Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can BD's survive in the wild in san diego county?

Probably...please don't tell me you're thinking about letting yours go...

I wouldn't consider San Diego to be "wild", rather a "foreign habitat". Many states and localities have laws against releasing ANY animals.
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"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
Governor George W. Bush, Jr.

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Maybe for a little while. That is, until they slowly starve to death from not being able to find suitable food, get run over by a car, get eaten by a larger animal, or any other of the horrible scenarios that could happen.
I really hope this was just a hypothetical question.
-Nicky
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Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
And because so, once was mine
I walk this maze alone
The man's beside himself
Man's below himself
Man's behind himself
Am I inside myself
Chaos and hate shadow me, pain it fills me up
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
-Alice In Chains
2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.4 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki, Delilah, Sadie & Cheyenne
1.0 Betta: Mr. Purple

Hello bleedthefreak;
No, my neigbor found him and gave him to me.I'll keep him if I don't find the owner.
Graham2dan

Graham,
I apologize for making assumptions...we all know what happens when we do that. I've just heard so many horror stories about people letting their dragons go, and I used to do rescues where that would happen, I guess I'm just a bit jaded.
I wish you all the luck with the dragon, whether you find the owner, or get to keep him/her for yourself.
-Nicky
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Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
-Alice In Chains
2.1 Bearded Dragons: Gordo, Layne, & Chiquita
2.4 Cats: Zeus, Remi, Kiki, Delilah, Sadie & Cheyenne
1.0 Betta: Mr. Purple

Hello colchicine;
Good point.One of my neigbors found A dragon in his yard and gave it to me.I'm keeping him,unless I find the owner
Best Regards
Graham

I honestly think a dragon out of captivity anywhere in the USA has a short life to live. Basically dragons we have here have been long since removed from the outback. I think although they still have instincts they are dulled by now to some extent, and in no way fit to live in a foreign habitat other then where they are from in Australia, and in captivity where we provide all their needs, and requirments. Many lizards in populated areas get killed daily, and these lizards are at home in that habitat. A dragon would not know that perfect rock bed to warm it's belly on is actually asphalt, and that vibration it feels coming is a 2,000 pound automobile. Many of the insects we have here are unheard of in Australia. I don't know about San Diego county, but here in NJ we have tons of fire flies. These fire flies flutter around and are an easy catch for any hungry lizard. Fire Flies happen to be a death sentence for a bearded dragon. Not to mention the wildlife, and domesticated animals located in that area. Captive bearded dragons are so docile, and so dulled to potential danger many don't flinch around humans, cats, dogs, and birds, all of which are able to kill them. Some of the dragons we have here are hypo, reds, oranges, yellows, although naturally occurring in bearded dragons, are not available straight from the wild. Dragons with this much color stick out to hungry animals that would prey on them.

Although the climate may be ok for a dragon to survive in, their is much more to survival then that.

If you lost your pet outside we may be able to offer tips on finding him/her. If you were going to let one go, not a good idea, and in most cases illegal.
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Mystical-Dragons Web Site
Webshots photos

Good Points - however personally I'm a lot more concerned that they would survive...and prosper. Exotic animals often do, against the odds, and wipe out local wildlife (red-eared sliders for example).

Its a problem that hits particularly close to home for me since I am also a big predatory fish enthuasist. Theres a LENGHTY list of fish that I am not allowed to keep because of the potential effect on local wildlife if they are turned loose. So responsible keepers like myself are ruined because there are IDIOTS out there who dump there aquariums into local rivers when the fish get too big. Recently the Potomac River has been OVERRUN by the Giant Snakehead (pretty much the most vicious freshwater predator in the world...the local fish didn't stand a CHANCE)...its an excellent example of what happens when IGNORANT and IRRESPONSIBLE people turn loose pets they are tired of. I'd really hate to see a similiar list of restricted species start being published for reptiles...because some idiot turned loose a colony of nile monitors and it ate all the coyotes or something.

Hello cenecker;
Good point.I have herd of an area in the Glads for catching Bermese pythons,local jagoffs letting for the same reasons.This dragon was found in my neigbors yard and he gave it to me.Since the climate in southern california is similar to Australia I though to might be posible.
Best Regards
Graham

Hello Mystical-Dragons;
Thank you for the info, I hadn't taken all that into concideration.One of my neigbors found an adult Dragon in thier yard and gave it to me.I also figured he would be an easy target for one thing or another.I have posted A lost lizard message on the local chalk board in my community so hopfuly I can reunite him with his owner.
Best Regards;
Graham

awesome...good to hear the poor guy found a good (if temporary) home.