Your Bearded Dragon Care Is COMPLETELY WRONG!
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Today we're going to get a little controversial and discuss why I believe the way that we've been caring for our bearded dragons is completely wrong! Bearded dragons are a very common pet reptile, and so many of them end up with health problems like obesity which I personally believe is a result of a lot of misinformation surrounding how to properly care for these animals. In this video I'll share why I believe we are caring for them wrong, and how I think we can make improvements to our animals care and help them live a better life!
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Time Stamps:
00:00 - 00:56 - Intro
00:56 - 03:45 - Let's talk about bearded dragons
03:45 - 09:00 - Bearded dragons diet (it's all wrong)
09:00 - 10:48 - Picky eaters
10:48 - 13:29 - Exercise & activity
13:29 - 16:25 - Temperature (they're too cold!)
16:25 - 17:44 - Enclosure size
17:44 - 19:35 - They climb!
19:35 - 21:38 - Substrate
21:38 - 24:04 - Let's keep learning
24:04 - 25:16 - Outro
Reference articles:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25773...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
#beardeddragon #beardeddragoncare #careguide 
Животные
I’ve received a few comments about the audio on this video with headphone users letting me know that the sound is only coming through the left headphone. So sorry about this!! I used an external microphone when filming this video and after looking into the issue and doing a few tests I realized I didn’t have my microphone plugged all the way in 🤦🏼♀️
I had my beardie for 8.5 years, and I have something I learned to share: I put in a back wall with ledges in my tank and my beardie was like a kid in a candy store. He loved it sooooo much, and when I took him for a vet check, the vet said they hadn’t seen a beardie with such well developed back leg muscles before. It’s true, they really do love to climb.
this! for practically all reptiles, even if they aren't arboreal, climbing enrichment is so important! my leopard gecko is like a monkey with how much she loves to climb :)
So happy you commented this because Ugh I wanna do it so bad for her but I rescued mine and had her for about a week off of a Facebook rehoming group she’s only 6 months I have her in a 50 gallon bioactive set up but I’m waiting for the 120 gallon so I can do that custom background for the bigger tank I look at my beardie all the time and I’m like I’m so sorry girl I know you wanna climb on the back of the tank 😭😭
@@xx.ultraviolet Aw, sounds like she's in good hands :) I don't know, maybe you know about this already but there are magnetic ledges you can get if you like, I think they're made by "magnaturals" or something, they're sometimes a little expensive though. Might be an idea for an in-the-meantime solution, and you can include them in the bigger setup when you have it, if you get the larger ledges. The smaller ones are really nice but won't hold the weight of an adult beardie.
@@chelsegorn thank you!!! And I have heard about the magnetic ledges but never gotten them because I wanted to hear from someone else to see if they were worth buying and if they were actually reliable with holding the beardies weight haha but I’m going to have to try them out then!! :) I might as well get the larger ledges now since she’s going to just keep growing, my girls name is jinx she’s and inferno morph and currently only 6 months but I think she would love these at least for the time being until I can get the 4x2x2 enclosure and make it bioactive with the custom background.
@@xx.ultraviolet Aww, Jinx sounds like a beautiful little girl! Glad I could help :) I recommend the XL one, but the large could work ok as well for an adult, just maybe with some extra reinforcement like a log under it or something. The large is a bit more narrow too, so she might have a hard time staying on it, depending on what's around it. I'm in the same boat as you, I have a new little scaly girl with me as well now, she's only about 4 months, so has a bit of growing to do before I go bioactive as well. Her name is Calcifer and she's a red/orange morph. We're planning on trying a 6ft enclosure for her final setup because we have a bit of extra space. I've had the privilege of caring for two beardies previously, before this precious little one, beardies for life!
Hey there Emma, I really appreciate the video, but when looking into the study itself, it seems like there were a couple of variables that could change the diet requirements back to 70/30 or 80/20. Although the study came to the conclusion that a 60:40 ratio of bugs/veggies, it seems like they took that calculation based off of weight rather than volume. Since we feed our beardies based on volume, those ratios could shift a decent bit when applying it to the way we structure diets. The study was also recorded very shortly after the first rainfall, not allowing much time for veggies to grow in, and so, as a result, those seasonal changes also alters the animal's diet. The authors also noted that there was a recent boom in termite population, and since they're opportunistic eaters, they would naturally eat more termites, even if it is not the best for them. These small differences likely shifted the diet requirements a decent bit from what could be considered a good combination of a yearly diet (since a consistent diet that doesn't change ratios seasonally should take both winter and summer into account). Of course, a diet of 70/30 and 80/20 could still be off from what is best, but it likely is a bit closer than a diet of 40/60.
