Beardies

Klyde O'Scope said:
I caught him in this spot yesterday. He spent most of the day there, and slept that way all last night (he's still there). I assure you, he is not stuck or pinned—he just likes it there. When he gets hungry, or cold, or has to ? he'll come out. This is like the 3rd time he's done this.

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They are crazy little weirdos! I made mine a soft little bed with a pillow...he slept everywhere but on it.
 
So, you know how chameleons are very slow....so i am not scared of them running away while handling....how do you all suggest we go about handling the beards?

I feed fresh veggies everyday and then have Opal sit in my palm inside the enclosure. But he is so fast I am fearful to actually take him out. (I can keep him in a closed room without cats and dogs and birds, but still, scared to have to wrangle him from behind a dresser or something)
Tell me I am just a dorky noob mom who is fearing too much. Lol
 
ryavanzandt said:
Does everyone think that a 4x2x2 enclosure is big enough? Was thinking about a beardie after I build my Russian his new home this fall. Currently in a 4x2x2 critter condo. Empty cage syndrome. ;)
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It's the recommended size for a beardie.

Like all reptiles, the bigger the better. Personally, I like the guidelines here, so I built my beardie's 5' x 2' x 3'H, but AFAIK, 4x2x2 is becoming more popular.

How big will the Russian's new digs be?
 
AmandaS said:
From what I gather, that is recommended size. I feel like beardies deserve more space tho, cause they get so large.
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They used to. Captive breeding for so many generations is making them smaller. The literature all says 22-24" for a male, and I was hoping for 20-22". Mine (male) seems to have topped out at 18", which some folks tell me is now average. PBBBBTH! :p
 
AmandaS said:
So, you know how chameleons are very slow....so i am not scared of them running away while handling....how do you all suggest we go about handling the beards?

I feed fresh veggies everyday and then have Opal sit in my palm inside the enclosure. But he is so fast I am fearful to actually take him out. (I can keep him in a closed room without cats and dogs and birds, but still, scared to have to wrangle him from behind a dresser or something)
Tell me I am just a dorky noob mom who is fearing too much. Lol
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Nope...not a dorky noob mom. Mine sits quietly and still with me and then boom! He’s just taken a leap into the unknown and running off. He’s bounces off of things and then lands on the floor...freaks me out! I tried a leash and he was Houdini getting out of it. Sometimes I sit him on the counter with me while I prepare his salad, giving him his much loved red foods and yellow squash to keep him from taking off. Not hygienic, but that’s what Lysol wipes are for. :)
 
AmandaS said:
So, you know how chameleons are very slow....so i am not scared of them running away while handling....how do you all suggest we go about handling the beards?
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BWAHAHAHAHA! :ROFLMAO:
Firmly! First, you have to get ahold of the little buggers. Then be prepared that they will jump suicidally for no reason. Very often, they're just trying to get to the top of your head (they're semi-arboreal) but I've had mine run up my arm and leap into space.

The good news is, if you take them out at or near bedtime, they seem to be quite a bit calmer, and are apt to fall asleep on you. You know about beardie burritos, right? After a few months, mine turned into a little sweetie. He likes to sit on me & fall asleep evenings, and the Missus is even starting to hold him (She was always afraid he'd bolt & DIE. :LOL:)

I feed fresh veggies everyday and then have Opal sit in my palm inside the enclosure. But he is so fast I am fearful to actually take him out. (I can keep him in a closed room without cats and dogs and birds, but still, scared to have to wrangle him from behind a dresser or something)
Tell me I am just a dorky noob mom who is fearing too much. Lol
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Nope. I'm not going to tell you that. Like chams or any other critters, they're all individuals.

Mine had such an attitude, it took months before I could come near him without him gaping, bearding, hissing, or biting. He still gives me a half-hearted hiss, but you can tell it's just for show. At one point, the only way I could pick him up without getting bitten was to slide a ruler under him from the front, and pick him up like a pizza. (Ya shoulda seen the looks I got... :ROFLMAO: )

It sounds like you're doing everything right, and you may have much better luck with taming than I did when I first got mine. ;)
 
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Klyde O'Scope said:
BWAHAHAHAHA! :ROFLMAO:
Firmly! First, you have to get ahold of the little buggers. Then be prepared that they will jump suicidally for no reason. Very often, they're just trying to get to the top of your head (they're semi-arboreal) but I've had mine run up my arm and leap into space.

