My first beardie

So I've been flip flopping between getting a beardie or a corn snake for quite some time. I wanted a display tank reptile :P Well anyhow, I went to an exotic animal auction which was supposed to have a bunch of reptiles, the 2 beardies were the only reptiles at the whole sale :rolleyes: Anyway, I wasn't planning to get a beardie this weekend but this one was going for $20 and I bid on it and got it for $25. It's thin, but has been eating great for me!

I'm pretty sure it's a she based on the vent area, but I really don't know. She's really calm and friendly. She gets kind of weird when I pick her up, I'm not sure if that's normal and she just need to get used to it. She tenses up and sometimes it seems like I startle her when I put my fingers under her belly to pick her up.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ragons/005.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ragons/006.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ragons/007.jpg

Size comparison. I forgot to measure her, but she's 190 grams.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...ragons/009.jpg

I'm in the process of building her a display tank, so she's temporarily in a 20 gallon long tank. Hopefully not more than a week or two! She has a brand new UVB UVA hood, heat lamp, and UTH. And I'm not using sand or anything like that as substrate. Once I get her display tank done it will have flooring tiles.

Nice pick up! The one I recently got is a little bastard.

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Originally Posted by jfreels

Nice pick up! The one I recently got is a little bastard.

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Really?! Oh no! I got really lucky with this one. The seller didn't say anything about her being nice, it was the other one they said was really tame and friendly, he went for $120.

Wow, really nice catch than. Yeah, ours had it's first bath the other night, he wanted nothing to do with that. Never bit, but mouth open, hissing and overall, POed.

Guess he'll get handled every day twice a day. I will also try hand feeding. When he's in his cage he's fine though...basks, he's a great eater now.

She's a cutie. You will have her fattened up in no time. She should color up a little with a good diet and her lights too. Mine is a little cranky boy. He jumps and sprints away when you take him out but I can hand feed him. He's a strange one :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by jfreels

Wow, really nice catch than. Yeah, ours had it's first bath the other night, he wanted nothing to do with that. Never bit, but mouth open, hissing and overall, POed.

Guess he'll get handled every day twice a day. I will also try hand feeding. When he's in his cage he's fine though...basks, he's a great eater now.

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That is so strange. Is yours a baby? I'm glad he's doing good for you other than that!

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

She's a cutie. You will have her fattened up in no time. She should color up a little with a good diet and her lights too. Mine is a little cranky boy. He jumps and sprints away when you take him out but I can hand feed him. He's a strange one :rolleyes:

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Thank you :P She'll get more color? Do you think she lighten/darken or actually get colors like orange/yellow? I can't believe yours is a brat too :confused: is he young?

Yeah, mine's a little baby. I'll try and get pics up soon. Wifey has had the camera in her purse. Just got it back from her to take some pics.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Thank you :P She'll get more color? Do you think she lighten/darken or actually get colors like orange/yellow? I can't believe yours is a brat too :confused: is he young?

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That yellow around her eyes makes me think so. She looks awfully pale and dull even for a normal. I bet she just needs some good food, the proper basking temp and UV. Give her some phoenix worms and horn worms along with her crickets and greens. Offer her dandylion flowers right when they bloom. These things have more vitamins and pigments and should brighten her up.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

That is so strange. Is yours a baby? I'm glad he's doing good for you other than that!



Thank you :P She'll get more color? Do you think she lighten/darken or actually get colors like orange/yellow? I can't believe yours is a brat too :confused: is he young?

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she will prob get lighter and grats! and welcome to the world of beardies!!! :D:D

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

That yellow around her eyes makes me think so. She looks awfully pale and dull even for a normal. I bet she just needs some good food, the proper basking temp and UV. Give her some phoenix worms and horn worms along with her crickets and greens. Offer her dandylion flowers right when they bloom. These things have more vitamins and pigments and should brighten her up.

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Cool thanks for all the info. We just had some dandelions bloom today in the backyard. I sprayed the front yard, but not our fenced in backyard because I don't want the dogs to get sick. I'll see if she likes them! :gj:

They can have the greens too. Everything except the stem. My little guy loves em better than collard and mustard greens. Oh and you asked how old mine was? I got him at the january NARBC tinley show. He was 5/6 weeks then. So he's about 7 months now.

Does her mouth have a scab running across it? that could be mouth rot. Is the Vent discolored?

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Does her mouth have a scab running across it? that could be mouth rot. Is the Vent discolored?