Alot of that has to do with weather or not it's a female or not because of egg laying they need more calcium and protein than the males diet. but it could also be because of things like brumation where they'll need to store up certain nutrients more than others to "sleep" through the months (or weeks if you're lucky)
I never heard of the seasonal differences maybe because they're naturally from a place that doesn't get cold compared to being in captivity in places like Pennsylvania like where I live where the humidity and temperature very greatly and there are almost always going to be small fluctuations in the enclosure no matter how well you have it set up (assuming your house hasn't been insulated and sealed within the last 15 years like most of the ones here)
@@natehood6644what I'm referring to when discusssing temp shifts, is that as the temperature shifts over a season, the bug and plant populations shift, so the beardie's diet ratio shifts as well.
It is important to look at the diet ratios over all four seasons and get an average ratio. The study she mentioned recorded only the ratios of early spring, so the bug ratio is naturally going to be much higher (very few plants in the area). it would be innacurate to feed an exclusive ratio 60/40 for all four seasons, since this shifts in their environment. Getting an average ratio is the most accurate (and simplest) way to know what their wild diet is like
This is absolutely spot on. I feel like even if your animal doesn’t dig or use substrate it’s good to give them the option. It’s quite horrifying the amount of people who fall short on basic husbandry requirements such as enclosure size let alone temperatures.
Some animals only dig when there's something wrong with them or there environment tho, personally I think they should still have the extra substrate incase they feel the need to follow instinct but if they're properly cared for and you don't have things like kids or cats around to be making noises and freaking them out that probably will never happen( probably)
Love this video!! So many important points made! I started feeding my BD 2-3 times a week a few years ago and it’s been fantastic! She eats every bite now and definitely seems way happier. And she’s also always preferred about a 110F basking spot over a lower temp, so I’m glad that was included!
I love your positivity in all your videos! I'm so glad you're back💕
Thank you!! I’m happy to be back :)
I'm so happy to see you back!
I love your take on beardy care! Especially in regards to feeding 😊 I feel my dragon wasted so much food before I started skipping her feeding a few days a week.
WOW, I couldn’t agree more!!!!!! Thank you so much for making this video, we all need to hear this.
I really really hope someone out there is creating a diary of all their experiences and knowledge they’ve learned about reptiles while going through their life. It would be such a good read.
Longtime Bearded Dragon keeper from central europe here and just stumbled over your Vid, Emma. My personal belief also based on my longterm experience is that the veggie / animal protein ratio needs to be more balanced but i do it rather like this: aways provide a bowl of fresh veggies (like plants that would always be available to them in the wild) but only feed twice a week animal protein (preferably dubia roaches).. this way if they get really hungry in between they can stuff themselves from the bow, but animal protein is strictly only given e.g. every wednesday and sunday (for adults! baby & juveniles need animal protein far more regularly for their growth).. mine are staying lean and agile and so far have been staying super healthy
ah.. and one more thing.. Bearded dragons absolutely love hammocks.. branches like you mentioned are also great, but hammocks are paradise for them to relax and hang out on.. ideally two on both cold and hot side of their enclosure
I’m so glad I found this info! Thank you!
Wow, you covered so much, nice job, Emma!
Great video! Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and experiences. Can you please provide a link to the enclosure you are using for your bearded dragon?
Pet stores are notorious for recommending incorrect care for many reptiles!
