I talked to Sara on last weeks chat during the show because I'm looking for a diurnal species to experience. She had me leaning more towards a panther or veiled chameleon. But after a week of poking around beardies have sparked my interest... mainly because they can have such a different personality than most lizards. Can someone give me a rundown of their personality?

They're very curious, sometimes goofy, very relaxed as adults. If you feed them, you'll be their best friend for life! :D

Beardeds are great! Different set up so you're not going to have the live planted tropical look, but personality wise they are a thousand times more handleable then a cham. Check out frilleds too, they are a hoot.

If you want a "lapdog", beardies are great. They will sit on your shoulder for a long period if they are relaxed enough.

Thanks for the reply's guys, after a little more research + your reply's I went out a picked up a little "Suspected male" from a local breeder I've known for about a year. Suspected because he said it can be hard to sex them when they are this small.

I named him Doon (like Dune)
http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn202/cojac92/IMG_0551.jpg

I only used a hide like that for him to bask on because I'm a ball guy and I use those exo terra hides in my rack. lol.

P.S. He ate a totally dry food pellet earlier....and it didn't ring a bell that the stuff was suppose to be wet or moist until I was watching him eat it dry. Then I was like "Oh Crap!" I forgot to add water. So I took him outta the food bowl and added water... Could the few dry pellets he ate affect him? Also, I'm only savvy on the husbandry of beardies. Any useful advice?

A couple of the dry pellets shouldn't hurt him, just make sure that he drinks well and mushes em up in his belly.

My one tip with them at that size is spray them to encourage drinking, most won't drink out of a water dish (althouth they poop in it really well, lol) but if you mist water or drop water on the back of their head so it rolls to the front they'll start drinking like mad. When they are little they often don't eat their veggies so well, so they are not getting alot of moisture from them.

Other then that, have fun!

Alright, thanks Sara! So spray them directly? It won't freak them out or anything?

Alright, thanks Sara! So spray them directly? It won't freak them out or anything?

Most are really used to it, almost everyone I know that breeds them (not even just myself, lol) sprays them to drink. If it does startle him at first then just drip water onto his head and see what the reaction is, he'll probably put his head down and start drinking right away.

Some of mine will freak out when you spray them, others won't. And even the ones who do freak out, change their mind after they get a bit in their mouth. ;)

PS- I know that most beardie caresheets say that they don't need hides, but I have a couple that use them religiously and the rest just use them to bask on.

Okie dokie...I sprayed him "lightly" he kinda freaked out and ran to the other side of his terrarium... I tried again just letting my spray bottle drip. He just sat there while I was doing it he didn't open his mouth or anything, like he was ignoring me. Should I try a couple times a day? Also, one last thing... How soon should I offer crickets? Do beardies go through a acclimatization period like a new snake would?

Okie dokie...I sprayed him "lightly" he kinda freaked out and ran to the other side of his terrarium... I tried again just letting my spray bottle drip. He just sat there while I was doing it he didn't open his mouth or anything, like he was ignoring me. Should I try a couple times a day? Also, one last thing... How soon should I offer crickets? Do beardies go through a acclimatization period like a new snake would?

As long as he's got good temps, you can feed him immediately. Baby beardies are hungry bastards!

Thanks, I just dusted some crickets and put them in there. He's hunting already :D Although 5 or so of the crickets got under my cage carpet.... :mad: Should I leave them? Or dig em out?

Okie dokie...I sprayed him "lightly" he kinda freaked out and ran to the other side of his terrarium... I tried again just letting my spray bottle drip. He just sat there while I was doing it he didn't open his mouth or anything, like he was ignoring me. Should I try a couple times a day? Also, one last thing... How soon should I offer crickets? Do beardies go through a acclimatization period like a new snake would?

Yeah, I'd continue trying a couple times a day. You'll laugh when he's really thirsty and immediatly puts his head down, spreads his whole body out, and tries to suck up the entire universe.

As long as he's got good temps, you can feed him immediately. Baby beardies are hungry bastards!

Bingo exactly to a tee! Couldn't have said that any better!:lmao::lmao:

Thanks, I just dusted some crickets and put them in there. He's hunting already :D Although 5 or so of the crickets got under my cage carpet.... :mad: Should I leave them? Or dig em out?

You don't want to leave extra crickets in the cage for too long, they can bite the bearded.

Even the really little ones? These things are like nats...

Even the really little ones? These things are like nats...

Too many and yeah... But, why are you feeding him ones that small? General rule of thumb is about the space between the eyes, I'm guesstimating from the pic that he should be on smalls, not pins..:cheers:

This is random but I wanted to add this. I just posted a pic of Doon on BP.net.... and.... got slammed with husbandry stuff, I hate that crap.

Too many and yeah... But, why are you feeding him ones that small? General rule of thumb is about the space between the eyes, I'm guesstimating from the pic that he should be on smalls, not pins..:cheers:

My breeder gave me those, most everything else he dug up was too big.

