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My First Beardie

Ok, I read that as an adult if their tails or body parts break off, they won't grow back. Does that hold true for the babies too? Say Toby's tail breaks off, would it grow back right now? Trust me though, I would never let anything like that happen....or at least try my best to prevent it from happening. But my daughter doesn't grasp the fact that she CAN'T grab the tail, so, yeah, I'm just a bit worried about if she ever hurts him by doing so on accident when I'm not looking.

Yeah I tried carrots mixed with canteloup turnip greens and squash baby food today....but seems like he didn't touch it.

He's running around my living room right now. Found a dark spot under the computer..haha

So a mercury vapor bulb....will that work in place of a uvb flourescent?
 
Hello

Hello Amber,


No, unfortunately, once they lose part of their tail or all of it, then, it will not grow back. So, definitely handle with care. Hopefully you can get your daughter to realize how important that concept is. :D
Oh the mercury vapor bulbs replace heat lamps & flourescents. They combine both UVB & heat & are the best bulbs out there, well, in my opinion anyway. They really do wonders for your reptile with high UVB requirements.

Tracie
 
harmonysmom said:
Ok, I read that as an adult if their tails or body parts break off, they won't grow back. Does that hold true for the babies too? Say Toby's tail breaks off, would it grow back right now? Trust me though, I would never let anything like that happen....or at least try my best to prevent it from happening. But my daughter doesn't grasp the fact that she CAN'T grab the tail, so, yeah, I'm just a bit worried about if she ever hurts him by doing so on accident when I'm not looking.

Yeah I tried carrots mixed with canteloup turnip greens and squash baby food today....but seems like he didn't touch it.

He's running around my living room right now. Found a dark spot under the computer..haha

So a mercury vapor bulb....will that work in place of a uvb flourescent?
Click to expand...

MVB works okay in place of a UVB, but I'd suggest sticking with the UVB, they are a bit cheaper, Most of them las longer, and I just prefer them.

MVB also emits quite a bit of heat, and might make the cage a bit hotter than need be..
 
Oh, and no, don't grow back.

That's a common lizard stereotype, I'm pretty sure only Newts and Salamanders, and things like that grow back body parts.

I'd suggest keeping your beardie away from your daughter till she's older
 
She normally handles him very well. But under circumstances, she tries to get him....like when he ran under my cabinets and tried to climb up......she couldn't get to his body so then tried to grab his tail to pull him back out.....other than that, she knows not to touch the tail unless she's just petting.

I don't think a bit more heat would be bad in my tank. The highest it is is 104 F on the basking site and around 75-80 F on the low side....so a bit more heat might not be a bad thing for him. I'll try that bulb, and if it gets too hot, I'll put the UVB back.

He STILL hasn't touched his veggies...:( So I'm headed to the store to get him his Dragon Bites, along with some vitamins....hopefully that will work. I was thinking about trying the mouse treats I have. If I remember correctly, they look just the same as the dragon bites, only a bit bigger and apple flavoured. But I decided not to until I can compare what all is in them with the dragon bites. I'm also getting him a travel carrier so I don't have to keep transporting him in a plastic storage bin that he's outgrowing.
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

How is Tobias doing today?
He may like the dragon bites, alot of them do. They have lots of vitamins & minerals in them, so the days that he eats them, if he does, then no need to use any vitamins at all if it is a scheduled vitamin powder day.
They are sure picky when it comes to greens. I hope that eventually he will eat them.
A bit more heat in your tank isn't a bad thing. As long as you have a cool side that is 78-82 & the basking doesn't go above 110 you should be fine. What size of tank do you have again, sorry, I cannot remember! If your tank is larger than a 20-30 gallon, the mercury vapor bulb is fine for it.
Honestly they are no more expensive than the flourescents. They last longer anyway. The flourescents put out so little UVB compared to the mercury they are almost not even worth it. Sure they cost less, but by the time you end up having to replace them several times, you have only bought 1 mercury vapor bulb so it evens out. Plus, you only have to have 1 light most of the time, which is nice.
How is he liking the crickets?

Tracie
 
He likes his crickets, but man, they grow really fast, they are starting to get too big for him so I'm hoping I will be able to get them to breed. I ordered another 500 of them that should be here by Wed.

He hasn't touched his dragon bite....I chopped it up into small pieces, added some to his greens, with worms in them, then put some of the bites in a small pile in his other food dish on their own. Once again, he digs out the worms, and leaves the rest of the stuff to be. *sigh* Maybe later on before he goes to bed? lol

Yeah, I am def. going to up the wattage on my bulbs before it starts to get cold out. We priced a 75 gallon tank too, so after January we'll be able to put him in a new one. Right now he is in a 50 gallon.

I'm not worried about a one time price if the effects are more affective than a lower price and the life span is longer. If I would have been I don't think I ever would have gotten him to begin with. They had a Chinese Water Dragon in today when we went, I'm thinking about one of them next...hee hee...but ONLY after I buy him a buddy to tank with him...which'll be when he gets his bigger tank.