That's literally the point. The animal is kept poorly, it dies, then the owner buys a new one from the same pet store. Profit
The pet store I got my bearded dragon from said bugs every other day and veggies daily
@@Gs-kl6rd Yes, while they are still babies
@@pwpqwq7648 the other way around actually and If anything I wouldn't give a "baby" vegetables every other day unless you aren't gut loading your insects with greens and things already because they genuinely don't need most of what they'll get from the greens at that age compared to the amount of fat, proteins, ash, and calcium they need to grow as rapidly as they do, that's why it's so common to see adult beardies that only reach 14-16 inches when males should be around 24 and females at 20 on average if not larger, hot basking spot, plenty of bugs, and 8-10 hours of atleast a .3 uvb rating light preferably around 5-6 (7 is arguably to much for a constant regular light personaly I feel they'd only ever receive that much in the wild even during peak summer months, altho the hole in the atmosphere might make me out to be a fool saying that😅)
@@Gs-kl6rdgot that backwards, a juvenile ( I HIGHLY doubt you got an actual baby beardie babys at most are only 3-4 inches from snoot to tail) juvenile beardies till they're close to they're full size or 1.5 years of age should be eating bugs every day (unless you do a fasting day) and greens maybe 3 days a week depending on if your feeder insects are gut loaded with proper veggies and dusted atleast twice a week with supplement powder (don't use the powder with D3 added they'll get all the d3 they need from there uvb and diet if they're in a proper enclosure and you could either end up wasting your money or worse overdosing them on a vitamin ( not that it's likely, but it's possible and does happen) veggies are more for adults and males specifically eat about a 80% veggie diet whereas a female may eat something like 60% vegetable diet
Wonderful to see your new videos haven't seen you on you- tube for a quite while. Great video's all have been very well done and informative.
Thank you.
Thank you very much! I’m happy to be back
Lol RUclips's takeaway from the intro to this video was that I needed to see laptop ads 😂
Thank you for sharing the links! What leafy matter do they eat in the wild?? I would love to know the exact plant matter if you ever come across it.
Exactly it's good to be open about new ways to care for our animals. I also agree that bearded dragons do need a good amount of space and enrichment to be happy and not board.
I have been making a lot of these changes as well to my beardies care over the past 3-4 years and I have only noticed positive changes and I am really glad someone else has noticed that it’s not always good when dragons are over weight as well😅❤️thank you for bringing more awareness and information to the board!
In other words you hit the nail right on the head as to what I’ve noticed with changing my dragons care over the past few years😂he’s at a healthier weight and has only seemed happier from this and he completely shifted from not wanting to eat greens at all to eating insects and greens hand in hand no problem
Ahh that’s so awesome!! I’m happy to hear that you’ve noticed similar changes as well :)
No animal in the world should be overweight it's sad seeing any pet with a shortened lifespan purely because of poor husbandry or a lack of research that's readily available
Awesome video girl :) do you think we can also have a video on the care differences between baby bearded dragons and grown?
Thank you! I may do that someday although there isn’t much difference other than babies need to eat a bit more than adults
good u addressing this.think lot of people don't do any research on their requirements n or husbandry etcetc
I don't own a beared dragon..but enjoy knowledge on them ..hope soon you do a video update on your ball pythons ❤❤❤
And I thought I was the only crazy one who watches care videos for animals ill probably never own😅
I feed my dragon about every 3 days and it seem like they’re more active, they don’t sit in one spot, they actually run around in their cage and are more hyper to me.
love what you have to say on this video. One thing you didn't really touch on while going over Diet and activity is enrichment. Yes, I think those three things need to be discussed together. I don't currently keep beardies, but something I do for my juvenile tegu is to let her hunt. I keep Crickets and Dubias in her enclosure nearly constantly. this allows her to hunt. When I started this I noticed a marked increase in her activity and she ate more of her vegetables almost from the beginning. something else I didn't hear you mention is that a basking spot can be ste higher in the enclosure. Putting a shelf or branch under to the basking light will allow for a higher temperature basking spot but a better thermal gradiant. As I said when I started this comment, I love what you had to say and am going to go check out your other videos.
Thank you for all the information. I found it extremely helpful.
Preach on the diet bit! I hate when people want to actually switch what the animal evolved to eat rather than just feed them less. Most notable with bearded dragons but I see it in other species as well. Tegus for example people push to feed mostly leafy greens as the plant base of their diet… in the wild they’re mostly eating fruit. “Leafy greens have less sugar so they won’t get fat”. No, if your lizard is getting fat just feed the lizard less, don’t change what it’s evolved to eat!
I just got a baby beared dragon and I am trying to encourage her to trust all family members enough to roam around the living room freely when she wants to so shes getting some decent excerise and is still climbing and jumping and running around i don't want her to just live in her cage im hoping she will just see her enclosure as her burrow her home if she wants to be left alone and get some peace but she can come out and walk around as much as she likes also without the kids crowding her and making her scared shes getting there shes still only young 🥰
This is very helpful! I'm going to start slowly adjusting my beardies to this and see how it goes :)
I’m glad you found it helpful!! Wishing you and your beardies the best!
