Reptile & Amphibian Forums

These two beardies sleep in this same log together a lot. They're both large dragons (19+" each) but seem to like jamming themselves in together to sleep.

I would love to see how those two get in there and position themselves... do they back up in their or something??lol

nice pick

very cute pic,,,cute dragons

that substrate might not be the best tho, could cause a lot of harm if ingested..

anyhow.. cute pic, thanks for sharing
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reiko
photos

They're beautiful dragons, I'd hate to see one slip of the tongue cause a deadly impaction.
Also prime stuff for crickets to hide in.
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TheClassyLizard

I don't feed my dragons in that tank... so it is quite a bit safer than sand in my opinion.

I remove them from that tank and feed them in a large tupperware container. I agree that if they were fed in there, it would be a bit dangerous. The mulch is in pretty large chunks and doesn't stick to their tongue (like sand) so they spit it out very easily and never swallow it. If anyone is feeding dragons on mulch, I definitely wouldn't recommend that.

I'm of the opinion that the whole substrate/impaction thing is probably a bit over-blown.
I've raised other lizards on sand, aquarium gravel, dirt, walnut "litter" ( Not crushed walnut shell. That's a different story. )and have never had an impaction.
I strongly suspect that most lizards that die from "impaction" have other health/digestion problems that lead to the impaction to begin with.

Now, having said that, every dragon I have may kick over tomorrow from it, but if they do, they'll be the first lizards that I have any first-hand knowledge of doing so in the entire time I've kept reptiles.

I really do think that if an animal is healthy and getting a propper diet and care, that the odds of becoming impacted are VERY slim, no matter what substrate they're on.

Just my opinion, and worth exactly what ya paid for it.

D.A.

Agreed to an extent..but I think a chunk of bark or wood shavings ..whatever that is, could do alot of damage..more so then sand or a small particled substrate.
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TheClassyLizard

Not arguing that in the least.
Let an animal swallow any object larger than the diameter of the path it has to follow to get out, and you have instant impaction.
However, I do think that the instances of that happening in all but the very young are rare. Otherwise, wild dragons wouldn't survive very long at all.

And on a similar note, I've noticed that our dragons, when "licking" the substrate, aren't actually touching the surface, or picking anything visible up with their tonuge. I suspect that what they are doing is the same thing that snakes do... picking up scent particles just at the surface and depositing them on the jacobson's(sp?) organ in the roof of their mouths.

This is not to say they don't get a bit of substrate every now and then when they "power dive" on a cricket, but so far it seems to pass right through them without any harm.

D.A.

chewing on a small twig in her cage and when i finally got into the cage to take it out of her mouth the twig was down her throat and was 4 or more inches long.. if i hadn't walked in at that very moment i would have had a dead water dragon on my hands...i use coco bedding in their cages because it helps with humidity the stick must've been in the bedding..just something to think about..

alissa

Well, I did say "rare" not "never"...

Do you feed your water dragons live food or pellets?

The reason I ask is that I'm wondering if dragons that have been conditioned to eat primarily non-moving food are more likely to ingest substrate, sticks, rocks etc.

I'm also wondering if beardies in the wild learn to eat greens and veggies by pouncing on a leaf or blade of grass that's moving in the breeze...

D.A.

that was a very scary moment.. for me..seeing as the water dragon was only 12 inches long stl..i don't know why she tried to eat it .. she must've bumped into it and saw it move and went after it..but i agree its probably rare. but still scary

Yes, scary indeed.

And I'm glad to see you don't think I've lost my mind completely, with my odd-ball theory. lol

D.A.

Odd-ball?

Nah! That is what makes us all different lol

Without the "odd-balls" life would be sooooo very boring

LOL

>>Yes, scary indeed.
>>
>>And I'm glad to see you don't think I've lost my mind completely, with my odd-ball theory. lol
>>
>>
>>D.A.

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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

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God Bless, Beardie Dreams, & Peace!
Pogoniacs™

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-Lauren

~ Lauren's Lizards ~

groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurensLizards