Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Crum » Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:14 am

I bought the bearded dragon I rescued a large bearded dragon tank (little larger than a 40 breeder) , quite an upgrade from the 29 gallon tank he was living in .-.
One thing I notice is he is constantly scratching at the glass. He did that in his old tank too but I guess now that he has more room to do it he does it twice as much. He usually starts by sitting in his water bowl then smearing the water all over the glass and drenching the carpet.... then he just goes back and forth forever standing on his back legs scratching at the glass. I’ll take him out for a few minutes and then set him back in his basking spot and then he stops for a few hours.
Does he just want attention? Or is there some other issue?
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:17 pm

Crum wrote:I bought the bearded dragon I rescued a large bearded dragon tank (little larger than a 40 breeder) , quite an upgrade from the 29 gallon tank he was living in .-.
One thing I notice is he is constantly scratching at the glass. He did that in his old tank too but I guess now that he has more room to do it he does it twice as much. He usually starts by sitting in his water bowl then smearing the water all over the glass and drenching the carpet.... then he just goes back and forth forever standing on his back legs scratching at the glass. I’ll take him out for a few minutes and then set him back in his basking spot and then he stops for a few hours.
Does he just want attention? Or is there some other issue?


It could be that he wants attention, if you've ruled out other options. Typically beardies do this for a few reasons. He cold be seeing a reflection, but if he's not acting otherwise stressed (black bearding, hissing, etc) it's unlikely. Blacking out 3 sides can help.
Another way to stop it is to give your beardie more room to explore or things to keep him occupied/mental stimulation. The optimal size enclosure is a 6x2x2 or larger, not met by a 40 breeder or similar. They will utilize every inch of it, it's just become common for US keepers to be recommended to keep in the smallest possible compared to the rest of the world (UK/Australia). Or add things for him to investigate, and add/remove things every couple of days (as long as this is not causing undue stress on the bearding from the change in e vironement, indicated by eating/basking/sleeping patterns). Paper towel rolls, small cat/dog toys, a fake plant, etc. It gives them something to investigate. I also hang the greens for mine on the side of the enclosure in multiple spots and move where to find them every day. I use a strong chip bag clip to hold the greens. This promotes more natural feeding behavior and makes them work a bit more, keeping them more occupied
Last edited by rose; on Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Avisowl » Tue Jan 02, 2018 12:18 pm

Hey I was wondering what you guys do to play with your crested gecko?
To bond with them?
My gecko is so friendly, and I want to form a closer bond with her.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Crum » Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:05 am

I just keep the bearded dragon out a lot now (except when I let him warm up) but we are getting really frustrated with how crazy he is. He is constantly running all over the place and jumping on and off everything and climbing on everything he just can’t sit still. How can we calm him down? Sometimes he will fall asleep in your lap but most of the time he just is all over the place. The previous owner told me that they ‘trained him to be that way’ so I don’t know is it possible to untrain him? Lol
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:10 am

Crum wrote:I just keep the bearded dragon out a lot now (except when I let him warm up) but we are getting really frustrated with how crazy he is. He is constantly running all over the place and jumping on and off everything and climbing on everything he just can’t sit still. How can we calm him down? Sometimes he will fall asleep in your lap but most of the time he just is all over the place. The previous owner told me that they ‘trained him to be that way’ so I don’t know is it possible to untrain him? Lol


Pretty sure they can't be trained in the sense that a dog can. It's not ideal to let them wander like that- there's so many things they can get into that are harmful arena many ways they can be harmed. Not to mention it's not allowing them to thermo regulate properly, as the temperature of your house is likely not the temperatures needed for the cool side of a viv. That's why they are kept in enclosures. For the health and safety of your Dragon I suggest keeping him in his enclosure outside of short and closely supervised interaction times.
Some beardies are just very active. If he needs more room to run around, then he needs a bigger enclosure. As you said he's in something a little larger than a 40 breeder- definitely needs more room in his enclosure
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Crum » Fri Jan 05, 2018 9:27 am

My room is basically reptile proof I’ve already got a tortoise that I let roam most of the time (not at the same time though). as for going outside that’s not an option it is currently 40 below and will be for the majority of the year lol it is very cold here. Also I can’t get a bigger tank at the moment maybe in a few months when I move. If anything I can just have his heat lamp be out so he can roam and go to them whenever.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby shadow~wolf » Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:00 am

i'd love to get a ball python, i've done alot of research and i have saved up money set aside. The problem is that my mom is terrified of snakes! she won't even consider letting me get one :C
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby kivr & fireflii » Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:48 am

Shadow~Wolf wrote:i'd love to get a ball python, i've done alot of research and i have saved up money set aside. The problem is that my mom is terrified of snakes! she won't even consider letting me get one :C

My mom was like that, too. If you're able, can you convince your mom to take you to a reptile expo? She doesn't have to hold or touch anything, but it can help for her to see they're not that frightening. When I held my first snake at the expo, it just balled up and wouldn't move the entire time I held it. Most of them are like that. :P So seeing that can help her realize they're not trying to eat her. It's definitely important to realize that phobias of snakes are really common, so trying to dispel myths about them won't necessarily help alone (ie. telling her they don't size things up to eat, that they won't chase, they're just defensive and not aggressive, etc.).

Exposure is a big key... if you're able to convince her. Definitely don't force it, though, because that can make it worse. If she's amenable to it, I also see some people who are afraid of snakes helping themselves get over it by looking at cute pictures. In particular, the trend where people draw arms/accessories/expressions on snakes has helped (like this or this).

It may also help if you explain to her how you plan on keeping the snake. I often get asked if I'm worried about my snake escaping, and it sounds much better to say "my lids have locks on them" than "I just weigh it down with something heavy." If you have the money or you're very DIY savvy, you can get an enclosure that actually has a key lock. But informing your mom things like: the snake will stay in your room, the enclosure locks to prevent any escaping, they're very shy and hide all the time which is why they're called "ball" pythons, etc. may help a little. Sometimes giving a little may help (ex. "what can I do to help you feel better about this decision", "is there anything in particular you're worried about (in regards to my care or the snake's behavior)", etc.). It helps in the sense to show her you care about what she thinks, ask how you can address those worries, but also not come off as begging ("I'll do all the laundry, I'll wash all the dishes, etc.") because that will definitely not help your cause.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Avisowl » Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:52 am

This is my baby Rhody❤️❤️❤️❤️ I love her so much, I’ve had her for almost a year
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Grimace » Tue Jan 09, 2018 3:32 pm

new snek
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