Friday, April 25, 2014

Strange Behaviors



Strange Behaviors

Spike Decided to Sleep Like This

Strange, But Normal Behaviors

Bearded dragons get their name from their ability to puff the skin under their chin into a "beard," as well as darken it. In the wild, this is a defense mechanism to make themselves appear bigger. This can be a sign of dominance over a cage mate, but it is normal for bearded dragons to stretch out their "beards" for no reason. We will cover other entertaining behaviors that may be strange, but these behaviors are not signs of illness.

You may catch your bearded dragon with is mouth wide open while they are under the basking lamp. Since bearded dragons are cold-blooded and cannot sweat, they open their mouths in a gaping fashion to let out excess heat and regulate their body temperature.

Bearded dragons are known to bob their head up and down. Head bobbing can either be a sign of dominance or submission, where the faster the head bob, the more threatening the gesture is meant to be. Males will bob their heads quickly at each other to show dominance over their territory, while males may bob their head at females during breeding as well. 

Arguably the most entertaining of a bearded dragon's strange behaviors is their ability to wave their arms. A bearded dragon will slowly raise and lower their front arm in an arc, sometimes they will do this repeatedly. Arm waving can mean multiple things: the bearded dragon could be showing submission to a larger animal, including another bearded dragon; they sometimes wave their arm to another bearded dragon to acknowledge their presence; they could also be saying 'thank you' after a meal. My bearded dragons will repeatedly wave their arms when they meet someone they don't see on a daily basis.

Your bearded dragon will change color over time as they shed, but they may sometimes be darker than normal. Bearded dragons will darken their skin when they are cold; they will also darken their skin if they feel threatened or stressed.

When your bearded dragon is shedding, they may run around their habitat and rub against any surface they find in order to loosen their skin. Shedding is also accompanied by the eye bulging behavior.

Bearded dragons will sleep in the most bizarre ways, but they are all perfectly normal. They will sleep standing up against the glass; they will hang half of their body off of a suspended object; they will shove themselves into small spaces. Your bearded dragon will find the most seemingly uncomfortable ways to sleep, but be completely cozy all night.

Sources
Posted by at 1 comment:

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Shedding


Shedding

About to shed vs newly shedded skin

Bearded Dragons Shedding Their Old Skin

You will notice one day that your colorful bearded dragon will start to look grey. A bearded dragon does not turn grey because he is old or sick - they are actually about to shed. After a bearded dragon sheds, they will often be noticeably brighter in color than before they began to shed.

When a bearded dragon is about to shed, they will be more lethargic than usual and will be less willing to be handled. You can catch them bulging their eyes out for a few seconds, which loosens the skin around their eyes. When a bearded dragon begins to shed, they will begin to rub their back up against rocks or shove themselves through small spaces in their environment to loosen their skin.
Young bearded dragons can shed roughly every month and a half to two months because of their constant growing. As a bearded dragon ages into adulthood, their shedding will become less frequent, slowing to months or even half a year between sheds.

It is important to not pull or pick at a bearded dragon's shedding skin; you may damage the new layer of skin underneath and leave scars. To help your bearded dragon shed, give them warm baths and mist them daily with a gentle spray bottle. You can also purchase a small, shallow pool for them to drink from and swim in, but be sure someone is available to clean their pool out in the case of defecation in the pool. There are commercial formula sprays available at a pet store to promote a healthy shed, but they can be pricey and are unnecessary if your bearded dragon's environment is maintained. 

 Shenron had a ring of skin around his toe when I purchased him from the pet store, and this toe was darker than the rest. When old skin is not properly shed, it can harden into rings and cut off circulation, causing their skin to darken. I took Shenron to vet immediately after I noticed his toe, this can be very difficult for a first time bearded dragon owner to notice. My vet was able to carefully remove the ring, but she explained to me that Shenron would be very lucky to keep his toe. After removal of the ring, I soaked Shenron's toe in warm water on a daily basis, massaging it to remove any remaining particles of skin as well as promoting circulation. After a few weeks, Shenron's toe began to match the color of the rest of his toes. Nearly five months later, Shenron still has all of his toes.

Shenron's Healed Toe - Barely Visible Scar

Sources
Posted by at 1 comment:

Health Concerns


Health Concerns

Spike's Eye Infection - "Bloodhound Eyes"

Warning Signs of an Unhealthy Bearded Dragon

Bearded dragons are fragile and require close attention. Improper lighting, temperature, and diet, are a few causes for illness in bearded dragons. Before purchasing a bearded dragon, or any reptile, be sure there is a veterinarian near you that treats reptiles.

Bearded dragons are normally active and curious. If your bearded dragon is becoming lethargic, they may have a vitamin deficiency or could be dehydrated. Offer your bearded dragon water directly from a eye dropper or small bottle and see if they perk up after drinking.

If your bearded dragon has droopy eyelids (this is commonly compared to a bloodhound's eyelids), they may have parasites, or an eye or kidney infection. If your bearded dragon has "bloodhound" eyes, seek help from a veterinarian immediately.