I'm taking a guess, but I would put Toby at around 8-10 weeks...it's a rough guess since some of the beardies I saw them selling today were very teeny and look to be much younger than what he was when I bought him....but I don't think he's any older than 10 weeks.

How often are they supposed to shed? It seems he's doing it a LOT! He's already shedding at the head again and his body looks like it's going to follow shortly. This would be about his 3-4th time doing so since I've had him, unless shedding goes in short spurts and takes awhile for it all to complete.
 
Oh, I also finally got him a travel carrier. We were on our way to the pet store to do so, when he JUMPED right out of his bin into my hand. Turned out, he wanted to stare out the window the entire ride. You could see his head going left to right and back again following the scenery..it was pretty amusing.

I figure once he gets full size a cat/dog carrier would work fine...right?
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

I can see Tobias now, sitting up on the dash to stare out of the window, they love to do that. Yes, once he gets full size, just get a nice plush, cat or dog carrier. You know, the mesh type with a soft liner in the bottom, he will love that to travel in.
Once crickets get to feeder size, they do shoot up & get big. If you need advice on how to breed crickets, let me know. I can send you an article I wrote on breeding. It isn't hard, but it does take some things to be pretty precise to get it right.
That figures you get him the dragon bites, & he eats the worms out of the salad! What a brat he is, or, we just think that, huh? He is actually smart! LOL He knows what he wants.
That is right, a 50 gallon is perfect for a mercury vapor bulb. Then, you are upgrading to a 75 next year, that will be fine no problem at all. Really the mercury vapor bulbs are only $39 plus shipping & handling, so I don't think that is all that expensive when the UVB output is so awesome on them.
He should be shedding tons right now, just like he is. His body is going through alot of changes, so shedding is very normal at his age.
He really doesn't need a tank mate, hon. Males do better alone, as do females. You shouldn't put a male in with a female, because they will overbreed & cause health problems for the female. Two males absolutely cannot be housed together due to dominance reasons. Two females, sometimes, they can be, but the tanks have to be large preferably 90 gallon or larger so they can be comfortable & have their own space.
So, Tobias is going to be perfectly fine without a tank mate. Plus, unless you are setup to breed if you got a female, you shouldn't get a female for him. There are alot of expenses when you breed, plus, the adeno virus testing, etc.
It sounds like Tobias is doing wonderfully right now. Great job! :D

Tracie
 
So shed loads, got it.

I took him for a walk yesterday...he jumped out of my hand onto the road (ouch) and took off. I had to chase him down. Luckily, he didn't get very far before finding a trashcan blocking his path. He didn't like the idea of being put back in his tank after we got home either. I guess it was a bad idea to over-stimulate him and then expect him to calm down for bed...haha

Yeah, still picks out the worms...*sigh* I will figure this out....I hope. I'm buying bell peppers and parsley today to mix in with his turnip greens. I'm hoping the parsley makes it sweet enough (you would think that the bites would do that already), and the bell peppers give it color, although carrots haven't done the trick yet.

So no tank mate...:( Ok, then I'll get my Chinese Water Dragon next year. :p Or I'll let husband get his anoles that he tried to talk me into getting when I bought Toby. Anything to fill up that tank again once it's empty.

No, he sat in my hand the whole time. Didn't want to sit on the dash...spoiled brat he is. I was glad to have the carrier after that...he couldn't jump out...but I still ended up having to hold it up to the window so he could look out. haha
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

Yeah, they will do that, & they are fast! Be careful, you might need to make a little harness for him, so you don't have to run him down. I am sure it was hard to settle him down before bed then. Just like a kid, huh? He didn't want to go to bed.
Yeah, he will be fine without a tank mate, really. No problems. He will get plenty of attention from you all anyway. :D
Well, hopefully in time he will learn to eat his greens. No worries there, at least he is eating though, & shedding. I think Tobias is doing great right now. He sounds very happy.
You could throw in a bit of tiny pieces of fruit several times of week too, just for color & flavor. If he is ever gaping & you happen to be right there, that is a great opportunity to stick a little piece into his mouth to see what he does! He may spit it out & he might not.
He ended up sitting in your hand instead of on the dash? That is hilarious but at least he got to see though!

Tracie
 
Yeah, def. got to see!

HE ATE HIS GREENS! After I posted that message, I went in to feed him some crickets, and all his dragon bites were gone, over half of his greens were gone, and all his worms.

I'm so excited! I can't wait to see him eat more! Although, he might not do it when I'm watching....:p
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

Hey that is great Tobias ate so much of his greens & his dragon bites! See, patience pays off sometimes. He will probably wait until you leave the room to eat them though! You could put a videocam in there to watch him! LOL
I am happy to hear that. What a cutie pie he is. :D

Tracie
 
Well, I guess he only eats them when HE feels like it. I made him up a new batch the next day, this time I added in green bell pepper, dragon bites, parsley, turnip greens, worms, and carrots. He hasn't touched it.

