reptile nerds

[dJEd]

any reptile geeks on the board? redd just adopted out her guinea pigs so now we're looking to set up the tank for a bearded dragon in the new year. has anyone on here had a similar creature? any tips/pointers?

we're looking to find a Yellow Lavender Morph...

[ReDD]

You make it sound like I adopted Marigold and Rhubarb out so that we could get a bearded dragon, which is not the case. I am allergic to them and I am really going to miss those girls...

[MamaBurnsy]

We have a chameleon, and he is very mean! Don't know much about bearded dragons unfortunately.

I do know however that they enjoy heated flooring and rocks, need DAYGLO bulbs with UVA/UVB, and enjoy crickets for lunch!

[Thorgnor]

Get a proper UVA/UVB light, a heat pad or rock, a night UVA/UVB light, water dish, misting bottle and TIMERS! Regularity is key... the sun always rises regularly in nature, it should in a tank as well. Lots of warm ventilation doesn't hurt either. Variety is best for the diet. Crickets and silkworms are best, meal and superworms are good for an influx of other vitamins and minerals and don't forget the vitamin dusts. Calcium and everything must be monitored fairly closely.

These guys are more work than they seem but generally human contact tends to socialise them if not tame them. Careful though, bearded dragons are fast.

Edited November 7, 2005 by Guest

[Esau]

I used to keep reptiles, although monitor lizards were what I had the most of.

As mentioned UVA/UVB lights are needed but also as mentioned proper vitamin supplements (especially vitamin D) are required since those lights are not enough. Also, try not to let them be able to lie directly on the heat pad or heat rocks, they can cause alot of damage to their digestion, as well internal organs.

Bearded dragons are omnivores but mostly eat insects & small creatures in the wild, pinky mice are very good for them as they get bigger (no fur), it provides much more then just crickets and other little inscets do, as well some quality soft dog food (sparingly) can bring many added nutrients (from my expirence).Males can be pretty territorial so a generous size aquarium or enclosure is required if keeping more then one, even just a female & male.It also helps in reducing stress and aggression which is a major killer with reptiles in captivity.Even when alone.

Also, a generous sized enclosure will allow for a varied temperature for them, add to that some branches for climbing, rocks & a hiding place etc also very good for health & happiness.Try not to use substances like wood chips,corn cobbing,certian gravels, paper towels etc since they can cause serious intestinal problems if swallowed and are awful to try and clean and disinfect.

A water dish shallow enough for the to climb into but not deep enough to drown them is always a great idea to, change it daily.

If I can find the books I have I'll get them to you.

Theres a great place in Hamilton on King st called the "Reptile Store" which can answer any & all questions on them, John (the reptile man) is an awesome guy, easily approchable & is an virtual encyclopedia on reptiles and willing to take time to answer questions.

Or since your in Burlington, perhaps take a jaunt up Lakeshore to Port Credit Pet Center, the owners name is Grant, who was the Ontario Herpetological society president at one time (not sure if he still is) and is another great guy to talk to,very helpful.

[ReDD]

Thanks alot Esau...

Erich started this post and I really have no idea why. I used to work at a pet store in Bowmanville that sold a few differnt types of lizards. Beardies were the big seller but we had the typical pet store purchases like anoles, geckos and basilisk.

Needless to say I have a general idea on upkeep having to have learned all about the animals before I felt comfortable selling to a customer or helping with problems. I didn't get as interested in the lizards and snakes as I was in the fish and the parrots though so some of my knowledge is incomplete.

It's funny you mentioned The Reptile Store and The Port Credit Pet Center because I have looked both up online and in the phone book. I'm somewhat anal when it comes to my animals and really want to provide our beardie with the best possible enclosure for the cheapest price (i'm cheap). I researched both of those stores because I was told they sell a substrate which is coconut shells that are ground which beardies can digest, unlike sand.

Erich and I do not plan on getting our beardie until the new year so we have lots of time to learn all the tricks of teh trade!!

