I got him last Thursday. I have named him Nietzsche (Neech for short). He is about 7-8 months old and is about 16" long. He is quite docile and loves to just lay on my lap or perch on my shoulder. For anyone who likes reptiles but are afraid of them being to aggressive or skittish (like iguanas can be), a bearded dragon is the perfect candidate for an exotic pet. Here are a few pics of him: Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Why not? I love animals/pets. I already have three dogs, and nine fish, in two aquariums. Besides, lizards are awesome. I've always wanted one. I like iguanas but they can be skittish and spastic sometimes, especially with those long tails. Dragons and leopard geckos are known for their calm, gentle disposition. Haha...as for 'roos, there's no way I could afford one of those. My friend's ex used to work for a pet store and she got to baby sit a wallaby (mini-roo) one night. Although he was totally awesome, the $2500 price tag attached to him was a bit discouraging. Neech only cost $80.
` Is 'e a vegetarian, or will you get to heave live mice in there to meet their unsavory end in 'is digestive tract ?
Like Nietzschefan, I'm also a fan. I narrowed it down to either that or Merlin and I noticed that Nietzsche was a bit less common and more original. He is an omnivore. I won't be feeding him pinkies, but I will be feeding him crickets and meal/superworms. I've seen him eat crickets when he was still at the pet store. He hasn't eaten anything since I got him last Thursday but I've read that that isn't uncommon when you take them home...at least for a few days.
so, you buy them and kill them? Or do you buy pre-killed? (can you imagine that job on a resume)Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Cold-blooded animals don't require nearly the volume of fuel that mammals and birds do, and they don't need it in such regular doses. Most fish and aquatic reptiles like sea turtles keep moving so they have a certain minimum need for energy. But land reptiles can sit literally motionless for days if they have to or want to. I assume this is a native species? Australia has such draconian laws about imports. After having already allowed bunny rabbits to take over the place. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Speaking of the invading species who live in wombat burrows... If I come to Australia some day on vacation, is there some place where I can pet a wombat? I've always liked them and I hear they're pretty docile.
Yep. Dragons are native to Australia. I haven't bought any crickets or worms for him yet, but when I do, they will be live. I won't feed him any pinkies or rodents. Plus he won't really get big enough to eat/swallow anything bigger than your thumb or so.
He is cute, my boys talk about getting a lizard....... Not in my house lol......My dog Bruce would freak out and loose it anyway, he doesn't allow any other animal in this house. cute name too Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Kingston (my Doberman) thought that he wasn't going to allow any other animals in the house, until I have him a physical crash course on 'I'm the boss and he isn't.' He attacked my foster dog Lucky the other day when I was petting Kingston and Lucky came over to be petted too. Kingston ripped into him for about a fraction of a second until my hand grabbed his collar and threw him to the floor UFC style. He reached up and bit my other hand, then I just jumped on top of him and clamped my hand around his snout pretty much as hard as I could grip for the next 20 seconds, letting him know that he had better not EVER do that again. He has not shown any aggression towards Lucky since.
lol I don't have the energy to fight with BRUCE......We took in the cutest dog (poodle) that my brother in law couldnt keep. Bruce lasted about 1 day.....before he was beating the crap out of him and eating his food. We couldn't get him to stop it! So I gave the dog to a neighbour of mines friend who just lost her dog. She still has him and is so happy because she is a single lady. So all in all I guess it worked out.
Wow, that is a cute-looking lizard. Like it's thinking lovey thoughts with his come hither, look how cute and sweet I am expression.
What worked for me is watching the Dog Whisperer. Example, you can watch Bruce when he's around any other dog. You can tell by his facial expression what he's thinking and what he's about to do. As soon as you see him do that stare (you've seen it on dogs right before they are about to attack another dog), correct him with a stern 'Ehhh!' or 'WRONG!'. That distracts them. If that still doesn't work and he jumps on another dog, as soon as you see him lunge, that's when you run over to him grab him by the neck and push him to the ground (much like an alpha wolf would do to a subordinate with his teeth). The trick is to do it calmly, but assertively. You can't do it half-assed, but you also can't be tense, angry or nervous when you do it, as the dog will pick up on this. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. In order for that to be effective, Bruce has to know that you're the leader. Little things you can do to ensure he knows you're the leader; -make him sit before he does anything (especially eat, that way he knows he's working for his food) -if you're going outside/inside (YOU go first, he follows) -ignore him for 10-15 minutes after you get home from anywhere and the same for when you leave (this curbs separation anxiety) -when walking him, he stays beside you or behind you (NOT in front). I see entirely too many people walking their dogs and the dogs are 5-10 feet in front of them. The dog thinks it's the leader when this happens. -do not let him up on the furniture or bed w/o your permission, every time. If he jumps up on either w/o you telling him, make him get back down -crate training (probably the single most useful tool for dog training, hands down) If Bruce is one of the difficult ones, a muzzle and choker chain are effective training tools (but they are not supposed to be permanent). Gentle leaders (kinda like a halter) are very good for curbing leash tugging as well. Sorry for the training lesson. I've just found that a lot of dog owners don't have the information they need to be an effective leader/parent. He must always be thinking those thoughts. I wish I had the chill ability that he does. He was laying in his water bowl last night. His front half was resting vertically against the cage glass walls and his tail was sticking straight up in the air on the other side with his body in the water. It was quite comical.