I whole heartily agree with you ,I never feed my reptiles every day, and my bearded dragon is not fussy. She's as well,as my other reptiles are very active ,my dragon Ellie is very spunky lol ,great video with alot of great information ❤
my beardie lives in a 4x2x2 but also free roams my room. I made my whole room beardie safe just for my lil guy. he has never pooped outside his cage which amazes me. i notice he is much more happier when he gets to run around in my room and bask as he needs!
Great advice!! I enjoyed this video!
Thanks for watching, I’m glad you enjoyed!
There a person on this reptile page, I’m added to and his dragon is 19 so somebody ask what do they feed him and they said when he turn 10 they started feeding him greens and no bugs bug, he look so good for a 19 year old dragons
They still need the protein calcium and ash tho to shed and everything there's got to be more to it than just that if this is true
Also, where did you get the back wall with ledges from
We've had an overweight adult female for about 2 and a half weeks now. Glad to know it's OK not to feed them every day. My question is when figuring out plant to bug percentages how do you compare? Freeze dried bug would weigh less than a live one and maybe iceberg lettuce has more moisture than something like spinach.
Completely agree. I have never feed my dragons everyday as I would have some that knew if they didn't eat their veggies they would be fine as they would get bugs later. I usually feed my dragons every two to three days. They are always climbing around and digging. Yes they don't put on weight as easily but I'm not breeding them so their weight doesn't really matter to me as long as they are healthy. I feel that most people now days overfeed most of their pets without knowing. Fish, reptiles, dogs and cats it's how some people show their love towards their pets is by feeding them. Oh by the way hows the emeralds?
If they brumate you need to make sure they have the proper amount of fat and other nutrients stored for that it's not just about breeding, an adult beardie should get fed like every other day with bugs maybe 2 times a week to make sure they have everything they need to shed properly and keep up with there bone strength, they're digging because they're malnourished, maybe not underweight I don't know obviously but beardies only dig when they're missing something like calcium or phosphorus in there diet or if it's a female getting ready to lay a clutch of eggs, also this could just be personality of course my beardies full of energy for absolutely no reason to but generally they don't run around very often and when they do it's short bursts, hopefully everything's okay but I'd definitely change the diet just a bit and check for anything like mites or a basking spot that's to hot/not hot enough that could be slowing down there digestive process and causing the digging fiasco as well or possibly even pieces of shed stuck around the toes or claws. Best of luck sorry for the book😅
As someone who is still learning a ton about their dragon, I really enjoyed this video. I was never super into them, but then almost two years ago I took in a 4 year old male who desperately needed more. He came from a pet store set up, 40gal, on sand, and with 1 plastic hide. They fed him freeze dried greens and crickets. I got him a 4x2x2, real heat lamp, and proper lighting. Luckily his upbringing did not leave him with health issues, but he does how ever hate a hot basking place. I think it was because for his whole life thus far he live with very little basking bulb. He also seems slower and less active then the average beardy, I think I am going to take your diet advice and look into changing him to more of a 60/40.
If you can buy a temp gun and make sure the basking spot isn't to hot in general from my experience and research atleast they like it around 105-115 (In some rare cases 120 even) and juveniles generally like it a little warmer because they need there metabolism to be fast enough to keep up with all the food intake
@@natehood6644 thanks. Temp gun was purchased before he came with me and I monitor his conditions regularly
Agreed. I kept a food log for my beardie last year, I was worried she wasn't eating enough. On her own accord she ate 64.4% of the days awake (brumation days not included). I always had skip days in her food plan,but this year I added more skip days to better reflect how she choose to eat 😊
And if I included all her brumation days, she ate 40% of the days in 2022. I should make a video on it but I'm so bad at it and I hate my voice
I've been taking a few days off a week for feeding for awhile now but didn't say anything in fear of judgement. It was truly what was best for us. She would get obese so easy- no matter how much I walked her, her being in a 4x2x2.5 with a ton of enrichment, her vet bill clean and healthy (besides weight), etc. We tried many different diets and the only thing that worked- taking food down to 3-4 days a week at a 50/50 mix of veg and bug. She's changed COMPLETELY for the better. She's like...kinda buff now 😂. She climbs EVERYTHING (why I added an extra 1/2 foot to height), burrows, plays. She's so entertaining now. Not just a spikey art piece anymore. I hope more people try this 60/40 thing and I'll maybe try a tad bit more bugs and less veg.