This is random but I wanted to add this. I just posted a pic of Doon on BP.net.... and.... got slammed with husbandry stuff, I hate that crap.

Never been on there, but I've heard enough of stuff like that to continue with not checking it out, lol!:cheers:

My breeder gave me those, most everything else he dug up was too big.

Better too small then too big, but yeah, next time go a little bigger.
Is guesstimate even a word? Dang, I type like I speak and then read it later going what the heck was that?:o

This is random but I wanted to add this. I just posted a pic of Doon on BP.net.... and.... got slammed with husbandry stuff, I hate that crap.

That is a great site for beginners, tons of good info but... They will definitely come down on you for not following the caresheet to a T.

What exactly are they criticizing you for?

Better too small then too big, but yeah, next time go a little bigger.
Is guesstimate even a word? Dang, I type like I speak and then read it later going what the heck was that?:o

Alright, I'll try and find some a little bigger next time.

As far as gusstimate. I don't care... I use it too! :lmao:

Sara, guesstimate is definitely in my vocab! And my spellchecker didn't underline it so I guess you're safe!

And yeah, I love when they turn into an umbrella to suck up all the water! Hilarious!

That is a great site for beginners, tons of good info but... They will definitely come down on you for not following the caresheet to a T.

What exactly are they criticizing you for?


Yeah I started out there when I first got into Balls last year... But I've slowly moved over here. (I like this crowd a lot better anyway) Nothing really, I just posted a pic of my new bearded and said I got him today, the first reply I get is about husbandry and stuff. :mad: I understand it was probably posted under good intentions, but that crap still gets under my skin.

Yeah I started out there when I first got into Balls last year... But I've slowly moved over here. (I like this crowd a lot better anyway) Nothing really, I just posted a pic of my new bearded and said I got him today, the first reply I get is about husbandry and stuff. :mad: I understand it was probably posted under good intentions, but that crap still gets under my skin.

Ohhh, assume you know NOTHING, yeah, that would tick me off. Here I think we assume you know at least something and then chastise you if you don't, lol!!

Never been on there, but I've heard enough of stuff like that to continue with not checking it out, lol!:cheers:

I agree with Melanie, there is a ton of good info for beginners... but because they are "Care" Nazi's I don't really post there like I use to.

Ohhh, assume you know NOTHING, yeah, that would tick me off. Here I think we assume you know at least something and then chastise you if you don't, lol!!

Yes! Exactly! That's what I should have replied with when Melanie asked... they assumed I knew NOTHING. lol. Blah... enough about them.

Yeah I started out there when I first got into Balls last year... But I've slowly moved over here. (I like this crowd a lot better anyway) Nothing really, I just posted a pic of my new bearded and said I got him today, the first reply I get is about husbandry and stuff. :mad: I understand it was probably posted under good intentions, but that crap still gets under my skin.

I just went over there to see what was said. That was just... Strange. lol! But like you said, it was posted with good intentions.

This is random but I wanted to add this. I just posted a pic of Doon on BP.net.... and.... got slammed with husbandry stuff, I hate that crap.

I don't want to be one of those people, but........

I wouldn't use the reptile carpet. I had a beardie on it. He got a toenail snagged on some fibers and was stuck. If I didn't see it, he might have eventually lost the nail trying to free himself. Just a bad experience I had that I thought I would share.

I don't want to be one of those people, but........

I wouldn't use the reptile carpet. I had a beardie on it. He got a toenail snagged on some fibers and was stuck. If I didn't see it, he might have eventually lost the nail trying to free himself. Just a bad experience I had that I thought I would share.

I hadn't thought about that, but the reason I went with the cage carpet was because I heard that the juveniles would get impaction in their GI track or something from eating crickets on the sand.

I hadn't thought about that, but the reason I went with the cage carpet was because I heard that the juveniles would get impaction in their GI track or something from eating crickets on the sand.

I use paper towels on babies, nothing to ingest and nothing to snag on. I know alot of people use the carpet, but personally I don't use it on anything.

Also, impaction usually occurs when people underfeed (which an astounding number of people do) and don't pay attention to the animal being so hungry that they are gulping huge mouthfuls of sand with teh crickets and not spitting it back out. Most beardeds, even babies, can do just like we do with a sunflower seed, put it in your mouth, eat the seed, and spit out the shell. They can get sand in the mouth, eat the cricket, and work out the sand. Although small amounts if ingested should be easily passible. Problems happen when people figure they can toss a dozen crickets in twice a week and that's all they need, they are starving and gulping like mad and swallowing everything that ends up in their mouth.

Lordy, I just did "one of those people" sorry, lol!:o:cheers:

Thanks for the reply, nah I wouldn't worry about being "One of those people." The description of them would be assuming a person doesn't know anything about a particular subject, or if one of your animals does anything weird they start assaulting your husbandry. It seems to me you just told me what you do. (keep on paper towls rather than carpet) Not.... KEEP YOUR BABY BEARDEDS ON PAPER TOWELS ARE THEY WILL DIE!!!!!!!!!

