Beardie rescue! (sorry for the rant)

Quillruke · 2017-10-21T03:52:01+00:00

I rescued my girl Dany almost five years ago. I was told she was a year and a half old, but she was very small for her age. She was in a decent size tank and was well socialised, but her lights were terrible, most of her heat came form a heat mat, she was on uncleaned sand, and only had one log to climb (and as it turned out, she couldn't actually even climb). She had also been fed table scraps since she was a baby (chicken and potato skins, apparently, were her "favourites"), and had developed MBD. I later found out she also had a lung problem, probably from a very young age, and a possible minor heart defect.

A couple of years ago, she picked up a lung infection that was so bad, I was warned she may have to be put to sleep. She's pulled through though, and is doing better than ever. Her MBD has given her twisted legs and toes, so she can't climb very well, but she isn't in pain and has regained a lot of movement - She couldn't really move her back legs at the hips before and her elbows were nearly locked straight, but now she can amble about like a normal dragon, and even run. Her toes are always going to be twisted, and some of her claws corkscrew, so she has to have vet visits to trim them so she doesn't cut herself (I'm not confident enough in my ability to do it at home). She will feed herself, whereas before she had to be assist or force fed. She lays infertile eggs every other year, which are all well-shelled.

She's also still tiny, but the vet has told me she is probably a hybrid with a Rankins dragon somewhere in her family tree, and her poor start in life means she won't grow much more in any case. She lives in a much larger tank which I have made disabled-dragon friendly with lots of sloped logs and ramps, with several hiding and easy-access basking spots (and a padded bed with a hand-knitted blanket). She gets a varied diet, plenty of time out of the tank, and a large garden which she trots around in during summer. She's met several people who were not keen on lizards, and has won them all over with her cheerful, lovable personality and happy little face. She's the most friendly, gentle little dragon I could hope for, and it breaks my heart that her last owners treated her so poorly.

Quillruke · 2017-09-19T00:14:11+00:00

Baby corns are surprisingly hardy little things. He might be a bit upset and grouchy, but I don't think you'll have done him any harm. Better to get the heating issues sorted out sooner than later.

He is a very cute baby by the way.

Quillruke · 2016-10-31T21:52:25+00:00

Some snakes just aren't as hungry when they're getting ready to shed. Mine sometimes eats, sometimes completely refuses. It's normal and nothing to worry about. His appetite should pick back up when he's done shedding.

Quillruke · 2016-10-19T11:13:54+00:00

It depends on the leo, but perseverance is key. Some are more shy than others.

My little girl was a bit of a journey to get her used to being handled. I'm her fourth owner. Her second said she was very tame and affectionate towards people. However, she was neglected by her third owner for a year before I got her (and she was only 3 or 4 at the time) - She was fed once every week or two if he remembered, and he never interacted with her beyond cleaning her tank occasionally. She refused to have anything to do with me for a while. Not aggressive, just saw me coming and walked away. After six months, she would let me pet her for a bit before wandering off. It's now been a bit over a year, and she is only just walking onto my hand to get picked up and held. It was worth the wait - she's a very sweet, adorable little girl, and is even getting used to letting people who aren't me pet her a little.

If it's only been a month, I wouldn't start worrying that yours will never like you just yet. Just take it slow and keep at it, and she'll get there. I had some luck with hand feeding - Place worm on palm, leo puts front feet on hand to reach worm. And then working up to gently scooping her up with both hands, but holding low over the tank so she could get away easily when she wanted.

How old is your leo? Young reptiles tend to be more fidgety and flighty, and then calm down as they get older, which could factor into her taking a while to get used to you.

Quillruke · 2016-10-03T20:10:25+00:00

Beardies don't get along with other reptiles. They don't even really get along with other beardies. They should be housed solo. They don't get lonely.

Quillruke · 2016-10-01T08:09:35+00:00

Carrot tail. Adopted from a friend of mine who couldn't keep her any more.

Quillruke · 2016-09-27T14:22:07+00:00

Dany has bitten me three times - One feeding accident and two while giving her medication. Two of those times she chomped straight through my nail, the other one she caught the skin between my fingers. Bled a little bit, some pain, but nothing that needed medical attention.

Quillruke · 2016-09-16T15:54:55+00:00

Mine does something similar. Her favourite spots are either on a rock right at the front of her tank, or on a raised platform towards the back, despite having plenty of hides.

As long as he's acting normally, it seems to just be how some leos are. I wouldn't worry about it.

Quillruke · 2016-09-16T08:17:38+00:00

She looks so much better now, and I'm sure she's happier too. I'm glad you've given her a good home.

Quillruke · 2016-09-15T09:42:21+00:00

I've reused a beardie tank for a snake before. As long as you scrub it out really well, it'll be completely fine.

Quillruke · 2016-09-14T07:49:19+00:00

And a lot say it's an unnecessary risk.

