Still The Same ... Vets coming up

So then Rocksteady has been booked in for the vets for Friday the 7th, to try and find out what's wrong with his eye and his respiratory problem and the fact he's not eating as much before. 

Hopefully the vet can help him as I've tried everything, I have booked him in with my favourite vet who is Australian so he knows about his stuff lol.

I just can't wait for rocksteady to be on the road to recovery as he is my pride and joy I will update you as soon as I  no anything...  

More posts coming soon

John 

He is Currently asleep in his viv :) 

Bearded Dragon Facts !

Bearded Dragon Facts

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Agamidae
Genus:	Pogona
Scientific Name:	Pogona Vitticeps
Type:	Reptile
Diet:	Omnivore
Size (L):	50cm - 61cm (20in - 24in)
Weight:	250g - 510g (9oz - 18oz)
Top Speed:	40km/h (25mph)
Life Span:	6 - 15 years
Lifestyle:	Solitary
Conservation Status:	Least Concern
Colour:	Green,Yellow, Brown, Grey
Skin Type:	Scales
Favourite Food:	Insects
Habitat:	Arid forest and desert
Average Litter Size:	15
Main Prey:	Insects, Mice, Leaves
Predators:	Birds, Snakes, Crocodiles
Distinctive Features:	Pronounced beard when scared and morphs skin colour

Bearded Dragon Care Sheet

A Bearded dragon would be a good choice for a first time reptile. They are fairly hardy and can withstand alot, but proper care is needed to sustain the dragon with a healthy life.

Set up
I would initially advise you to buy a vivarium that the dragon can live in for life but put a partition in, if it is a younger dragon you were buying, as they would have trouble in a 3ft or 4ft viv to catch thier food and become reluctant to even chase their food. So i will list below what is recommended for the set up.

• thermostat (dimming)
• 3x2x2ft vivarium or 4x2x2 vivarium
• 100 watt heat reflector spot bulb and holder
• 10% UVB tube
• Starter unit for UVB tube
• logs
• fake plants
• water bowl
• thermometer x2 cool end and hot end.

Use substrate (flooring) newspaper,kitchen tiles or kitchen roll until around 7 months old. when your dragon gets over this age you could use:
Playsand. NEVER use calcisand as it contains silicone.
or carry on using newspaper,kitchen roll orkitchen tiles. Light beech substrate (not dark substrate as this contains humidity)

The basking end of the viv should be around 100-105F Maximum, mid range around 95F and cool end around 85F.

My dragon ate greens from a very early age daily which includes

• Rocket
• Spring Greens
• Peashoots
• Curly Kale
• Lambs lettuce
• Watercress
• Coriander

Dependant on the size of the dragon they will eat live food daily ehich include

• Locusts
• Crickets
• Dubai roaches
• Mealworms (once a week)
• Mario worms (adults)
• Super worms (adults, these are a good source of protein for them)

The Food is dusted with Zoo Med Calcium with Vit D3 every other day and Nutrobal multivitamin supplement twice a week.

Some people might not agree but this care sheet is what works for me. i hope you find it useful.

What Is wrong with his eye ?

What is wrong with his eye I have tried everything eye ointment and nothing has worked hes had it for around 3 years???

Bearded Dragon Lizard

Popular as pets, bearded dragons or "beardies" are moderately sized lizards native to Australia. While they are generally considered good pets even for beginner reptile owners, they do have fairly complex nutritional and environmental requirements so need special equipment and a fair amount of time to care for properly. However, they are social and easy to tame and handle, and show a range of fascinating behaviors that make them interesting to watch.

Although several other species are becoming available to the pet trade, the most commonly available variety is the central or inland bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps. This species is native to arid, rocky areas of Australia, and is typically tan/brown in coloration (several color morphs are also available). Their name is derived from the spines that line their throats. These spines usually lie flat but if the dragon feels threatened the throat is expanded causing the spines to stand up, making the dragon look more intimidating (especially combined with their tendency to flatten their bodies to appear wider). However, bearded dragons are generally docile, and their aggressive displays are rarely seen in captivity. They are noted for an endearing greeting behavior, in which they lift their front leg in an almost circular motion, so it looks like they are waving.

Virtually all bearded dragons available in America are captive bred, as Australia has strict laws against exportation of its wildlife. With an adult size of 18-24 inches (reached by about 2 years of age), a good sized tank/cage will be required. The expected life span of a bearded dragon is probably around 10 years when cared for properly, although longer life spans have been reported.

How to - Building A Vivarium Background

This page will show you how I built my Vivarium background

What you will need 

Polystyrene

Stanley blade

ruler

measuring tape

ready made grout

glue

paintbrush 

and a vivarium and lizard haha.

Lets begin

Stage One - Cutting out and measuring

Above here we have Rocksteady my Tiger Red Leatherback.

He is my Pride and Joy and in the future I hope to get more as they are my favourite animal.

Below Im going to Show you the stages it took me to build his Background for his Vivarium.

Its fun simple and cheap.

vu

firstly empty out your Vivarium so its empty and ready to measure. And make sure you dont under measure because if you under cut it theres no going back, where as if you over cut you can always snip bits off.

I have measured the background of the viv and cut to size but remember if you have any air vents wholes for wires be sure to make a pre cut.

You cut the polystyrene by scoring it and bending it it may need to be scored on the other side so it doesn't break.

Here is my side part I dont want it all the way so it has added effect, its approximately 1 cm wide the same width as the viv. 

Here is the other side measured and ready to be scored.

here is some ruff guides i made.

Dont forget to leave a gap for the sides, because it wont fit.

Snap off the scored part.

Make sure you test it as you go along because you need to make sure it all lines up how you want it and if not just adjust till its right.

When you put the grout on it may make the sides a bit longer and thicker so dont make it to tight as it will need a bit of leeway for when you put the grout on as it dries thick.

Then you will need to start to make your rocks, because I only have a couple of thin sheets of polystyrene instead of a big block to carve rocks out of, I've had  to build it up like its lots of slabs on top of each other, Just randomly draw shapes it doesn't need  to be perfect it will stick look as good.

Build a shelf/Ledge if you want to go ontop.

Another ledge for Rocksteady to Bask on.

You can also stack up polystyrene and carve it like a rock instead of being stacked you can even do it with your nails, it adds a good rock effect.

Random shapes ready for the background rocks.

These are all the rocks to be piled up and stuck on the background.

Remember clean up the mess as it gets everywhere!!!!!

Stage 2 - The Grout and glue