Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, so i'm getting a new female BD this upcoming week, and i'm introducing her into a tank with another female BD. Is there anything in particular that i should kno or be aware of when doing this?
-I kno that the dragons sizes are close enough that they wont mistake the otherone as a food item.
-the enclosure is big enough.

ty in advance for any advice
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My baby Beardie!(aka the Fugative)

Yes. You need to quarantine the new dragon for 2-3 months. Do not put it in with the other dragon. Get a seperate enclosure and wash hands thoroughly after each handling of one reptile to another. Have a fecal done when you first get it, and another at the end of the quarantine period.

We all want to trust the breeders we buy from, but the fact is anytime you get a new lizard there is the possiblity of spreading parasites and disease through your collection if you don't practice good quarantine habits. It's happened to the best. Play it safe and make sure the new dragon is in perfect health before exposing it to your existing dragon.

When you do put them together, make sure there are two basking spots and two food dishes. You want to avoid as much domination for food/light/etc as you can. Also feed them insects seperately, to avoid accidental nips.

As for size, it's not so much just so they aren't small enough to be seen as a food item. Even a slightly bigger dragon can cause a lot of stress and intimidation. The rule of thumb is that they need to be within 1/2 inch of each other. It's more difficult with young ones, they grow at different paces, so keep a close eye on them and make sure one isn't outgrowing the other.

Finally, make 100% absolutely positive they are both female. Mistakes happen.

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Amanda
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2.0 bearded dragons (Ocho / Domo-kun)
1.0 pictus gecko (Nicodemus)
0.1 kingsnake (Rio)
0.0.1 tarantula (Calcifer)
1.0 ferret (Playstation)
1.0 cat (Wally)
0.1 dog (Tima)

Quarantine, quarantine, quarantine, be sure of the sexes and if and when you do decide to introduce them to a shared habitat make sure they each have equal access to everything and keep a close eye out for any conflict. Did I mention quarantine?

Remember that your current dragon will consider the cage her turf and may have some initial issues with the newcomer.

Best,
Michele
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4.3 Bearded Dragons (Rescues)
1.0 Corn snake (Rescue)
0.1 California King
4.5 Royal (Ball) Pythons (3 rescues)
1.1 Dogs (Rescues)
2.0 Cats (Rescues)
2.2 Humans
No, it's NOT a big house

mistakes do happen. ive got a story. a few years back my freind bought a male bearded dragon. he raised it to its full grown size and wanted to breed him so he got a "female". a few days later his male killed the "female" they later found out the female was actually an ignorantly sexed male...
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sincerely,
Jonathan D. de Kluyver
JDDK Reptiles
Quality Reptiles and Amphibians
www.jddkreptiles.com