I appreciate this comment. I used to be concerned about my Beardies eating habits because unless I give him bugs every day he simply will not eat. He's about 18 months old and gets fed 3 - 4 times weekly, and appears very healthy. He gets lots of bugs (usually dubia roaches) early in the week. Mid week he gets a big bowl of greens. Late in the week, he gets a combination of superworms and greens. He also gets the occasional Hornworm. This works out to roughly a 60/40 combination.
Great points!!! Do you do phone consultations? I am a new bearded dragon owner and am willing to pay someone so I can ask questions.
Good information. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
love your opinion. very similar to uromastyx (which is what i have). Did you name your grey band!?
p.s. your audio was weird... only in the left side. idk why.
also! how do you keep their nails trimmed or down
I tend to agree with the things u have pointed out. Especially regarding food. Mine has always been super picky. I’ve wasted so much money on fruits and veggies 🥴. The only thing he wants to eat is arugula. I’ve mixed a different green or veggie in with the arugula this past year to try other foods w him and it’s normally not received very well. Ha. But I’ve noticed the days he doesn’t want to eat much, he’s a lot more open the next day to eating a little bit of new things. It’s crazy how different each dragon can be!! I’ve always watched videos where ppl put out different foods for their beardies and they run and love different things and gobble it up. How fun to watch!! My. Beardie is a bore when it comes to food 😂. He won’t even eat fruit 🤦🏼♀️. I’m going to try the method u suggested. It makes sense. If u know u will get that one particular thing u like… u will just wait till that’s what u get, when u know it’ll come. I believe this will work 👌
If you have trouble with greens try bee pollen some times they go crazy for it and it'll help get them accustomed to the taste of different veggies, fruit should very very rarely be given in super small amounts because there jawbone can get cavities and rot away from excess sugar even in tiny amounts if it's regular enough. I've also seen alot of research that beardies can have citric fruits because they're stomachs are natural so acidic compared to most reptiles, (altho I would still highly recommend looking into it im only one random guy on the internet to be fair)
With all of these changes in diet what do you do for supplements?
What does feeding your bearded dragons 60 proteins 40 lettuce and vegetables look like, exactly how many bugs 2 to 3 times a week and how much lettuce and vegetables 2 to 3 times a week
Hi Emma, I don’t know if you’ll see this but I thought your video was great and loved the way you laid everything out and gave the information. I’m setting up my lights in my new 120 gallon and this is my first time using a 100watt halogen light..when I tested the temps one spot reached 115/116 but the rest of the basking spot was around 110-107. Do you think that it’s potentially too hot? I know you said they can stand up to 120/130 but when you have an example you only said 110 so I just want to make sure I’m not making my dragon too hot. He is already very active ~ if that matters
The rest of the tank on the hot side varies from 86-82 and the “cool” side is at 78 for more reference.
Youre basking spots are probably fine unless your dragon personally thinks it's to hot, the ambient temp on the high side should probably be closer to 90 tho and the cool side shouldn't go below 75 other than overnight unless it's a spot in the shade that they can use in an emergency (sleeping to long in the hot spot 😅)
You are wonderful I am subscribe thank you for sharing
Thanks for the picky eater advice, it is really helpful. I currently feed my leopard gecko twice a week and he is incredibly picky (he's pretty much only willing to eat roaches) so I'll try only feeding him once a week for a while and see how things go
I got some picky Leo’s, many of them their appetite kinda changes seasonally, sometimes not eating for a few months, and other times they would eat untill they explode.
I have one male who’s never been a big eater and I just offer insects every day, and if he’s not interested I take them away.
I messed up. Mine is in a 48 Lx 18 x 19H. I have a small space and it’s what fits. 😢
If it’s a baby should I feed it everyday? And how much of what should I feed it? AND do all of these tips apply to baby bearded dragons too? (I haven’t gotten one yet, I’m still in the research part of planning for one)
Absolutely agree here. Our BD is 10 now. She gets fed every 2-3 days. Never had any problems with her.