I was however, able to measure and weigh him again. He has gained 0.4 ounces since 3 days ago....he's such a pig :p But I love it! And he has grown an inch, although that may be due to possible difference in way body was positioned first time I measured, or do they really grow that fast?

I also got to feed him from my hand today. He didn't feel like getting off his rock to catch his crickets, so I grabbed one and a time and had him take them from between my fingers. It was the coolest thing ever! I tried to use dragon treats, he didn't take them and eventually stopped trusting what I was giving him and stopped eating.
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

So when was the last time you measured him? They can grow pretty fast sometimes. It isn't unheard of for them to grow 1/2 to 1 inch weekly on short bursts. He has gained too, so, I am sure he has grown in length as well.
Go figure. You will have to leave the room for him to eat his greens & veggies!! LOL
Great he was eating crickets out of your fingers. Isn't that so cool? NOW he is going to be very very spoiled! Oh well, that is ok. You don't mind. :D

Tracie
 
Yeah, he's already spoiled on that. He's to the point that he won't chase many of his crickets anymore. He'll eat only so many, and that is IF they come near him. There are times I have to chase them around the tank, then drop them in front of him. Once he's tired of that, he'll go to his rock, give me that pathetic puppy look, and I start feeding him by hand. He'll eat a min. of 5 or so out of my hands before he's done eating for that meal.

Took him outside again today. When his mouth was open, I tried to put a dragon bite into his mouth, but he didn't have it open wide enough for me to do so. Maybe next time.

I measured and weighed him first on the 25th, then again yesterday (28th)

He shed a HUGE chunk of skin sometime last night/early morning. I went in to play with Harmony, looked over at the cage and saw it sitting there. He's starting to get that thing on the top/back of his head....if you know what I'm talking about. It's neat though to see how much he's already changed in the short time I've had him.
 
Hello

Hello Amber,

That is so funny, I can picture you chasing him around with a dragon bite or crickets trying to get him to eat! He is so spoiled now! Geez! :D At least he is eating though & obviously growing too.
So he shed recently? Yes, his head is starting to change shape a little bit. It is getting some ridges to it now? You will have to post a few pics soon for me to see. It is interesting to see the changes that they go through while young & developing like this.
So he is still enjoying going outside now? I hope the weather holds up for a bit longer for him to get some UVB's.

Tracie
 
The weather will hold up for a good time here still. We haven't had a very cold winter in a long time. Granted, it'll be too cold to take him out for a 1/2 hour every day, but it'll last until October at the latest. So still got awhile.

It's not him I chase around the tank, thankfully. It's the crickets I had dropped in there for him to chase and eat. But he's just too good for that anymore. :p

I will def. post some more pics. He loves the camera. I took him out today, and set him inside a decorative skull my husband has. I have a few of him coming out of the eye and 2 of him sitting in the mouth. haha..then I have one of him on top of a ceramic tiger...and then a few of him just posing...all but the ones of the skull and him were taken before he got ridges.

He does have his first ridge on the back of his head. He's starting to get a teeny bit rougher on the skin too. He shed sometime early this morning...probably around 6am or so.

I will get those pics. up tomorrow though since it's his bed time. I figured it's easier to put him to bed at same time as daughter, then they both wake up at the same time...works out great...he still gets 14 hours of day time and 10 hours of night time. And it's still pretty dusk out when it's time for him to wake up.
 
Hello

Hello Amber,
Oh of course, his bedtime now! We can't disturb him. :D
Great you must be getting really good at chasing the crickets, & of course, he just watches you. I think that he has you trained to catch his prey for him now. I wonder what goes through his mind as he is watching his mom chase down the crickets. LOL I have been through it! LOL
I hope the warm weather holds up for awhile still for you to be able to take him outside.
That sounds like a perfect schedule, he is getting plenty of sleep for his growing body. Oh his skin is getting a bit rougher too? See there are all sorts of changes that he will go through. That is really cool. I am looking forward to seeing all of those cute pics of Tobias!

Tracie
 
I think he has me trained too....haha. You would think I'd be getting better at catching them, but no luck. Once I start chasing them, he'll chase after me....but only because he knows once I grab it, he can eat it. Makes me wonder what he's thinking too at times.

Just chased down the extra crickets in his cage a bit ago. I needed to scoop out the sand, and noticed some hide-aways that have probably been there a couple days. So I put new sand into the oven, so I could add it in with the rest, and caught all the crickets. Then I added the sterilized WARM sand and mixed it in....once he was put in, he loved the warmth on his belly.

He also likes having his neck rubbed, he'll stand himself up and stretch his neck out just like a cat when you rub theirs. It's too funny.

Here are the pics. (such a ham)

DSC01639.jpg
DSC01636.jpg
DSC01648.jpg
 
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