The good news is, if you take them out at or near bedtime, they seem to be quite a bit calmer, and are apt to fall asleep on you. You know about beardie burritos, right? After a few months, mine turned into a little sweetie. He likes to sit on me & fall asleep evenings, and the Missus is even starting to hold him (She was always afraid he'd bolt & DIE. :LOL:)


Nope. I'm not going to tell you that. Like chams or any other critters, they're all individuals.

Mine had such an attitude, it took months before I could come near him without him gaping, bearding, hissing, or biting. He still gives me a half-hearted hiss, but you can tell it's just for show. At one point, the only way I could pick him up without getting bitten was to slide a ruler under him from the front, and pick him up like a pizza. (Ya shoulda seen the looks I got... :ROFLMAO: )

It sounds like you're doing everything right, and you may have much better luck with taming than I did when I first got mine. ;)
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MissSkittles said:
Nope...not a dorky noob mom. Mine sits quietly and still with me and then boom! He’s just taken a leap into the unknown and running off. He’s bounces off of things and then lands on the floor...freaks me out! I tried a leash and he was Houdini getting out of it. Sometimes I sit him on the counter with me while I prepare his salad, giving him his much loved red foods and yellow squash to keep him from taking off. Not hygienic, but that’s what Lysol wipes are for. :)
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Okay, thanks for the replies. You guys gave me zero confidence in the process, but I will manage like the rest of you! Lol. I never heard of a beardy burrito, but I will check it out!! At this point, anything would be better than keeping him cooped up, i think. He seems to be very curious.
 
AmandaS said:
Okay, thanks for the replies. You guys gave me zero confidence in the process, but I will manage like the rest of you! Lol. I never heard of a beardy burrito, but I will check it out!! At this point, anything would be better than keeping him cooped up, i think. He seems to be very curious.
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I didn't mean to shatter your confidence, then grind it into the ground under the heel of my size 13 steel-toed jackboots.... REALLY!* ? I wanted to be brutally candid, so that if it happened to you, you wouldn't feel like it was you or that you did something wrong, cuz these li'l guys can be cray-cray—especially when they're little! :eek:

When you look up beardie burrito, just click on Images; it's pretty self-explanatory. ;)

You're correct... they are—as a rule—very curious, love to explore, and once you've gained their confidence, they can really come out of their shells... no, wait... that's tortoises. :unsure: Beardies can come out of their HIDES and be quite outgoing—if it's in them (all different individuals).

There's also a term dragon keepers use to refer to themselves—beardie slaves. You'll know it when it happens. :p

Oh... and I changed my mind about (not) telling you you're just a dorky noob mom. :unsure:
That might be fun! :LOL:

* I lied. My steel-toed jackboots are only size 10. ?
 
Klyde O'Scope said:
I didn't mean to shatter your confidence, then grind it into the ground under the heel of my size 13 steel-toed jackboots.... REALLY!* ? I wanted to be brutally candid, so that if it happened to you, you wouldn't feel like it was you or that you did something wrong, cuz these li'l guys can be cray-cray—especially when they're little! :eek:

When you look up beardie burrito, just click on Images; it's pretty self-explanatory. ;)

You're correct... they are—as a rule—very curious, love to explore, and once you've gained their confidence, they can really come out of their shells... no, wait... that's tortoises. :unsure: Beardies can come out of their HIDES and be quite outgoing—if it's in them (all different individuals).

There's also a term dragon keepers use to refer to themselves—beardie slaves. You'll know it when it happens. :p

Oh... and I changed my mind about (not) telling you you're just a dorky noob mom. :unsure:
That might be fun! :LOL:

* I lied. My steel-toed jackboots are only size 10. ?
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No matter the size, 10 or 13, you didnt crush my confidence. I appreciate the honesty. Nothing like having high hopes and then the lizard bolting the first chance it gets.
 
@Klyde O'Scope
We held our beardie last night at around bed time and he was soo calm! He even got to come out his enclosure and hang out on the bed with us! Thanks. My daughter was thrilled.

We will be feeding the veggies by hand, and palm-holding inside the cage for a few minutes and then a little before bedtime we will start handeling for a few minutes outside the cage until we have gained confidence and Opal has gained trust. Thanks again. I have newly found confidence. Lol
 
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