I feed my crested geckos and gargoyles every other day and bugs once a week and my leopard every 4 days and 5 if she is shedding , my snake eats once every 2 weeks, rarely reptiles eat everyday. Good info on how to deal with picky eaters as well
Same here! My knob tail gecko and crested eat every 3-4 days, my kingsnake is on the small end so he ears 1 adult mouse a week but my ball python is fully grown and 13+ years old, she goes off food for 4 months out of the year and gets fed every 2-4 weeks. I alternate between 2 small rats and 1 medium to large size rat.
Ever since my dragon turned 1 year old I’ve started feeding him 3-4 times a week
Sorry if you said this in the video and i did just not pick it up. What substrate do YOU use, it looks like a Clay-Sand-Rock mix but idk it also looks very natural big props to you but what is it exactly! Thank you, AMAZING VID!
Thank you :) the substrate I use is the stone dessert substrate by exo terra!! I’m a big fan of it!
Day on day off feeding 2 days protien 1 day veggies is how im planning to go
Great video. I have always thought it was weird to feed a bearded dragon mass amounts of vegetables and bugs daily. The basking temperature also seemed to be too generic with nothing taken into account for the material of the spot and how much heat it absorbs.
And nobody at all anywhere that I've ever seen has said to feed an adult beardie every day whatsoever much less bugs and veggies every day, even babys and juveniles it's a good idea to give them a fasting day so they don't bloat or get impacted from over eating and not having time to digest( another reason your basking spot NEEDS to be at a minimum of 105 otherwise there metabolism will slow down and they won't be able to digest anything) and they'll die from constipation, or impaction if you prefer the term either way your prior information either came from guessing or from the 80s because what are you even talking about.
@@natehood6644 I'm thinking you didn't watch the video you are commenting on. About the 5 minute point she talks about the amount of misinformation that talks about feeding everyday. I agree that the feeding daily information is abundant. I have also never had a bearded dragon that eats everything that is provided. It eats what it wants at the time. I didn't argue what the basking temperature needs to be. I argued that substrate of the basking temperature which is taken where the lizard lays can very much change the temperature on the back of the lizard from the basking bulb. If you have no insulation under the basking spot the bulb needs to be much hotter to maintain 105F on contact because too much heat is radiating out of the enclosure. Is it light colored, dark colored, rock, wood, synthetic? This means the ambient temperature and the heat radiating into the lizards back is too high and then the lizard doesn't want to bask in that area long enough. My argument is that it's easy to make a rock or stick 105F, but it's not always the correct basking spot for a lizard. Thank you for explaining everything I already knew.
Great video
i just came across your video because i have a bearded dragon. but the please dont cook your bearded dragon made me laugh so hard! thank you
I do the same thing with my juvenile sulcata and she's totally fine.
I'm a new dragon owner and have seen all the pictures of dragons "snuggling" with their eyes closed or just sitting there "chilling out" for hours and that's what I thought too...they are too cold. Wrapping a cold-blooded animal in a snuggly blanket does not warm it up, either. I think this is the most "anthropomorphized" reptile in the world. I have been obsessed with reptiles my whole life but have just got my first bearded dragon in my 40's, and began paying attention to them when previously I did not, and I'm surprised to see the culture surrounding them, it reminds me of bird owners...there is a divide between owners who want to keep them as safe and protected as possible vs. those who want them to live more as they do in the wild. which is really best for the animal is the debate. I personally don't think it's normal for any kind of reptile, much less an agamid lizard, to be willing to sit inactive/nap during the day, snuggled up in a blanket...to me they don't look like they are content and napping, they look like they are playing dead and hoping you won't eventually eat them. i'll also add, and maybe this is just because of the numbers...there seem to be a lot of posts by owners on dragon groups, forums etc. about sudden unexplained deaths.
What kind of loose substrate do you recommend for bearded dragons? Would you recommend the same for a leopard gecko?
I use exo terra stone desert substrate for my beardie and for my Leo’s!!
@@EmmaLynneSampson great! Thank you so much!
FYI - the audio is only coming out of the left side of my headphones.
Most enclosures are not big enough, they should be able to run after their food.
I run a rescue in Virginia, and we have stopped taking them in because unfortunately it's been really difficult to combat the information out there. 90% of them come in really bad shape and we can't adopt them out, or people struggle with their care a few months in. I've had some people put on their applications that they need to eat twice a day, and once person we adopted one to was force feeding it because it wouldn't eat everything twice a day.
