Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I was wanting to know how you choose a BD, when they are babies, that will have really good color/markings?

Also is it safe to put inddor/outdoor carpeting in ther cage? I saw some at Lowes and it looks just like what you buy at a pet store.

Thanks,

i really dont think u can tell too much color when there babies. i would look at the parents. if the baby is showing good color at that age than u will most likely have a great looking dragon in the future.when my dragons are young i use carpet from homedeopt its a 18'x5' carpet for like $7. but u always need to be careful with carpet and make sure there toes dont get caught in it. i know for a fact the fake astro turf(fake grass) is not good. once they hit about 8 inches i move mine to calci sand then once they are 14 inches i move them onto play sand. some people dont recomend it but i have had no problems with it. i shop for most of my reptile stuff at homedepot(light fixtures, sand, carpet, ect.)

Ok. The carpet I was talking about looks more like brown plastic. It has no loops in it and looks nothing like the carpet that is in your house. I think it is used on boats. Four Paws make one for reptiles and it looks alot like the one at lowes. I bought the Four paws brand at my local pet store but didn't know if it was the same thing or something different.
Thanks

as long as there arent really any loops u should be okay. but keep an eye on the dragon. i had a red iguana on it and we had to have her toe taken off.so just keep an eye out.

Calci-sand should never be used it is a very high impaction risk.

i have been doing it for 8 years and have had no problem.

Yea. OK. But others have. I've never used it personally and would never risk it myself based on others experiences. I use reptile carpet until 12" and then play sand from Toys R Us.

if it works why cahnge it.u have it your way and all have it mine.no beef

not every dragon put on calcium based sand will die of impaction...but they have a much higher risk. So some can have dragons on that stuff for the entire life of the dragon, and no problems. But some can be on it for a day and die due to impaction because of it. It all depends on the dragon.

Personally I don't use any loose substrate for my bearded dragons, why risk impaction when there are so many other non particulate substrates that are safe, easy to clean and just as colorful.

To me, even if Calcium sand was 100% perfectly safe no matter what, I wouldn't use it. Too bloody expensive. $8 for a 5 pound bag which I highly doubt would put much of a layer in my dragon's cage.. Probably would need close to 50 pounds to put an inch layer over my cage....and $80 even if I only do a complete change every couple months...is a waste of money. I can spend $20 on a 100'x3' roll of plastic table cloth which will last me a good year and its perfectly safe from ingesting, easy to spot clean and keep the cage clean. I just change it completely once a month, put a layer of paper towel underneath to provide padding and something to soak up any 'leaks' and tape down the edges to prevent the dragon or crickets getting underneath. Works really great.
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PHLdyPayne

Ok.

But what about my Color ??

How do you choose a baby that will have great color/markings??

Can anyone tell me what color my dragon Zypsy is? They said she is a citrus but she doesn't look like any citrus I ahve looked at. She is 12" long.

Thanks

There are a few variables that control how much color a dragon develops. Your dragon looks quite nice and it does have citris like shades along her sides. These may become very prominent as she ages or fade out completely. No real way to know and at best, you can judge from her parents look like.

Variables that affect color do include genetics. However even if both parents are brightly colored, some or all the offspring can end up rather dull looking or not quite as intense. Breeders who have kept careful stock of the past genetics of their dragons, can provide a much more accurate outcome on their babies. But those who have not taken extensive care on bringing out the best in their dragons, color and health wise, it can be a toss of the dice on what the babies will look like. There can be a very high range of results from a single clutch, with dull and bright colored babies in the same clutch.

Food can play some part in it, as well as exposure to UVB lights. Dragons exposed to higher levels of UVB (ie kept outdoors) tend to have brighter colors. Some also feel that pigments naturally occurring in food can also play a role. I don't think this has been really proven as fact in bearded dragons as it has been in other animals, such as the pink flamingo (captive raised birds didn't have the bright red/pink plumage but when fed their natural foods, they developed them...determined absence of beta-caratine was what the bird used to show the pink/red coloration).

Thus, you can see there are various factors to consider. Dull babies in a clutch have grown up to be stunning adults with bold bright colors and the reverse has happened as well.

So the only real way to know is making sure your dragon is coming from a long line of brightly colored dragons and even then there is no 100% guarantees. Even if your dragon grows up to be dull and not as colorful as his parents, his offspring may end up stunners.

I find your dragon is quite beautiful with bold contrasts and a nice pattern. The citris almost neon yellowing of the sides is striking against the more clean pattern with hints of red along the back.
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PHLdyPayne