Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't know if any of you remember or not but some time early last november I got a new beardie that was extreamly underweight. She was 1 1/2 years old, 81.5 grams and 11 inches long.

Now she weighs 210 grams and is about 15 inches long. She is still putting on a little weight but all in all seems to have reached an impass. She is still quite a bit smaller than my male dragon who is 423 grams and 20 inches long, but they live in the same cage and are good friends.

My question is this...does her current weight seem okay in proportion with her length? And do you think she will get much bigger?

Here are some recent pictures: (Ramses, the male, was shedding the skin off his head in the bottom two pictures which is why he looks kinda funny)

Since she's still growing I feel 210 is OK for a 15" dragon but on the light side. I would be feeding her twice a day. When she stops growing longer she will likely fill out more.

My biggest concern is that the male at 20" will soon be in the 500's and that's awful big to be cohabitating with a 200ish female.

The other problem is that she will most surely develop eggs sooner or later, more likely since she lives with a male. Her small size 'could' cause a problem.

I rehabilitated a dragon from a local animal hospital a few months back. She was very small like yours. 170 and 15 1/4" when I got her and 3 years old. She had just laid eggs. The owner told me about how their 400+ gram male would bite her on the back of the head and then drag her around the cage. I was appalled.

I returned her in February at 240 grams with instructions to keep her away from the male.

Just curious - why did you return her to a bad home?

Well, The owner brought her to her vet who was not a reptile vet. That vet brought her to my vet who is a reptile specialist. I took her from my vet to rehabilitate. Not returning her in this type of relationship was not really an option unless the owner did not want her back.

But anyway, the owners are very nice people and the dragon had problems because of lack of quality information rather than a lack of caring. I had her about 3 months and knew they really loved her and their other dragon and wanted to give both of them the best of care.

I built 2 new cages for them and delivered them prior to returning the little one. I also gave them a weight scale so that they and I can monitor her weight and health. The dragon "Starr" is doing well and weighs the same as when I brought her back in February.

that's pretty cool - I made mistakes with my first lizard a sav monitor and i would have been devistated if someone took him from me. I learned and gave him better care at least I'm lucky to have a fantastic reptile vet.

Ok just wondering, wasn't being critical. Then again from your stories i can't exactly imagine you returning an animal to a place you know for sure it will be abused.

The really important thing about BDLvr experience is the owners of the dragon were willing to change. There are many well meaning pet owners who's animals do poorly not because the owners don't care or are cruel, it is just because of incorrect information provided.

I have talked to many people online and even in person who bought a pet and were told one thing about how to care from them and they assumed who they bought it from (ie pet store, guy selling it in newspaper etc.) knew what they were talking about so assumed it was proper care information. Unfortunately it was not...maybe it was just the same wrong information being passed from one owner to another, or just plain indifference on the part of the seller.

Yet these same people took the time to research, ask questions from other resources, or just simply learned from a more knowledgeable person, that what they were told previous on care for their pet, was completely wrong. Most people can see changes to animals when proper care is provided so they quickly learn what was the correct info.

Its people who stick to it, spend the money to find proper care, are willing to change how they care for an animal for the animal's benefit etc, I give kudos to. And those who go out of their way to educate people.
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PHLdyPayne

I would never have returned her if I thought she would be abused. The people loved her!

I gave them all the tools they needed to give her and the other dragon care that is as good as mine! I sent cages, a superworm colony, a weight scale, and written intructions.

They are a young husband and wife with 2 boys and their dragons are part of their family. They can give much more love and attention to their 2 than I could ever. Many of my dragons are super special needs and I work a regular job. I wish I had the time to spend with all my dragons the way they do.

If I kept every animal that I could give better care to than their owner, no one else would have any animals. lol.

It's all about teaching people to be good stewards of gods creatures. If people are willing to learn than I am willing to teach. Mistakes will be made but in the end we are all enriched.