Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I bought a pair of frilled dragons a couple weeks ago and they've only eaten on their own twice, the first two days I had them. I have them in a large melamine cage with climbing branches and a hot spot around 115 with a cool spot around 80. At night the red light keeps the basking area in the 90's and the cool end dips down into the mid 70's. I'm using a mercury vapor uvb basking light. There's a large water bowl in the cage and aspen mulch for bedding. I'm trying crickets, meal worms, pinkies and mixed greens. I fed them some yougurt with calcium through a tb syringe last week and again on Saturday to dose them with Panicure and flagyl. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Joe

try lowering the timps to a hotspot of 100 and a coolspot of 75.

Some times (normally when they are wide caught) they will get so shy they wound move. So if they are WC, throw some crickets in there and live right away, and see if that helps. after they acclimate to there new home they should adjust to you. Dont force-feed them to much (if that is what you did)becouse this can make them even more shy.
Also try more food courses. Mine love anoles. but be careful of were you get them.
i hope this helps. and if you have anymore ? just ask.

jake

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

different tree. people have used it for reptiles for decades. no odors.

I have been keeping reptiles for a very long time and have seen many problems. I read so many times that people get animals that aren't eating well and are skinny, and they immediatelly force feed and give medication. Most of the times the results end up in death. I have never received an animal and done such things. The first thing you need to do is provide as much security to the animal as possible. Cover the cage so it can't see anything. Second find things it likes to eat and don't even think about treating it until its eating and acclimated. Frilled dragons love roaches. I started all my roach colonies because I was keeping frilled dragons. Pinkies, mealworms, crickets, waxworms, and silkworms are also other chioces you have. Frilled almost never eat greens if even at all. Switch to sand a mist them twice a day. Skinny frilleds can easily be brought back to healthy animals, but force feeding and medication is not the correct start in my opinion.
James
www.blaberus.com

Are you saying that in a nice or mean way?

i agreed up until you said, "change to sand". sand is not the best for frillies, because it gives against there claws to much and will not wear them enough. it is also the best place for mites to hide in, it also can be eaten very easily and can cause constipation.
i am not being mean, i just like to say my apinion, and know others.

i hope this is not taken wrong
jake

I'll have to disagree with you. First, I was the largest producer of captive frilleds in the US in 2003 before I sold my animals because my work travel was to much. I have observed frilled dragons from babies to adults for countless hours. I also produced thousands of bearded dragons back in in the mid 90's. First,I have never used anything but sand as a substrate. I have never had a single impacted dragon or ever had any mites. I find mites to on come in unclean environments. Second, frilled dragons are an aboreal species that spend little time on the ground. Mine mainly went on the ground to mate and lay eggs. As you see in the picture I posted one male and two females on the log. What you don't see is another male and female on the vertical logs. Once again I'm not trying to be a hard ass on anyone, but frilled and bearded dragons are very easy to keep. Usually they run into problem because they are housed wrong and not given enough calcium. I used a sturdy fake plant because I had a shy female that like to hide in or behind it. You can see a number of pictures of the animals I had on South Bay Reptiles. Mizzy bought most of my animals and he also bought all Ed Marino's aussie frilleds. Dana at Sundial Reptiles also breeds these guys and has a good care sheet.
James
www.blaberus.com

James is right on this one. If you think you should keep the frills on turf..... hmm thats not a good idea. I havent had any probs with sand and babies either. Sand is the way to go. Use the grade that isnt too dusty; that could become a problem with nasal/ respirtory. Check out frilldragon.com for a care sheet. Should be up in the nest week or so.

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Mizzy: southbayreptile.com

Not to be rude but every one in all forums have these debate so,think about this they come from sandy enviroments so of course their bodies know how to pass sand. No matter what all these " specialists" think you need to accomidate according to natural enviroment not books, to me that only makes sence how many zoos do you see putting lizards in habitats linned with paper products, papper? yeah all the lizards I've syuddied like in paper mills. So you can't say "sand is bad, and causes impaction" cause as far as I can see it thats like saying lets keep polar bears in the desert.
Foster

I'm really not trying to be hard on you. I just want to make sure you understand the ways many of us have kept our frilleds. Its taken me a long time to learn what I know about reptiles with lots of good and bad. These forums are good places to discuss things and I don't want anyone to stop posting.
James
www.blaberus.com

Thank you both for changing my mind about sand all I have ever herd about it was bad. I am hopping to rearrange there cage this afternoon.
thank you both for changing my mind.

I am new to frilleds, but not at all new to reptiles. I too have produced tons of animals and I know how to use a microscope to find pin worms and flagylites. I medicated them to kill off the pin worms that they were loaded with and I've had luck with flagyl boosting appetites in ball pythons, bearded dragons and milk snakes. They seem to be doing better. One is still a bit skinny, but doing better.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't treat your animals. What I'm saying is when you receive a new animal in, especially frilleds that spook easy, don't just shoove meds down its throat. Make sure the animal gets acclimated, is drinking and feeding well, then go ahead and treat. I've found treating a stressed animal that isn't eating usually only leads to more problems. Also, most people don't feed frilleds the right diet. Stuffing them with mealworms that are the poorest feeder of all, or fatty pinkies is not good for them. Even though I got the willies when I first even thought of getting roaches, and had to fight an uphill battle with the old lady it was well worth it. You need feeders that have more meat, but with the vitamens and protein. Larger insects like grasshoppers, katydids, roaches are all good. My new project is pygmy mice. Instead of a pinkie or small hopper you can feed a fully developed mouse the same size. There are a few people that actually sell CB frilleds in the U.S. Ask for pictures and maybe you won't have to deal with parasites from all the imports.
James
www.blaberus.com