Meet Bullet

[Rolandslf]

So, I picked up the adult male yesterday as per a previous post.
He is indeed a very big boy. When I measure and weigh him, do I measure from nose tip to tail tip?

Anyway back to the post, I had to hurriedly make a plan to get him into the formerly prepared baby enclosure.
I do hope that the first clutch of eggs takes another two weeks to hatch so that I can get his permanent enclosure sorted.

I seem to have encountered a problem with him, although he devours roaches and crickets, he cocks his head at the greens, but will not eat them. Another thing is that he sits as close to the UVB as he can get, but ignores the basking spot.

I suspect that he did not get much UVB and that his diet was mainly of a protein nature.
How do I change his mindset when it comes to eating?

I love the yellow ring around his eyes.

Some Pics.

 

[Pogie]

Oh he is handsome.

Yip measure tip to tip (Nose to tail)

I would just keep offering the salad. Try adding butternut ot kiwi. The smell attracts then I think or the sweet taste. Also Pogie seems attracted by the strong smell of rocket. If I add that to her salad she would normally pounce on it before I can remove my hand from the enclosure.

She was also ONLY fed proteins when I got her and it took a good month before she would taste her salad. Give him time. Hell adjust.
I would recommend having a vet check and fecal done to make sure he doesnt have anything that he could pass to the babies (Not that theyll be in contact) but also for his own good. Beardies hide being sick and often when we notice the symptoms its too late.

 

[Nght_RideA]

looks like a champ !!!

 

[renich]

Very handsome. I would give him time. You just got him to his new home. He will most likely go through relocation stress. Once he is settled (about 2 weeks - it differs per dragon), you can be more proactive with his diet. As Monique suggest, keep offering salad daily. I would feed the salad in first thing in the morning. Play around with different options. Here's a link to our food list to give you some ideas:

Bearded Dragon's Diet

 

[crypticdragons]

if he seems more drawn to the the UV light and doesn't want to bask, for the time being just move the basking site to where he is closest to the UV light. Whats your current basking site temp? Each dragon is different in what temps they like. The cookie cutter care sheets tell you 105-110 or in that range but some dragons prefer higher and some prefer lower. You have to play with it to find what makes him the most comfortable.

 

[staylor]

try with holding protein from him. To make the salad more appealing try putting some worms under the salad so it will move. I have found that mine love red bell peppers and as Monique pointed out most love kiwi.

 

[Rolandslf]

Thanks Everyone.

I am feeding him 10 x 1inch Lobster Roaches in the morning at about 06h00, and 10 x 1inch Lobster Roaches in the afternoon at about 17h00. Through the day his salad bowl is in place but he refuses to touch it. His lighting is on from 05h00 to 19h00.
He is extremely tame and takes the Roaches straight from my fingers. Every now and then I let one fall and it is amazing at what speed he can chase down and catch his prey.

The temperature under the Basking Lamp is 106 and on the coolest end 77. Overnight temps with all lights off is 68.

Oh, I will measure him over the weekend.

 

[crypticdragons]

Thanks Everyone.

I am feeding him 10 x 1inch Lobster Roaches in the morning at about 06h00, and 10 x 1inch Lobster Roaches in the afternoon at about 17h00. Through the day his salad bowl is in place but he refuses to touch it. His lighting is on from 05h00 to 19h00.
He is extremely tame and takes the Roaches straight from my fingers. Every now and then I let one fall and it is amazing at what speed he can chase down and catch his prey.

The temperature under the Basking Lamp is 106 and on the coolest end 77. Overnight temps with all lights off is 68. Oh, I will measure him over the weekend.

what is the temp in the area that he chooses to be most?

 

[Rolandslf]

I think he may have just been stressed out at the time the pics were taken.

My wife says he spent most of yesterday morning under the basking lamp and at about midday moved under the
UVB and towards the late afternoon moved to a position where he was covered by both light spectrums.
The UVB Tube extends almost up to the basking Lamp.

He is super tame and friendly as well as very intelligent.

The previous owner says that he never really liked greens and lived on a diet of mainly, Super worms, Crickets and Beardie Pellets.

I now have a new Beardie Mission, "Getting him to go onto the correct diet of 80% Greens and 20% Protein.
I must admit however that he is definitely very healthy.

 

[Justus85]

speaking of the green diet, at what month mark are we supposed to ease up on proteins?

 

[staylor]

About 12-18 months. Piggy switched herself, I just followed her ques.

 

[Craiger]

I now have a new Beardie Mission, "Getting him to go onto the correct diet of 80% Greens and 20% Protein.

If you figure this out, let me know your trick. I must be doing something wrong because I can't get Sam or Frodo to join this mission. Sam will pick through them and eat some on occasion. Frodo....he'd rather just not eat greens/veggies at all....and my temps are spot on. UVB never gets more than 6 months old. Can't figure it out, to be honest.

 

[Rolandslf]

Ok, I measured Bullet. He is 19 inches in length. I have not weighed him yet.

I moved him into the big enclosure yesterday. It is 1,2 metres x 0,6 metres x 1,0 metres.
The problem is that after spending 3 days in one spot in the temporary enclosure, and with him sort of starting to explore it, I have him now back at sitting in one spot in the new enclosure. He is most probably experiencing a bit of relocation stress.

On Friday afternoon I soaked him in a luke warm bath for about 30 minutes, he showed his appreciaition by dropping a huge poo in the water. Therafter he was allowed out on the lawn for about an hour in the sun. One problem, he picked and ate some grass. I have lived in this same house for the past 16 years, so at least I know that there aren't any fertilisers, weedkillers etc. being used.

 

[staylor]

I think he will adjust soon. I found with mine once they got used to me they handled moves into a new viv or new location well.