My son wants a bearded dragon...

[celeste_knitter]

So he came to me today & presented his case as to why he should be allowed to have a new pet...He made some good points too. He would like a lizard friend that is his (The chams are mine) that is friendly & can be handled. He has done well with his tortoise care. He helps me with the chams & crested geckos. He tries to hold the geckos but they are so flighty.

So...is this a good choice for him? We have feeders already & are familiar with uv lighting & heat gradients. He wants a white beardie....breeder recommendations? Do we want a boy or girl? Does it matter?

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[Thehippie]

i would say boy because of the eggs in females and stuff, it might be too much for him to handle, i know female chameleons are too much for ME to handle. but also take into account that males are bigger than females and bearded dragons can have sharp claws. other than those to keep in mind i think that a bearded dragon would be great for your little boy just know cage requirements and others and make sure he reads up on them too, good luck and i hope u find a beardie you like!! if you do happen to get one!!

 

[ERKleRose]

Bearded dragons do live very long, so keep that in mind. Just like with any animal, there are some that want nothing to do with people, so be prepared if the one you get goes rogue. They are great pets for kids (and anyone else)! I LOVE the white bearded dragons! Keep us updated!

 

[celeste_knitter]

I'm thinking boy too. He deals with the sharp claws of his tortoise fine plus we trim them. We would get a large cage to go on top of his tort's custom 4 ft x 2 ft x 4 ft cage, starting smaller at first until he grows some. I'm reading up on them now & they are similar to the tort, just add some bugs, crank up the heat and lower the humidity....handle often.

 

[celeste_knitter]

Well, after talking to some friends with beardies and talking to some breeders...I am going to give in & let him have one. I am going with a breeder that came highly recommended for the white coloring my son wants & he will be shipped here. Getting all the supplies except lights tomorrow - ordering the lights (arcadia T5 12%) so they should be here very soon. My new chameleon arrives tomorrow...might have a beardie by this weekend. Wow am I outnumbered!

 

[BabyChamCham]

Well, after talking to some friends with beardies and talking to some breeders...I am going to give in & let him have one. I am going with a breeder that came highly recommended for the white coloring my son wants & he will be shipped here. Getting all the supplies except lights tomorrow - ordering the lights (arcadia T5 12%) so they should be here very soon. My new chameleon arrives tomorrow...might have a beardie by this weekend. Wow am I outnumbered!

Oh how exciting! Please post pictures/updates, and maybe even what his name will end up being!

 

[celeste_knitter]

I will! He has named his beardie Blizzard the Lizard!

 

[celeste_knitter]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpN1KrmBbyA/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

The dragon on the far right is ours! WOOHOO!! Due to weather in KY, he won't be shipped until next week, but that's ok...gives us time to get his cage set up just right and not just thrown together!

 

[celeste_knitter]

He's here!!!! He's a good weight - 38 grams; arrived about an hour ago. He's warming up nicely in his enclosure. Super friendly - likes beard scratches and belly scratches. Loving his shale platform I made under his heat lamp. He ate some BFSL and some small dubia right away. Hopefully he will eat some of his salad too!

 

[Thehippie]

very nice!!! what a cutie

 

[celeste_knitter]

My son just got home from school & met his new buddy for the 1st time IRL. He loves to be held for short periods of time...typical of most young animals. He's eating, pooping, active, & relaxed.

 

[WildCHILD400]

How cute!

 

[salty dog]

Yes!! They are a perfect hands on pet!!

 

[mBuxx]

Congrats. My bearded dragon Rex passed away 2 years ago, at the age of 17! I got him when he was just a baby (as was I, in public school) I was always amazed at how hands on he was, he would sit on my chest and watch tv for hours on end. I think they're great starter reptiles for sure!

 

[NatoV]

Great choice! I had a bearded when I was younger, he passed at eight due to stress though (I had moved and he didn’t take it well) but in my opinion one of the most fascinating lizards species to watch

 

[Curlytails]

Well, after talking to some friends with beardies and talking to some breeders...I am going to give in & let him have one. I am going with a breeder that came highly recommended for the white coloring my son wants & he will be shipped here. Getting all the supplies except lights tomorrow - ordering the lights (arcadia T5 12%) so they should be here very soon. My new chameleon arrives tomorrow...might have a beardie by this weekend. Wow am I outnumbered!

there is a special arcadia uv bulb for dragons. heard some good stuff about it but i would get it in t5 instead of t8 if possible

 

[celeste_knitter]

there is a special arcadia uv bulb for dragons. heard some good stuff about it but i would get it in t5 instead of t8 if possible

We've had our dragon for awhile now - the problem with the dragon bulbs is that you must have a 2ft tall cage in order to get the right distance for that bulb, otherwise they are too strong. I only use T5 bulbs, that way I can reuse the fixtures on other animals as I switch cages, etc. He will be moving to a 4 x 2 x 2 cage very soon - dragon bulb on order!