My patience with the public is too thin for that. I completely agree with your decision to stop accepting them.
This is the same reason why many groomers stopped accepting doodles in the industry. I'm a dog groomer and I see so much misinformation being spread and people are so I'll informed and not willing to learn despite so much information about how to care for them.
@@DoorsToHideBehind156 The worst part of it is that you get people that refuse to look at any other information. We work with Reptifiles and a few other science based reptile groups, and will provide scientific studies backing up husbandry practices, and they will just argue with you that their way is right. Like 40 gallon tanks. I'm sorry, but a leopard gecko does well in that as a minimum enclosure size, a bearded dragon can't run around in that. But yea, I currently have 3 dragons that I am stuck with because they will never recover from their health issues. The one I've had for a year now, can't eat on its own, barely can move, costs a fortune in vet costs. She was handed to me wrapped in a towel after I was told, "Oh she's perfectly healthy and loves to eat". I have been syringe feeding her every single day since I've gotten her. I'm a 501c3 and also have a fulltime job in addition to the rescue, so I do this free, but some days I just really want to shut it down, mainly because of the bearded dragons.
I rescued a baby beared dragon. I'm not sure of her age exactly, but I figure around 4 months. I keep her in a wire cage. Some people tell me it has to be a solid incloser. In the month I have had her , have gained over 35 grams. She went from lethargic to climbing all over her cage. She goes to her basking spot by herself now. She has found her food dish. The water dish is not so easy yet. But she is thriving. What are your thoughts on this?
The reason people would say solid is to hold heat,humidity,etc. And regulate it instead of escaping out. Wire cages also can cause harm.to limbs heads stuck depending on size and more exposure to chemicals fragrances and other triggers for beardies respiratory system. I'm not in the position to tell someone what do but thats just some of the reasonings wire or mesh cages aren't suggested.
I feed my girl every 2 days . I do greens one day 2nd day i do bugs ! Shes great ! Yes and she hunts great ! ❤
The feeding daily probably comes from having lots of mammal pets and how humans typically eat several times per day.
I have tarantulas and it can be shocking how long tarantulas can go without eating. Some have gone months at a time without eating and are just fine. What's funny is that even humans can go several days without food and be ok, but some people freak out about that fact.
You are a very brilliant young lady. ❤
I don't have a bearded dragon, but certainly want one asap! It's really interesting how reptile care has been changing recently, and I believe it's most certainly good! Thank you for making this!
Question: Do you reccomend any particular bulb for bearded dragons (halogen, incandescent, deep heat projector etc.)? Is one better than the others?
Halogens are my personal favourite!!
I don’t own a dragon only New Caledonian geckos, but I’ve heard that bearded dragons can get impacted with food, maybe that’s due to being over fed and their system can’t keep up with the digestion with lower temps.
Thank you, I have a bearded dragon right now. She is information, unfortunately, LOL.
I've always wondered how beardies found 80% plant matter every single day in Australian outback. That environment is very inhospitable, especially to grazing animals. The available plant material is most inedible to just about any animal, thorns, caustic chemicals which serve to prevent animals from eating them, all kinds of gnarly plant defenses. It's not like they live in temperate forests and green meadows.
Sorry just scrolling comments and saw this.
You are aware that plants in temperate forests and those grassy meadows have also evolved those same defenses? There are places on earth more inhospitable than the Aussie outback where herbivorous mammals even reptiles thrive. Its just not the lush greens we feed them in captivity. Beardies have been recorded with over 90% plant matter in their gut - they have evolved perfectly to feed on seasonal availability.
All insects are not created equal lol mealies have very little nutritional value. Dubias and soldier fly larvae are 2 of the best insects as staple feeders. High in protein and calcium low in fat. Super worms, hornworms, and wax worms should be occasional treats. Me personally, I don't even bother with mealies. They're just so little in nutritional value but that's just my opinion. I know they're much easier to obtain I guess, kinda like crickets which at least have better nutritional value...I think there's just so many other better options. People also need to really pay attention to what type of greens they are giving...a lot actually should not be staples in their daily salads. Collards are one of the best. I see a lot giving kale, spinach and others that are really high in oxilates which prevent the absorbing of calcium or types cabbages too frequently that can affect their thyroid and cause issues.
I don’t disagree, fasting can be healthy and the biggest thing is food is not a guarantee in the wild. There is a new wave of info coming in the avian hobby too.