Thank you so much to everyone for being so helpful. You all sound like very responsible pet owners which are my favourite kind..

Oh Esau, we plan on going to the Ontario Reptile Expo in Feburary to buy the lavender mutation colour of the Beardie we want. I worked in a very clean, knowledgable pet store and have a hate on for stores that don't treat the animals properly so I refuse to buy pets in Burlington pet stores. Since your such a big reptile and probably pet lover like djed and myself you are more then welcome to come along if you like. Admission is 5 dollars..

[Esau]

May just take you up on it Redd, I believe myself & a couple friends are also hitting up the show later this month, I think its on the 27th or around there anyway in Mississauga, I'll have to check my mail to be exact.

I don't keep reptiles anymore, since I found I wasn't dedicating enough time to properly care for them, having two nile monitors and a water monitor it required quite alot of time which at the time I didn't have, plus proper space was becoming an issue since all three were 3ft plus and a townhouse hasn't got the room.

Last creatures I had (up until last fall) were two adult African burrowing bullfrogs ( about 2 lbs maybe), sadly one caught a mouth disease from attacking the glass all the time and the other I passed along to a friend who had the time & space, she was also the person who adopted my monitors.

If you ever hit the Reptile store, let me know I'll meet up with ya'll and introduce ya to a friend I have nicknamed 'cobra Bob' who lives around the corner from the store, you can guess why he's called that. (hes also well known at the store,although not sure how liked)LOL

[ReDD]

I love monitors and boas but because there so big and feisty they somewhat indimadate me. It's so funny that a big lizard makes me kinda nervous but a 1000 plus pound horse or cow are like big pets to me!!

Geez, I could talk about animals for days on end. I wish there was some kind of reptile or aquarium society in Burlington that I could go yak for hours with like minded people.

We'll definitly pm you when we go to the Reptile Store. I'd love to meet cobra bob and see his collection. Although maybe we'll try and go when he's not feeding?? I have a soft spot for rodents.

For anyone that is interested in the Ontario Reptile Expo here is a link to teh webpage for you...

http://www.reptileexpo.ca/

[The Chameleon]

I am a Chameleon!

[ReDD]

Hey Esau...

Erich and I went hunting for good peices of wood for basking this weekend while we were in Muskoka. I know that I have to boil the wood in a bleach solution and then bake it but I was wondering if you knew if Poplar wood is okay for reptiles?? Also it is super hard to get the bark off so if we sand it well before we boil and bake do you know if the bark would harm him?

[Esau]

Never heard about the boiling in bleach, usually an overnight soak in a very mild bleach solution is all that is needed to my understanding. Size permitting, I would go with a few hours in the oven opposed to bleach, to many variables for problems in my opinion.

I'm not sure about certian wood types being a problem, although the bark may be, if it can be removed I would remove it. Normally, I used seasoned driftwoods I found while canoeing, the barks already gone, less chance of mites since its usually found in the water & its more pleasing to look at (again, my opinion). After a good bake it was ready to go & I never really expirenced any issues to my knowledge.

[ReDD]

By chance will you have a nice peice of that driftwood for sale in the near future??!!??

I've priced pet store peices and the size of wood we would like are super expensive. I found a man who sells drift wood from lake Simcoe but once again it is pretty pricey because of shipping weight.

We'll figure out something. Maybe like you suggested we'll go to a lake and try and find something usable on the shore.

Thanks..

[Lazlo]

Hey Esau...

Erich and I went hunting for good peices of wood for basking this weekend while we were in Muskoka. I know that I have to boil the wood in a bleach solution and then bake it but I was wondering if you knew if Poplar wood is okay for reptiles?? Also it is super hard to get the bark off so if we sand it well before we boil and bake do you know if the bark would harm him?

DO NOT BOIL OR BAKE THE BLEACH unless very diluded or you have an assortment of gas-masks.

Fuck it. What do I care. Boil away and add some ammonia while your at it.