Q: Can my beardie eat ‘(fill in the blank)’?
A: While it may be possible, it is much better to stick with known foods that are healthy for them.
For a great foods list, visit www.beautifuldragons.com
Q: My beardie has sharp nails, can I trim them?
A: Yes, just be careful not to hit the vein in them (you might want to have some cornstarch handy just in case you cut too deep and it bleeds,
the cornstarch will stop the bleeding). You can also just take an emery board and file them down.
Q: Does my beardie get lonely, does he need a friend?
A: No, beardies do not get lonely. They may get bored though, I leave a TV on for mine when I’m not around.
Q: Can I put a ‘(fill in the animal blank)’ in with my beardie?
A: NO, never ever mix species. Parasites that may be perfectly normal or non harmful for one, may kill the other.
Q: Can I put my new baby in with my adult?
A: No, adult beardies will eat younger/smaller ones (it only takes a second).
Q: My male bobs his head and bites my females neck, is he being mean or is this some mating ritual.
A: It’s a mating ritual, call it beardie foreplay. It’s completely normal but it can look very violent sometimes.
As long as there is no blood is drawn, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Q: How long should I quarantine new animals before introducing them to my current ones?
A: A minimum of 30 days and a clean bill of health from the vet is essential, however 90 days is best.
Years ago we weren’t as strict about this and it got us. We lost our entire snake collection 6 years ago because of a disease that came in with a rescue case.
Let’s just say that we learned our lesson the hard way.
Q: My beardie has a cut and I can’t get to a vet is there anything I can do for it or put on it?
A: Clean the wound real well with some Betadine or antibacterial soap. Then apply a triple antibiotic ointment like Mycetracine.
If the wound won’t stay closed you can super glue it shut (a drop is all it takes) and then apply the triple A.
If it was a deep wound I would still take it to the vet as soon as you can. Also, watch for infection with any wound.
Q: How can I tell if my beardie is gravid for sure?
A: I did some research on this one and it turns out that gravid beardies produce high levels of the hormone gonadotropin.
This is the same hormone that human women produce while pregnant and can be tested for with a standard EPT test.
Mix the urates (white part of the poo) or just the whole fecal with some distilled water and dip the stick. I’ve never tried it but it should work.
Q: Can females lay eggs even if they’ve never been with a male?
A: Yes they can, of course they will be infertile.
Q: I heard that females can lay more than 1 clutch off of 1 breeding, is this true?
A: Yep, females are capable of storing sperm for up to a year and can lay a clutch a month for that entire time, from just 1 breeding.
Q: Why are my two 4-6 month old males fighting, they always got along good before?
A: They’re hitting sexual maturity, and need to be separated immediately. It won’t get better and one of them will probably get hurt or killed if they remain together.
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