So, your in the clear. :)

I fed my beardies in a seperate container for insects. I could keep better track of how many they ate, and no substrate ingestion problems. I did keep their salad in a bowl in their enclosure.

Some of mine will freak out when you spray them, others won't. And even the ones who do freak out, change their mind after they get a bit in their mouth. ;)
.

I tried dripping water on his head again today, and he drank some... he actually tried to chase the little waterfall back up to the bottle. :lmao: but he only did it for 10 sec. Then he was done. :dunno:

I fed my beardies in a seperate container for insects. I could keep better track of how many they ate, and no substrate ingestion problems. I did keep their salad in a bowl in their enclosure.

Yeah, I think I'm going to do the same thing, my crickets were getting in his food bowl and carrying off food pellets and crap like that. I'll just put him in a steralite container and drop the crickets in.

He's a cute little guy and they just get better as they grow.

My wife has several and she feeds dubia roaches along with crickets and their salads. She feeds the roaches in a deli cup and her biggest red beardie, Bob will go down and nosh a few. Go back up and bask a while then back to nosh a few more back and forth. Late in the day she will usually remove the left over food and uneaten dubias. The other day she reached in to remove the deli cup which had a few roaches left in it. Bob was having none of that and grabbed the cup and held it while he polished off the last of them from his basking log. What little characters they are.

Best of luck with you're little guy I'm sure you'll be wanting more soon. LOL

Bob was having none of that and grabbed the cup and held it while he polished off the last of them from his basking log. What little characters they are.

He has been a HOOT! He has defiantly got more spunk than my rack full of ball pythons put together... but then again a lot of other reptiles can beat a ball python in spunk. :lmao:

He has been a HOOT! He has defiantly got more spunk than my rack full of ball pythons put together... but then again a lot of other reptiles can beat a ball python in spunk. :lmao:

I've seen reptile statues with more spunk than some of the BPs I've had. :lmao::lmao:

I've seen reptile statues with more spunk than some of the BPs I've had. :lmao::lmao:

SNORT!!!!:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

I use paper towels on babies, nothing to ingest and nothing to snag on. I know alot of people use the carpet, but personally I don't use it on anything.

Also, impaction usually occurs when people underfeed (which an astounding number of people do) and don't pay attention to the animal being so hungry that they are gulping huge mouthfuls of sand with teh crickets and not spitting it back out. Most beardeds, even babies, can do just like we do with a sunflower seed, put it in your mouth, eat the seed, and spit out the shell. They can get sand in the mouth, eat the cricket, and work out the sand. Although small amounts if ingested should be easily passible. Problems happen when people figure they can toss a dozen crickets in twice a week and that's all they need, they are starving and gulping like mad and swallowing everything that ends up in their mouth.

Lordy, I just did "one of those people" sorry, lol!:o:cheers:

Not to get off topic, but the breeder I got my boy from told me 2x -3x a day when they're babies? Is that correct.

How could anyone feed a baby 2x a WEEK? They always seem so hungry. And they're in your face about it too. Walking around, giving you the stink eye and demanding you feed them.

Not to get off topic, but the breeder I got my boy from told me 2x -3x a day when they're babies? Is that correct.

How could anyone feed a baby 2x a WEEK? They always seem so hungry. And they're in your face about it too. Walking around, giving you the stink eye and demanding you feed them.

I've always been a once or twice a day person without a problem. But alot of people do a couple or three times a day, just do whatever works for ya! As long as it's not twice a week, those people suck.

Not to get off topic, but the breeder I got my boy from told me 2x -3x a day when they're babies? Is that correct.

How could anyone feed a baby 2x a WEEK? They always seem so hungry. And they're in your face about it too. Walking around, giving you the stink eye and demanding you feed them.

I've always feed babies twice a day. In the morning about an hour after lights on. Then again late afternoon 2-3 hours before lights off to give them time to digest. About an hour before lights off I would go back and mist the walls of their cages heavily so the drops would run down. Babies aren't the sharpest tools in the shed when it comes to drinking from standing water. I would keep a shallow water bowl in one corner with an airstone in it to simulate moving water. This is the same corner I would mist down. Doesn't take long they get the idea about drinking.

After seeing that the babies drank I would clean up the wet paper towels and remove any uneaten crix.

I've always been a once or twice a day person without a problem. But alot of people do a couple or three times a day, just do whatever works for ya! As long as it's not twice a week, those people suck.

I've always feed babies twice a day. In the morning about an hour after lights on. Then again late afternoon 2-3 hours before lights off to give them time to digest. About an hour before lights off I would go back and mist the walls of their cages heavily so the drops would run down. Babies aren't the sharpest tools in the shed when it comes to drinking from standing water. I would keep a shallow water bowl in one corner with an airstone in it to simulate moving water. This is the same corner I would mist down. Doesn't take long they get the idea about drinking.

After seeing that the babies drank I would clean up the wet paper towels and remove any uneaten crix.

Great, I think I've been doing things correctly than :)
Thank you.

And NO LOVE for the people that feed them 2x a week D: