of (probably stupid) questions to make sure i know roughly what im doing and that im prepared for the day i finally get one (or two). I have kept a range of warm blooded animals ranging from hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, cat (and strays), dogs (and strays), birds, fish, an albino rat, and 2 wild hedgehogs so hopefully this experience counts for something!

1: First things first, Is it advisable to get two to keep each other company? Male vs Male might fight but what about females? Do they even need the company of another animal? -no it is not advisable, bearded dragons are not social by any means and don't require any company. Keeping one is perfectly acceptable and many problems can arise with keeping two together such as missing toes or tails and more often than not - death!
2: Feeding, i know when their young you need to feed them much more proteins (live stuff) but where do you draw the line between veggies and insects etc?
-generally fresh veggies should be provided at all times for the dragon to eat when he/she wants to eat them. But live food needs to be fed by you and not left inside the viv with the beardie, more information on feeding can be found here http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/?page=3
- How much does a young beardie need of each to keep them healthy?
- Can the live food be kept in the fridge or should it be bought fresh each week, -fridging can make live food dormant and last longer depending on species but its best to keep them fresh, i buy fresh food each week as there is normally a need to replenish weekly.
- Any sources where food can be got cheaper? - i know buying in bulk can work out cheaper, but it isn't always practical. My local reptile store offers discounts on live food and offers a "bug club" service but its best to look around and see whats available


3: Vivarium: I could make one myself but then a commercially available one might do better. Im worried about the cost of heating/lighting. - if my friend Germ could offer advice here i would really appreciate it, as far as set-ups go Germ is the person to ask! he'll let you know exactly whats required
- There are sooo many options out there, so whats the best system?
- Should i buy the heat bulbs & UVB bulbs or go for a UVB bulb and a heater mat?
- About 40°C ive heard is good temp for the beardies. - i go by farenheit - most people do in regards to reptiles. Using an infrared thermometer is a good way of accurately recording temperatures i got mine from ebay! for babies the basking spot must be between 105-110 degrees and have a heat gradient that eventually ends up at 75 degrees at the cool side, adults require slightly cooler temps with the maximum temperature being 100 degrees directly under the basking spot but using the same heat gradient as for the babies.
4: Supplements! Im almost freaking out already that when i eventually go for a beardie that i give him/her too much or too little! Please tell me its easy to get it right! - dusting live food a couple of times weekly with calcium dust should be sufficient, a light dusting is all that is required as some beardies find large amounts of the dust distasteful.
5: Signs that there's something wrong: what are the most common signs that the creature might be ill? Dogs are easy but Beardies might not be as easy to "read". - lethargy, weight loss, black bearding and general listlessness point towards illness. Bearded dragons are difficult to understand sometimes they decide not to eat for a little while because of things like shedding or spring fever but carefully monitoring weight will often give any clues to illness lurking.
6: Handling: Again, almost freaking out that i somehow damage the delicate wee thing by mis-handling him/her but i suppose the trick is just to be gentle. Im aware they need to be kept warm so is there a time limitation to how long i can handle the wee beast before i risk causing him/her harm by cooling down? obviously not placing him/her on cold floors etc! - handling is okay in small doses, otherwise you are defeating the object of providing adequate lighting and temperatures for your bearded dragon, i handle mine daily a couple of times for no longer than 15-20 minutes at a time but she's a healthy adult, i generally refrain from handling to much until the late afternoon because its natural for them to start cooling down at this time.
7: Excercise, whats the recomendations here? Do they need regular excercise sessions like a dog or has it got more to do with socialising?
- my girl was very weak when i got her, and she benefitted greatly from daily runs around the living room to stretch her legs and help build muscle they also love to climb.

I hope these are all typically "newbie" type questions, if anyone reading this hasnt guessed already im a massive animal lover and the reason for all the questions is simply because i cant stand the thought of causing harm to any creature (even if that creature eats other live creatures, whole)

........and there's a special thankyou for anyone who answers them all!

They are all typical questions with straight forward answers you will find here at the forums if you have any more questions or are confused about anything there are plenty of people here willing to help! owning a BD is very rewarding i'm glad to help you on your journey!

