Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Pets › Anyone have reptiles?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Anyone have reptiles?

post #1 of 7
Thread Starter 
My son is getting his first lizard, a bearded dragon, soon. He's a responsible boy with a serious interest in caring for and studying reptiles. (He sleeps with a stack of field guides next to his pillow.) We have a 50 gallon tank, logs, lamps, food dishes, and will be using brown paper instead of reptile carpet because we have a free source of it.

Does anyone have advice for a young, first-time reptile "parent"?
post #2 of 7
Congratulatins on the future addition! My brother got a bearded dragon about a year ago, it was also his first pet (he's 12 also). I don't know if I have any advice, they seem to be pretty good pets (DH and I got to pet-sit him when they went away on vacation this year). I would get one that is people friendly to make interacting with him easier for your son.

I'm assuming you have a source for live food such as crickets?
post #3 of 7
Thread Starter 
Yes, we will be feeding Eragon crickets and mealworms, and are looking into the possibility of breeding crickets to save money.

The lizard we're getting belonged to their babysitter's friend. They already know and have handled the lizard on a few occasions. He's very friendly. He's not a baby anymore, but not quite full-grown, either.
post #4 of 7
You know that Beardies are omnivores yes? Its important that they have a supply of fresh veggies in their tank too.

Also, make sure you have the correct lighting, this is very important for reptiles, it can cause health issues if you provide no lighting or the wrong type. Its confusing because there are a wide range of bulb options on the market, some of which are appropriate for certain species, but not others. It would be best to do some specific reading on Dragon lighting requirements.

Its also recommended that you supplement with vitamins- you can get reptile dust at the pet store that you simply sprinkle over the crickets before feeding. The easiest way is to put the crickets in a bag, add dust, and shake- only a little is needed, and dust isn't really good for crickets, so dust only right before feeding, and only as many crickets as will be consumed.

It doesn't sounds like you have one- but heat rocks are generally not recommended, they can burn your reptile. Heat lamps or reptile specific under-tank heat pads are safer, and only over one part of the tank, so that the dragon and move to a cooler section if he feels too hot.

Finally- have fun with your dragon! They are actually quite smart. They'll benefit from some enrichment- changes in their environment, different textures, food placement to encourage movement etc. Sometimes people forget how boring it must be to live in a tank 24/7. I find even traditionally "boring" cage pets are more active and engaged when you make an effort to keep them stimulated and engaged.
post #5 of 7
Yup, we did the shaking of the crickets in the vitamin power. And I'm not sure about the rules but my brother's lizard alternates between cricket days and veggie days. He seems to be a big fan of blueberries.
post #6 of 7
Thread Starter 
We have an abundance of kale, which I'm told by the previous owner that Eragon really enjoys with grated carrot.
post #7 of 7
We have a ton of reptile (& amphibian) pets, though no bearded dragons. We have an iguana, 2 turtles, and 2 leopard geckos, plus a ton of frogs (mostly poison dart frogs). It sounds like you guys have the basics down. Reptile vitamin/calcium powders do expire, so make sure to get new jars every 6 months or so. As a pp mentioned, stay away from heat rocks as they can burn your lizard. We also avoid under tank heating pads. We just have lights for everyone.
Fresh fruits and veggies are great, but I'd be careful with kale. A little is ok, but kale and other dark leafy greens (spinach, chard) can be really hard on reptile kidneys. Endive and escarole are really great for them though, as are dandelion greens.
The website anapsid.org by Melissa Kaplan has a ton of really great reptile care info.
Best of luck with your new critter! Lizards are really fun pets.
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Pets
Mothering › Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Pets › Anyone have reptiles?