Chameleon crazy
New Member
Saphira is up for adoption, as I've been moving a lot and need to find her a good home, with someone who will love her to pieces, she is a sweet dragon. For a $50 rehoming fee + shipping. Feel free to contact me with any quesations. Here is the Saphiras Story....
This is a rescue story, of the most sweetest and gentlest of Bearded Dragons. Her name is Saphira. I rescued Saphira last summer, when I did a reptile presentation at the library. A man brought her to me in her tank; he decided to give her to me because his son completely lost interest in her and almost never remembered to feed her. I was shocked when I saw this poor dragon, when I looked at her it seemed like she had no desire to live any more.
I asked questions and found out more about Saphira. I learned that about 2 ½ years earlier the man had bought her as a baby from a pet store for his son. The son took care of her for about the first 6 months, than all of a sudden completely lost interest in his dragon. Poor Saphira suffered so much for the next two years. She grew to be 18 inches long, but she was still kept in only a 15 gallon tank, with hardly enough room to comfortably turn around, let alone thermo- regulate. She was kept on filthy sand, fed a diet of Kale with the occasional two dozen crickets, had a water dish but was not bathed, and was not given proper UVB lighting. As if this wasn’t enough, she was calcium (MBD) and vitamin deficient. Saphira suffered all of this for two years. Her care was the exact opposite of what beardies need.
I took a picture of her the day I got her, in the tank she was brought in.
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/008.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/1112.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/55556.jpg
Saphira's first picture.
I took Saphira home, put her in a 55 gallon tank, and bathed her twice a day for the first few days, as she was terribly dehydrated, provided UVB, heat & proper temperatures, gave her proper calcium and vitamins, and properly feed her lobster roaches so she could gain some weight. In addition to this she received love, lots of love and attention from me as well as my two sisters and brother.
Here are pictures of Saphira one year later.
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/tr.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/WithAndy14.jpg
Taking a bath...
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/DSCF0018.jpg
It took Saphira a while to get back from being so close to death and we still have a little way to go yet, but Saphira is so happy and gentle, she loves everyone. No matter how long you take her out to play or to watch movies, when you go to put her back she always hangs on to your hand, begging for, “just 5 more minutes”. Everyone always loves her to pieces!
By Saphira’s story and the suffering that she endured for such a long period of time, never knowing what would happen, and not being able to improve things for herself, just waiting for someone to come along and help her. We hope it will teach other people to research and be sure that they will be able to take care of a Bearded Dragon before taking one of their little lives into their hands. As well as having a serious interest in them, and not just a passing phase that will leave an unwanted dragon, so no other dragons will be left to suffer the way that Saphira did.
This is a rescue story, of the most sweetest and gentlest of Bearded Dragons. Her name is Saphira. I rescued Saphira last summer, when I did a reptile presentation at the library. A man brought her to me in her tank; he decided to give her to me because his son completely lost interest in her and almost never remembered to feed her. I was shocked when I saw this poor dragon, when I looked at her it seemed like she had no desire to live any more.
I asked questions and found out more about Saphira. I learned that about 2 ½ years earlier the man had bought her as a baby from a pet store for his son. The son took care of her for about the first 6 months, than all of a sudden completely lost interest in his dragon. Poor Saphira suffered so much for the next two years. She grew to be 18 inches long, but she was still kept in only a 15 gallon tank, with hardly enough room to comfortably turn around, let alone thermo- regulate. She was kept on filthy sand, fed a diet of Kale with the occasional two dozen crickets, had a water dish but was not bathed, and was not given proper UVB lighting. As if this wasn’t enough, she was calcium (MBD) and vitamin deficient. Saphira suffered all of this for two years. Her care was the exact opposite of what beardies need.
I took a picture of her the day I got her, in the tank she was brought in.
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/008.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/1112.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/55556.jpg
Saphira's first picture.
I took Saphira home, put her in a 55 gallon tank, and bathed her twice a day for the first few days, as she was terribly dehydrated, provided UVB, heat & proper temperatures, gave her proper calcium and vitamins, and properly feed her lobster roaches so she could gain some weight. In addition to this she received love, lots of love and attention from me as well as my two sisters and brother.
Here are pictures of Saphira one year later.
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/tr.jpg
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/WithAndy14.jpg
Taking a bath...
http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac65/reptilelover91/DSCF0018.jpg
It took Saphira a while to get back from being so close to death and we still have a little way to go yet, but Saphira is so happy and gentle, she loves everyone. No matter how long you take her out to play or to watch movies, when you go to put her back she always hangs on to your hand, begging for, “just 5 more minutes”. Everyone always loves her to pieces!
By Saphira’s story and the suffering that she endured for such a long period of time, never knowing what would happen, and not being able to improve things for herself, just waiting for someone to come along and help her. We hope it will teach other people to research and be sure that they will be able to take care of a Bearded Dragon before taking one of their little lives into their hands. As well as having a serious interest in them, and not just a passing phase that will leave an unwanted dragon, so no other dragons will be left to suffer the way that Saphira did.