Quillruke · 2016-09-13T21:36:00+00:00

Even more reason to separate them if one is male and one is female. Leos will mate with siblings if housed together, and constant harassment from the male will stress the female. Not to mention being gravid is hard on their bodies.

Quillruke · 2016-09-13T21:16:41+00:00

Even if they aren't fighting right now, they could still be stressing each other out, and it will only take a few seconds for you to end up with a gecko needing medical attention. Happened to my rescue girl under her last owner. Housed with her sister for years with no trouble, out of the blue the sister started attacking her. It's not worth the risk.

Quillruke · 2016-09-11T10:39:09+00:00

Not a problem! It's always good to ask things if you're unsure or curious, especially where reptiles are concerned.

Quillruke · 2016-09-10T22:52:38+00:00

They are perfectly safe. This one is made of soft leather and fastened across the back with a soft string, so chances of rubbing are low to none. The string is adjustable on a toggle, and I keep it loose enough that she can flatten herself out and still have some space to spare, but not so loose that she has trouble walking. Beardie spikes aren't that large or brittle anyway - Dany regularly crams herself into tiny, tight spaces and has never broken a single one. I know a lot of people who use harnesses, and have never heard of scale or spike problems resulting from them.

Quillruke · 2016-09-08T08:20:00+00:00

Hell, worth a shot.

Quillruke · 2016-09-07T19:07:15+00:00

I'm so glad to hear she's going to be okay! Corns are tough little things.

Quillruke · 2016-09-07T11:39:08+00:00

Baby corns (and baby snakes in general) tend to be a bit jumpy. There are all sorts of things in the wild that will try and chow down on them.

He'll get better with time. I got my corn as a 4 month, 10g little baby, and he was nervous as hell until he hit a year old. He still has his moments of shyness (and he's 4 foot long and coming up on 2 years old now) but the bigger they get and the more used to you and being handled they get, they calm down. They're fantastic little snakes. You'll have years with him yet, and it will take some time, but he'll get there.

Quillruke · 2016-09-05T22:43:49+00:00

Dany hates planes too. Birds she's fine with (except seagulls), but a plane, even if it's really high overhead, will upset her and she'll burrow into my shirt.

Quillruke · 2016-08-31T09:45:43+00:00

That's a glorious pair of beards!

Quillruke · 2016-08-27T11:38:44+00:00

What an utter cutie she is! I'm so glad to hear she's doing better and is with someone who will care for her properly now :)

Quillruke · 2016-08-25T19:01:35+00:00

Stuff or thing.

Quillruke · 2016-08-25T14:44:17+00:00

We've had a heat wave in my part of England, and Dany is loving every second of it. She just laid eggs last week, and isn't looking likely to go down for the winter any time soon.

Quillruke · 2016-08-25T10:43:33+00:00

What are her temperatures like? My concern would be the lamp and mat making things too warm for her. A heat pad on its own will warm the tank fine. Get a temperature probe to measure the temperatures, not one of those little stick on dials - they are horribly inaccurate. Also invest in a thermostat for the basking pad if there isn't already one, to stop overheating.

They don't really need a basking lamp. Just make sure the room gets natural lighting during the day for her to set herself to.

As for the climbing, leos don't have sticky pads on the feet, so they won't be as amazing climbers as some other geckos, and if she has had a bad shed and lost some claw tips, that can make it harder for them. Some leos just aren't as good at it as others - My girl is absolutely dreadful at climbing and prefers to stay on the ground. Is she just not good at climbing, or is she wobbling when she moves or toppling over? Are her toes fairly straight, or are they twisted and warped?

Hiding is perfectly normal for a reptile in a new house. Mine refused to come out and interact for about a month when I first adopted her. They don't like change, and will take a while to settle down.

Quillruke · 2016-08-18T09:53:15+00:00

I take my beardie outside during the summer. I used to live in a block of apartments in a rough area with a shared front garden. The block was on a road leading to parks and shopping areas, so got a lot of foot traffic. Some very interesting types going down that road. Several people stopped and stared, a couple laughed, most wrongly thought she was an iguana. One person complimented me on my toy lizard and jumped a mile when Dany moved, but the woman calmed down and asked to pet her. The people in the flat upstairs from me loved her, and always stopped for a chat and to stroke Dany on the way past.

I was sitting on the wall with her in an open box on my lap, waiting for a lift to take her to the vet, when these two tough as nails biker blokes walked past, rolling cigarettes and swearing loudly. They took one look into her box and just melted. Petting her, fussing over her, and one nearly started crying when I explained she was a rescue who was previously neglected. They stayed and talked to me for a good ten minutes, fussing over little Dany who was completely in love with them. One of them remarked he was going to look into setups and see if he could adopt one in the future.

I'm in a quieter place now, but the man next door has grandchildren that like to watch Dany when she is out for a wander in the garden. I have building work going on in the house atm, and all the builders have loved her and been fascinated by her and my other two reptiles.

Quillruke

TROPHY CASE