new to beardies, any advice?

[sullitf]

This is my first post on the ball-pythons.net forum and ironically enough I'm posting about bearded dragons.

***just realized this post turned out way longer than expected, for those too lazy to ready (I would fit this category), drop to the bottom two paragraphs for my ultimate questions without the background.***


I've been considering getting a ball python for a while and finally stumbled upon a very well-run pet store near me. It's a fairly small store that I never thought much of. I went in earlier this week out of curiosity and was surprised at the selection and quality of animals they had. Everything was very well taken care of; well fed, no over crowding, clean cages, etc.

Anyway, I went in looking for snakes and came out seriously considering bearded dragons instead. I had a friend with a bearded dragon when I was a kid and I always thought it was a really cool animal, but hadn't thought much about it since. The store had an adult beardy, a juvenile that was about half-grown, and some very young babies. I feel like they had fairly good prices for the bearded dragons, though that's all relative I suppose. They had the juvenile and complete cage setup for $180 I believe, and the babies were $70 I think (without a cage setup of course).

I live in Alabama but will be in Houston this summer for an internship. My original plan was to get a ball python after I get back from my internship, but those bearded dragon babies are hard to pass up. I've had many animals in the past and feel that I'd be more than able to take care of it properly but am wondering how the actual transportation would be possible for the summer.




Is there any good way to transport a beardy (or snake for that matter) in a car for 12 hours? I would be traveling at night so there won't be any natural light and I'm worried about it getting too cold and/or stressing the animal out too much. Has anyone transported beardies or snakes for long car rides, and does anyone have any advice as to whether or not it would be possible, and how? The only way I can think to provide some heat in a car would be using HotHands around the cage, or something like that.

Also, how big of a cage is required for a baby beardy? If I do get one before my internship it could work out well if I could get a smaller cage that is easier to transport while still providing a quality living space for the beardy. Once getting back after the summer I would then get a larger cage as the beardy out of the first one.


Thanks in advance for all the help!

[Mettle]

The longest I've transported a bearded dragon was for about 5 hours. He made the trip alright. The car was warm but I didn't have any heat packs. At the end of the trip he was a bit stressed. But a soak and a bit of time under a warm heat lamp and he was fine. He has since doubled in size and is doing great.

For the trip I would recommend transporting the beardie in something smaller than a full tank set-up. It's easier and less chance of things knocking about. To keep the beardie warm you can tape some heatpacks to the container that he's in. I really like the "handwarmer" ones sold for in the winter (though I don't know how available they are down where you are) but they don't last terribly long so you might need something like a 24 hour one. Lots of people use them when shipping animals so I'm sure they're available somewhere on the net. For a container a small rubbermaid or sterilite will do just fine.

A caution in transporting though... The younger the beardie, the more fragile, and the more likely it will have issues making the trip. Just a bit of info for you on that one since you seem to be eying babies. (Sometimes beardies that end up in pet stores are really too small to be there and are far more susceptible to improper care or mistakes than a slightly older one.)

For an initialy tank set-up, it's actually not recommended to be using a huge enclosure for a baby anyway. You don't want them to have difficulties catching their food and it's easier to keep the temps they need as well. I think a 20 gallon long (30x12x12) is a really good size for a baby. Enough room to have a hot and cool end but not overly large. There will also be enough room on top for a heatlamp and uvb lighting.

Some things to think about if you're getting this beardie before going... Are crickets readily available where you are heading and can you keep some on hand where you will be living? Baby beardies need to eat crickets every day when they're young (properly supplemented with calcium and/or multi-vitamin powders depending on the schedule you're using). As well they need a bowl of mixed greens (not lettuce) every day. Do you have a place to store these and a place to get them from?

A beardie is far more of a high maitenance pet than a snake and will demand your attention every single day for feeding, cleaning, etc. Is this a commitment you're willing to make while working this internship? If not, it may be best to wait. There will always be more baby beardies available. We're just entering the time of year when they're all starting to hatch out. Breeders will have tons and tons available. I'm sure there will also be reptile shows occurring in areas near you where you can get your hands on some real quality animals. Though the pet shop you described seems like a good one (not all are obviously) so if you want to support a local business and buy from them then I say go for it.

Whatever decision you decide to go with make sure you're well read and have done tons of research on the care of the animal. There are some great care sheets on the internet for both ball pythons and bearded dragons.

Oh... And welcome to the site!

[sullitf]

Sorry it took a few days to get back to the thread, finals time here at Auburn.

Thanks for the reply Mettle, very informative and exactly what I was looking for. I can find plenty of info on how to care for bearded dragons but something like this is more of a "experienced advice needed" type situation. After reading through countless other threads, articles, etc. about beardies and snakes I think I've decided on getting a ball python (for the time being). I'll definitely be getting a bearded dragon in the future as they really are one of the most interesting reptiles I've seen, which more or less limits that range to common reptiles as I'm sure there are some really interesting yet rare reptiles out there.

While I think I would be able to take care of a beardy perfectly well, I think it's more reasonable for me to have a snake which I can feel okay with leaving it on its own for a weekend here and there (with a roommate checking in on the tank's temps for me). Also, if I do decide to get a snake prior to my internship I think it would be a bit easier to transport. In addition, a bp wouldn't require as big of a tank and would be easier to work into my apartment.

While a bearded dragon is definitely tempting, I think the best choice for me is to hold off on that and get a ball python instead. Thanks again for your help, you'll be seeing me around these forums from here on out hopefully!

[Mettle]

Hey, no problem! I'm glad I was able to provide you with some necessary info.

I think both animals are great pets but for different reasons. I love my snakes (no ball pythons yet, but probably later this year) and I definitely love my beardie.

It sounds to me like you're making a solid and informed decision!

Oh, and the heatpack trick will work great with transporting your snake as well.

Cheers!

[West Coast Jungle]

I breed both beardies and BP's and beardies definately require more attention, UV lighting, and more frequent feedings and poop cleanup.

On the other hand beardies can take alot more extreme temp and humidity fluctuations than BP's which makes it alot easier to ship(or move) a beardie in different weather conditions. An established or adult beardie(not a baby) can get down to the 50's and up to 110+ degrees with no ill side effects. I have kept them in outdoor and greenhouse enclosures for months at a time and have never had a problem. I have been keeping beardies now for about 14 years and they are very personable and hearty reptiles.

You cant go wrong with either one. Enjoy