 

[Aleena]

Vivarium: You want at least a 40g breeder or more. More room is always better with BD's, they love their space.
You don't need heat pads, they can burn themselves on these as they don't have heat sensors on their tummies.
You need Heat bulbs, a regular halogen flood bulb would work as a heat bulb as well, which will save on electricity costs as you can buy a lower watt one to do the job usually than a pet store one would, you need a UVB 10.0 or 10% light as well. No night time light, if the temps are dropping below mid 60's (f) at night then you will want to invest in a CHE to heat the tank at night. They need at least 12-14 hours of heat and daylight. If you have a UVB bulb in your tank, you don't need D3 in your calcium, though some will say otherwise. Too much D3 is bad for your BD and there are guidelines for it if you choose to use it. They also have a vitamin supplement that you can dust with once a week, I just put these on the veggies. 75 is a little cool for the cool end, you want it around 80 usually.

Please don't keep two BD's in the same enclosure! Here's some reading material for you that will answer more questions that you may or may not have realized were there or were missed:
Housing Beardies Together aka Is Bearded Co-habitation a good plan?

Basic BD Care Sheet - A Place To Start

Bearded Dragon --- Exclusive Care Info Library

Bearded Dragon Diet Nutritional Information

 

[Germ]

The above links will answer the majority of your questions. I would like to add, concerning dusting of feeders. In my experience all feeders should be dusted to help make up for all the foods whose Calcium to phosphorus ratio that is not up to par. The whole point of the calcium dusting\supplementation thing, is to keep the balance of the Phosphorus:Calcium (P:Ca) ratio of live prey at 1:1.5-2 (Some sources claim 1:1, because that is the absolute minimum for any Calcium absorbtion). The majority of the Live Prey that is fed, have a much higher Phosphorus than Calcium ratio & is why almost all Prey must be supplemented\dusted with added Calcium in an attempt to help make up the difference. Here is a very good explanation as to why in this article ...

The main points to look out for are the fat content and the Ca: P ratio.

Ca: P Ratio and Reptiles

Many have heard about the Ca/P ratio but not many understand what it means to your reptiles. The Ca: P ratio is simply the ratio of Calcium compared to Phosphorus and so a Ca: P ratio of 1 (one or 1:1) would mean that Calcium & Phosphorus are found in equal quantities, a Ca: P ratio of 0.5 (half or 0.5:1) means that there is half the amount of Calcium than there is Phosphorus. An ideal Ca: P ratio would be around 2 (two or 2:1) as this will allow calcium to be easily absorbed.

So why is this important? It has to do with the way Calcium is absorbed by your reptile's intestine. For any calcium to be absorbed, there needs to be at least equal quantities of Calcium and Phosphorus in their food. If the Phosphorus is much higher, then not only will it prevent calcium being absorbed, but may even leach calcium that is already present in your reptile's body. This can lead to serious problems such as MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). When Calcium and Phosphorus are dissolved in equal quantities, it forms an insoluble salt (Calcium Phosphate) which is very difficult to absorb by your reptile's intestine. If there is a large amount of phosphorus compared to the calcium, then all the calcium will be bound by the phosphorus and none will be available for your reptile. If there is a large excess of calcium, then no phosphorus can be absorbed, which is also a vital mineral but not needed in as large a quantity as calcium. Ideally the Ca/P ratio for most vertebrates is around 2 (also written as 2:1).

Fat vs Protein

Another thing to look out for is the amount of fat compared to protein. Fat contains twice as many calories as protein, but doesn't provide any of the nutritional benefits that are gained from proteins from their amino acids which are essential for the health of any living creature. The calories from fat are often called "empty calories" in dietary terminology. Most insectivorous reptiles will receive greater benefit from a high protein/low fat diet.

Source - http://www.leedspetshops.co.uk/index.php?main_page=page&id=81]

I also agree that the cool side temps should be a bit higher, in the 80-85F (27-30C) range & the Bsking temp for BDs right up to adult age should be in the vicinity of 110F (43C), after reaching the adult stage, temps should be 95-105F (35-40C), I find the my adults like it in the 100-105F (38-40C) range.

Good luck

 

[mccracd]

Hi! Well i've never got a better response than that on any forum! Many Thanks for the information guys.

Once i have finally absorbed enough knowledge i'll take the plunge.....Cant Wait!