Dominance Traits??

[Drew1220]

Hey all,

I was curous what are some traits of dominance?? I have my two babies together and they take turns standing on top of each other it seems like, also the guy at the reptile shop I bought them at says one of them may not be eating as much because it may have been a dominance thing, I need to know if Im to seperate them or not..

Also..As long as both my dragons are poopin does that mean they are eating?? I gave them there daily bath today and as soon as I dropped Brimstone in (The one that has me worried lately) it pooped, so maybe this means she HAS been eating while im gone.. Also Why is it after I attempt to feed them or give them a bath and I put them back in tank they still every so often lick the air..almost as if they are trying to gulp something/ I noticed one always looks like it has hiccups when I hold it meaning thats what it feels like..

I know I ask alot of questions Im still new but seem to be doing ok..LAST THING!!

Can someone recommend a good eating schedule for me.. Heres mine as follows: Their lights come on at 6am I give them mixed greens and baby cricks at 645am..I go to work come home at around 11-12pm check on them make sure there are still babie cricks in there (usually is ) and then I give them some veggies/fruit to see if they will eat it...Come home around 4-6pm clean out cage chop up fresh green and let them sit in there tank with baby cricks for about an hour before I clean them all out..

Now everyone tells me they should eat 3 times a day appears mine only eat like once unless they nibble while im gone..

So im open for suggestions, they seem healthy

Thanks,
Drew

 

[some_lizard_guy]

Some beardies will nibble, while others will clear a plate of greens all at once. It is important that you continue to *offer* food even if they don't eat it all. Also, you don't mention what time the lights go out... They should have at least an hour, preferably two, between eating and the lights going out. The pooping is a good sign that they are eating. As for dominance, these guys are young and have a lot of space (for there age) to roam in. I don't *think* it is a dominance problem you are experiencing, but, if you want to, you could try seperating them for a while and see if the situation improves. Once you can sex them, if you get a male, they NEED to be seperated before he reaches full maturity to prevent him from fighting (if they are both male) or mating (if the other is a female, females need to be AT LEAST a year old and 350 grams to breed while a male could likely breed at 6 months, although it wouldn't be good for him, it could be fatal for the female).
-Drew

 

[Drew1220]

Its soo funny I just got done reading 3 diff care sheets and everyone has a diff opinion..

Anyhow I know im prob panicking TOO MUCH!! but as I said before this is my first set of babies so therefore every turn is a new one for me..They dont look like they are about to shed.. I read that a good rule for lighting is 14/10 (14 on, 10 off)

and for babies 110-120 is good for babies..Im gonna find some diff rocks that are smoother and will retain heat more, maybe although have right temps they still lack all they need to properly digest..Who knows, I thought of possible respiratory infection but again DONT KNOW.. All I know is the one who is looking smaller seems to breath heavy alot even when im not bugging it and it's just sleeping on it's branch..uness it is awake and knows im there..

 

[Drew1220]

My lights used to go out at 6pm but now I am trying the 14/10 rule to see if maybe i have been giving them not enough light so heres the new schedule:

6am ON
9pm OFF

 

[some_lizard_guy]

That is 15 hours of light! I'd go with 14. 110* is fine for babies, you DO NOT NEED A 120* F basking spot!!! Stick with 105*-115*F for the hatchlings... Once they get older, move it down to 95*-105*F... Trust me that they CAN digest with "only" 110*F...

Here are some excellent care sheets (you'll notice that although there are many different opinions about the temps, NO ONE reccomends 120*F, even for hatchlings, please show me the caresheet that did...):
http://www.dragonsbynature.com/care.htm
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-listarticles-secid-1.html
http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/
http://www.kakadudragons.com/caresheet/
http://blackninjakitty.com/herps/dragons.php
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

-Drew

 

[Drew1220]

Thanks as always..I am keeping the cage currently at 105-110 if it starts to go over 110 I kick on fan in my window andit generally cools down..

Another quick question!!

Umm also is it possible for the babies to know when CRICK is too big for them..or can they get intimidated by big crickets...Ive been buying the smallest cricks I could get so far, havent ordered any cause I am not home during day to recieve them..But Im wondering if they arent eating as much cause the crickets may be too big for them and they know it..everyonce and a while a 1/4 or bigger crick gets thrown in with them and thats usually the ones they leave alone..I was thinking of ordering some pinheads or 1/8 inch cricks to see if they go after them more..

Im wondering if this will allow them to eat more, cause theyboth mucnhed today but again only like 3 cricks each, either they think the others in with them are too big OR if they are TOO big they are just getting full quicker..

 

[some_lizard_guy]

Big crickets aren't just more "filling" they are also dangerous. Make sure that the crickets are not longer than the distance between the beardies eyes. If a cricket is any longer, it could cause many complications, *especially* in babies their age... Another problem you may run into in "petstore crickets" (aside from getting the wrong size) is that they may carry parasites... Because of these two reasons it is usually better to order online.
Try these sites (my personal favorite is www.worman.com):
http://www.reptilefood.com/reptilefood/default.asp
http://www.ghann.com/
http://www.wormman.com/
http://superwormfarm.com/cart/index.cfm

-Drew

 

[Drew1220]

Ok I got some smaller cricks today ( I had to emphasize what size I wanted)

and I also got 50 wax worms.. So far mine the one that has had me worried has grubbed on TWO of them..I dont think he likes cricks too much..the other one just looked at the worm but didnt eat until I stuck some baby cricks in there..He chomped down 3 or 4..So at least they both ate tonight..

 

[some_lizard_guy]

Careful with the waxworms, they are OK *occasionally*, but not as a staple. They are extremely fatty, think of them as "lizard candy bars" and feed them to your animals with that in mind. They can be addictive, so don't feed them exclusively on waxys... Crickets are better for now, and when they get older you can use either larger crickets, superworms (what I use) or silkworms (the healthiest, and most expensive of the three...). But, at least for now, I would stick with the crickets.
-Drew

 

[Ocean]

I am no Beardy expert either, but I have some experience. In my personal experiences, my babies are not usually excited over veggies, but just continue to put them in there and eventually they will start eating them. Sometimes when they start eating veggies, they eat so little that it is hard to tell they have eaten any.

I work days too, and this is what I do........I order bugs from www.superwormfarm. com (they are in Pennsylvania, which is rather close to me), then I either have them held at FedEx (they are open till 7PM) and I pick them up there,......or if the weather is just right, I have them leave the bugs at the door (I make sure I have some shade there, such as a cardboard box or a large cooler). In the Winter if it gets very cold where you live, shipping could become a real problem. I live in a rather rural area, and here is a price comparison for me..........1,000 crix cost $80 at Petsmart, 1,000 crix cost $110 at the local pet store, and I pay around $15 per 1,000 crix when I order them online. Hard to believe the difference in price isn't it?!

 

[Drew1220]

Ok I noticed today that one of my babies all of a sudden has like a extra patch of skin under it's head..almost like a baggy chin...Im thinking this is its throat/beard which leads me to believe it may be a male, cause only males puff out their throats..Doesnt seem like it's only doing it cause it's mad..it stays that way it seems..

Just curious..Other then that there doing great..still waiting for another shed..

 

[some_lizard_guy]

Actually males AND females both can and will puff out their throats, it is a myth that only the males do. Males just do it more often. Here is a great list on sexing fact and fiction of bearded dragons: http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/sexing/
-Drew