Around the time of shedding, bearded dragons will puff their eyes out to loosen the skin around their eyes. Bearded dragons will normally keep their eyes puffed out for only a few seconds. If your bearded dragon has its eyes frequently or constantly puffed out, they may have an eye infection or an overdose of vitamin A.

When a large piece of food or substrate is stuck in the digestive tract of your bearded dragon, they will become impacted. Impaction prohibits a bearded dragon from making regular bowel movements. If a bearded dragon is impacted, they will become lethargic, drag their legs, and most obviously lack the ability to defecate. Using sand, bark, or other large substrates as flooring in your bearded dragon's habitat puts them at risk for impaction if these dangerous materials are swallowed. Impaction is deadly if not treated quickly.

Bearded dragons may experience diarrhea from eating bad food or being stressed out. Diarrhea in a bearded dragon should not last for more than a day or two; frequent and prolonged diarrhea may be caused by parasites.

Bearded dragons are prone to metabolic bone disease, which occurs when they do not receive enough calcium or vitamin D3. Calcium is provided through their diet by dusting their insects with calcium powder. The form of vitamin D3 a bearded dragon needs for proper bone development is absorbed from UVB rays; their UVB bulb should be replaced on a 6 month basis to ensure they are getting enough D3.
Sources
Posted by at No comments:

Bearded Dragons, Salmonella, and You


Bearded Dragons, Salmonella, and You

(Carr, 2009), (Obolton, 2006)

Bearded dragons are known as one of the better reptiles to have as a pet due to their docile nature toward humans ("Reptile Guide," n.d.). Despite their compatibility with us, bearded dragons are still capable of doing harm by spreading communicable diseases. If you are interested in acquiring a bearded dragon of your own, it is important to be informed about Salmonella and how to reduce your exposure to this germ.

ABOUT SALMONELLA

The Salmonella bacteria can live in the intestinal tract of various animals. This strain of bacteria is what causes the infectious disease called Salmonellosis; it is considered a zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be spread from animals to humans. ("Zoonotic Disease," 2014) This infection mainly interrupts your digestive system by causing abdominal cramping, diarrhea, and fever. Infants, elderly people, and those with vulnerable immune systems can be susceptible to worse symptoms that could be life threatening without proper medical care.

HOW YOU CAN GET IT

Salmonella is capable of surviving outside of a carrier host for weeks at a time. There was a case reported in 2001 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claiming a 3 month infant indirectly contracted Salmonellosis from her father's clothing after he had handled a snake in his classroom at school earlier that same day. ("Reptile-Associated", 2003) Understanding that Salmonella is spread through physical contact helps us take proper measures to keep it under control while caring for a bearded dragon.

PROTECTING FROM SALMONELLOSIS

  •  Wash your hands after handling your bearded dragons; use disinfecting sanitizers if soap and running water is unavailable.
  • Wash any clothing or surfaces that the bearded dragon might have come in contact with
  •  Keep people with high risk of infection away from your pet and its habitat, food, and accessories.
  •  Clean your pet's habitat outside of your residence to control potential contamination to other living areas. If you do your cleaning inside a bathtub or shower, properly disinfect the area immediately afterwards.
  • Be sure to not eat and drink around your bearded dragon, it's habitat and items, or anywhere your pet might have been on.
  • Handle your pet's water and food separately from where you commonly prepare your own food, such as your kitchen sink or counter top.
Sources

Guest blog written by rafadaf
Posted by at 1 comment:

Diet


Diet

Bearded Dragons Are Omnivores

Like humans, bearded dragons consume both animal proteins and plant matter. Young bearded dragons consume 80% insect meat and 20% plants, while adult bearded dragons begin to show an opposite diet.

Meat

The most common source of animal protein for bearded dragons is crickets. They are relatively cheap and can be purchased and most pet stores. Mealworms, Wax worms, and other worms are the cheapest food for bearded dragons, but should not be the main source of protein because of their high fat content. Pinky mice can be used to feed adult bearded dragons, but are too large for young bearded dragons to digest. The most common phrase for bearded dragon owners "is that any item fed should be smaller in size than the space between your bearded dragon's eyes," not following this rule can lead to health issues such as impaction, which will be covered later in this blog (BeardedDragon.Org). Never catch your own insects, they will be infested with parasites that will severely damage your dragon.

Plants

Leafy green vegetables should be a staple in your bearded dragon's plant diet, but they should also be exposed to a variety of vegetables and a small amount of fruits. Provide a wide variety of plants for your bearded dragon every day, even if your dragon does not initially show any desire in the plant matter, they will gradually begin to eat more as they mature. Create a "colorful" salad for your bearded dragons on a daily basis by cutting the greens, vegetables, and fruits into small pieces, this not only will make their diet more exciting to them, but will also ensure they are consuming all of their proper vitamins.

Beautiful Dragons has a complete and easy to read chart of what your bearded dragon can and cannot eat.

Sources
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)