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She does on that one side. I wasn't sure it if was from rubbing because it doesn't look terrible (I had a water dragon a long time ago that rubbed on the screen till I got rid of it and looked worse than that). Her vent was dirty, I took pictures before I cleaned her up. The auction was really dumb, they wouldn't let anyone get their animals till the auction was over so I had to wait 3 hours after I bought her to actually pick her up. She had to sit in her own poo since she was so big for the tub-her whole underside was a mess.

What are the signs of mouth rot besides the scabbing? I am keeping a close eye on her because I know she wasn't cared for all that well.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

She does on that one side. I wasn't sure it if was from rubbing because it doesn't look too bad (I had a water dragon a long time ago that rubbed on the screen till I got rid of it and looked worse than that). Her vent was dirty, I took pictures before I cleaned her up. The auction was really dumb, they wouldn't let anyone get their animals till the auction was over so I had to wait 3 hours after I bought her to actually pick her up. She had to sit in her own poo since she was so big for the tub-her whole underside was a mess.

What are the signs of mouth rot besides the scabbing? I am keeping a close eye on her because I know she wasn't cared for all that well.

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Mouth discoloration is a sign as well, Id take her to the vet as it is, bring a Stool sample for a Fecal. They will look over her mouth for you while she is there.

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Originally Posted by Beardedragon

Mouth discoloration is a sign as well, Id take her to the vet as it is, bring a Stool sample for a Fecal. They will look over her mouth for you while she is there.

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Ok thanks :gj:

Oh she is a cutie pa tootie!!! You are going to be sooooo whupped in no time!!

If there is some stuff on her mouth...(I can see what they are talking about) a few baths should clear that up. I give Bob a bath every 2 days...and no....he is not fond of it...lol.

There is an awesome website for beardie food...it tells you how often and what you can feed her. I LOVE it.

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtrem...nframeset.html

Also...if yours doesn't eat greens right away...keep offering....it took Bob about 3 months before he would touch them. Mustard turned out to be his favorite!!

Congrats on getting a lil pooper!!

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Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

Oh she is a cutie pa tootie!!! You are going to be sooooo whupped in no time!!

If there is some stuff on her mouth...(I can see what they are talking about) a few baths should clear that up. I give Bob a bath every 2 days...and no....he is not fond of it...lol.

There is an awesome website for beardie food...it tells you how often and what you can feed her. I LOVE it.

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtrem...nframeset.html

Also...if yours doesn't eat greens right away...keep offering....it took Bob about 3 months before he would touch them. Mustard turned out to be his favorite!!

Congrats on getting a lil pooper!!

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Sweet thank you! I did wipe some of the stuff on her lips off. I got some off with a wet paper towel, and no she wasn't fond! Does it take a lot for them to bite? It seems like she puts up with a lot and she's never snapped at anyone! Both out dogs had their noses all over her, and the cats were sniffing and crowding her :rolleyes: She was totally cool about it and just sat there looking around at all of them.

I've tried a few different veggies, but so far she hasn't been interested. I might have to find some mustard! I'm really excited to get her new setup all done!

I have no idea about biting....mine has never. The dogs come in while I am holding her and they always do one big lick on the face. He just puts up with it. Acutally I think he loves it....attention of any kind ya know....lol.

Just keep up with the veggies.....it will happen eventually. lol

Mine has not bit me yet, but he still playing a good game. Once I get my new camera, I'll get pics and video. The hissing is just comical and I really try to rile him up, and he's lunged at me, but has not bit me.

Here's my new pics...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showp...2&postcount=25

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Originally Posted by jfreels

Here's my new pics...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showp...2&postcount=25

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He's adorable!!!

I advise taking her to the vet.

I dont mean to be rude at all but i will be completely honest. she doesn't look that great. looks extremely dehydrated, not much muscle tone and what's up with her lower lip/jaw.

Need to get her/him/it to the vet and get it checked out. they need a yearly check up anyways and you should get it checked for parasites while you're at it

What is her set up?
what are her temps?
How old is she?
You need to leave her alone for at least a week and let her get acclimated beardies HATE change.

Again. I dont mean to be rude or anything. just looking out for the beardie


*Edit* sorry i posted this before i saw that there was a second page and that people had alrady adressed the need to be taken to the vet and the mouth situation. but still. whats the set up?

Oh and the being "calm" or "totally cool" when the other animals crowd around her/him is not because she ISN'T scared its because she IS scared, that's usually what bearded dragons do. they get scared and hold still in hopes that the threat will go away.