calling all beardie people… - Page 4

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 07:14 AM

i don't even feed mine crickets anymore, (except if i have a few extra lying around) roaches, supers, silks, the odd pinkie, and lots of veggies. I HATE crickets with a burning passion. but now i am gonna have to start buying 1/4" when my babies start hatching. and this makes me sad lol.

Starbuck · 04-10-14, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pareeeee

You can feed them to adult beardies as treats now and then, but you should dust them with calcium + vit powder, just like you would crickets.

(Paree I'm not directly trying to call you out or anything, just responding to the last few comments)
My question is what is the point? Are beardies in Oz getting pinkies? Are their crickets getting dusted with every feeding? I realize that some of the constraints of captivity such as limited feeder insect variety necessitate some calcium dusting, and a heavy reliance on crickets, but the pinkie mouse thing seems over the top. Reminds me of youtube videos of people feeding scorpions (tail removed) to beardies or tiny mice to leos (Adult, Male leopard geckos and bearded dragons!!) Just because they can.

proper breeding conditioning shouldn't rely on pinkie mice or other unnatural foods, it seems like it should be obtainable with a varied diet of healthy gut loaded insects.

The idea of a treat also doesn't make sense to me. I give my dog treats so she has a motivation to do the things i am asking her to do, and because we have a mutual social bond. I give my leopard gecko wax worms etc not as a treat, but as part of her regular varied diet. I guess I'm just not understanding the motivation behind giving treats to a reptile. If you want them to be happy and to feel good, leave them alone for a day? give them proper basking temps, and enriching food to chase around, or novel vegetation.

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 10:45 AM

All valid points. But in response to your question about are they getting pinks in the wild. ... I'd be willing to bet that if an adult beardie came across a nest of pinks, he'd look at it as a buffet.

murrindindi · 04-10-14, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starbuck

(Paree I'm not directly trying to call you out or anything, just responding to the last few comments)
My question is what is the point? Are beardies in Oz getting pinkies? Are their crickets getting dusted with every feeding? I realize that some of the constraints of captivity such as limited feeder insect variety necessitate some calcium dusting, and a heavy reliance on crickets, but the pinkie mouse thing seems over the top. Reminds me of youtube videos of people feeding scorpions (tail removed) to beardies or tiny mice to leos (Adult, Male leopard geckos and bearded dragons!!) Just because they can.

proper breeding conditioning shouldn't rely on pinkie mice or other unnatural foods, it seems like it should be obtainable with a varied diet of healthy gut loaded insects.

The idea of a treat also doesn't make sense to me. I give my dog treats so she has a motivation to do the things i am asking her to do, and because we have a mutual social bond. I give my leopard gecko wax worms etc not as a treat, but as part of her regular varied diet. I guess I'm just not understanding the motivation behind giving treats to a reptile. If you want them to be happy and to feel good, leave them alone for a day? give them proper basking temps, and enriching food to chase around, or novel vegetation.

Hi, during my many, many trips into the bush I`ve personally observed Bearded dragons taking skinks (species unknown) on occasion, to describe pinky mice as an "unnatural" food is rather strange, being as they are vertebrate prey (albeit at that age not much skeletal tissue), they ARE natural in that sense.
If I were to offer rodents/other vertebrates now and again I would stick to either fuzzies or older.
None of the members so far passing comments in this respect have ever been to Australia or seen a Bearded dragon to know what they eat in the wild, including whether on occasion they might come across a nest of rodents and take what they can get (please correct me if I`m wrong about having first hand experience in the wild).
Being a "sit and wait" predator does NOT mean they cannot or would not openly pursue prey, they can and do!
The idea that the adults in the wild eat 80% greens and 20% inverts is quite ridiculous, too!?

murrindindi · 04-10-14, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey T

All valid points. But in response to your question about are they getting pinks in the wild. ... I'd be willing to bet that if an adult beardie came across a nest of pinks, he'd look at it as a buffet.

You would be quite right!

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 10:54 AM

Actually I have no first hand experience with wild beardies as I have never been to Australia (tip of my bucket list tho) But I am super glad I was right in my assumptions. Another question I would like classification on is. .... is it true that the northern half of Australia is ruled and the southern half covered in paper towel? LOL

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 10:56 AM

On a more serious note, What basking temps/ humidity gradients are there in their home range? And do you agree with keeping them as one would keep a monitor?

murrindindi · 04-10-14, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey T

Actually I have no first hand experience with wild beardies as I have never been to Australia (tip of my bucket list tho) But I am super glad I was right in my assumptions. Another question I would like classification on is. .... is it true that the northern half of Australia is ruled and the southern half covered in paper towel? LOL

Now you`re being silly, of course it isn`t covered in paper towels????

For your information, mostly it`s reptile carpet with a few small areas covered in ceramic tiling with grout in the joints to stop them getting their claws stuck (or debri collecting in there), and signs reminding them of the percentages of veg to protein ratios, and not to accidently drown in the liquid they do not recognise unless it`s moving.

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 11:28 AM

I literally almost made my boss crash his truck I laughed so loud lol

murrindindi · 04-10-14, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey T

On a more serious note, What basking temps/ humidity gradients are there in their home range? And do you agree with keeping them as one would keep a monitor?

The same basking surface temps that are in place for all the animals living in that specific area at that specific time. Whether they choose to use surface temps up around 60 to 70c is another matter? I would suspect not, they are mainly active in the morning and afternoon on the hotter days (as many reptiles are).
Personally, I recommend around 45 to 50c (110 to 120f), obviously providing there are cooler areas to retreat to.
As far as housing them like Varanids in the sense you provide a substrate and use relatively high basking surface temps, I think that is probably the healthier option in captivity.
Not to mention the usual "humidity must be kept under 30%, or they develop IR`s"? It can get over 60% humidity at times in some parts in the wild. I would recommend a level between approx. 30 to 50% in captivity.

murrindindi · 04-10-14, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey T

I literally almost made my boss crash his truck I laughed so loud lol

Don`t crash the truck, you`ll have to walk the rest of the way (unless you`re not going far of course, then it won`t matter so much)...

Mikey T · 04-10-14, 11:34 AM

Awesome. Thanx fOr the help

jarich · 04-11-14, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murrindindi

Hi, during my many, many trips into the bush I`ve personally observed Bearded dragons taking skinks (species unknown) on occasion, to describe pinky mice as an "unnatural" food is rather strange, being as they are vertebrate prey (albeit at that age not much skeletal tissue), they ARE natural in that sense.
If I were to offer rodents/other vertebrates now and again I would stick to either fuzzies or older.
None of the members so far passing comments in this respect have ever been to Australia or seen a Bearded dragon to know what they eat in the wild, including whether on occasion they might come across a nest of rodents and take what they can get (please correct me if I`m wrong about having first hand experience in the wild).
Being a "sit and wait" predator does NOT mean they cannot or would not openly pursue prey, they can and do!
The idea that the adults in the wild eat 80% greens and 20% inverts is quite ridiculous, too!?

Actually, I'd be happy to correct you. Yes I have Stefan, on both counts. I lived in Queensland, and saw numerous dragons. Does this mean I'm now qualified To ask you if you ever saw a dragon eat a rodent then?

Please read more carefully too. I was not saying that because it is an ambush predator that it would not hunt. I said that because they have such low metabolisms, there is no reason to feed them rodent prey. There is also a vast nutritional difference between a skink and a rodent. Simply because they both have a vertebral backbone does not make it the same. Again, not saying the odd pinkie is some big issue, merely that there is no reason to ever bother. Obesity is an issue with many captive dragons, so it seems ridiculous to suggest people feed rodents to adult dragons especially.