I think people who come to reptiles from rodents struggle with the feeding. They are used to rodents and think that reptiles require the same feeding regime. Also I don't and have never used care sheets. I much prefer books that cover the natural history of whatever species I'm looking at. This is not saying care sheets don't serve a purpose, however they should be used as a guide, not used as gospel. I also believe this is where glass enclosures can work, you can create high temp basking spots, but given the nature of glass the heat rapidly dissapates away from the basking spot.
Dang ur Eyebrows slay 😍💯
My BD loves cut up chicken hearts.
Just something I noticed right away looking at your beautiful dragon is he/she looks a bit under weight. Fat pads shouldn't be sunken in and hip bones shouldn't be showing...that's where fat reserves are stored in a healthy dragon. Maybe try boosting up a few more dubias or some extra wax worms for treats since they are high in fat.
I love your channel but I personally disagree with a few things in this video. Especially in terms of feedings and exercise. Adolescent bearded dragons are only recorded to travel around 100 meters(0.06 miles) a day, so saying 'you shouldn't be feeding your bearded dragon every day unless you're making them run 5 miles' is just incorrect.
If you look at any pictures or videos of bearded dragons in their natural habitats, you will see there is very few that don't have some kind of greens or plants nearby. They are a lot more readily available in their natural environment than people think. Look up pictures of wild bearded dragons, you will see most stay near plants so they can eat as they want. They also spend a lot of their days hiding and basking in bushes, which normally provide them with some sort of greens.
I love your channel, and I'm not leaving this as a hate comment as I believe animals are different and different things can work for different animals, and therefore am not saying your beardie isn't healthy.
Also the study you're referring to in the video, about the 60/40% in terms of food, says that it is effected by the seasons. Bearded dragons are opportunistic predators and the percentages in their diet widely range throughout the year. There is also no mention of the sex of the bearded dragons, which is a very important factor as males normally have a more plant based diet, while females gravitate towards a more animal protein based diet.
I would just warn anyone who's trying this to do so slowly and make sure to monitor your bearded dragon carefully, and go back to feed more regularly immediately if you notice any negative impacts.
Also, at least from the clips in this video, your beardies nails seem pretty overgrown? There's one or two that look like they're even starting to curl due to the length, I do hope you clip them soon as this can be very uncomfortable for them! Their natural environment is very rocky, and keeps their nails pretty grinded, but unfortunately it usually has to be done manually in captivity.
Once again, no hate, just a different opinion! I still liked hearing yours and left a like on the video of course ❤ glad to see you back again!😂
The point is, bearded dragons in the wild move. They get exercise. They expend the energy they intake. They run from predators. They hunt. They catch bugs running. In captivity, we serve them bugs in bowls. And the bush plants thwy eat are less nutritious compared to the nutrient rich veg that we feed them every day. So if we can't give them a large enclosure where we can just release dubia in so they can expend energy, we don't have to feed them everyday.
Your bearded dragon is beautiful!!
Thank you! She sure is :)
My left ear enjoyed this video
My headphones worked on both sides of this video
@@karenmcisaac22 you have cheap headphones that dont have surround
🤎🤎
if my Vlad could talk, he would tell you eating only every 4 days is dragon abuse
That's how females especially are supposed to be kept. Laying eggs is quite stressful, and reducing feedings also reduces the amount of eggs
If your dragon is active, feed every second or every third day. It’s not abuse in the slightest to feed them a diet that keeps them healthy. Over feeding them results in health issues, which is a lot worse than keeping them healthy.
This one in the video looks dehydrated badly so I don't think I'm gonna take her advice
Great information, thank you. But Lex definitely needs a pedicure! Those nails are super long.
When they spend a lot of their time climbing like Lex does, they need long nails to help them grip and maneuver the branches
Why are you dragging this out. Woman just tell us what you have to say. I’ve aged two years during this video.
I made so many mistakes over feeding my guy, one time ordered 5000 crickets giving him 40 crickets a day 😑
You are very cute though 😂😂😂
What are you doing to loose hella weight ? Teach us !!!!!!
Sorry, but I will not be discussing weight loss on my channel 🤍 the focus will remain animals
How come you look so skinny now lol and your vice changed, plz don't take offence lol I'm just concerned
The loose substrate argument still hold strong to this day. Sad stuff..