Sunshine is the Best Policy!

I have the opportunity to learn how Bearded Dragon Owners WorldWide (actual group name) care for their dragons while admin-ing a Facebook group.  In Australia, the Bearded's original home, many owners give a dragon one hour of direct sun daily.  In doing this, they cut down on the "fake sun" UVB lamps that we use here in the U.S.  Foster Spyro went for three years without UVB, natural or fake, and developed MBD.  As often as time permits, we go out and enjoy the Real thing for at least an hour.  He loves it and The Sun is the best medicine he can get!

I think Spyro sees a bird!

A native lizard showed up and "head-bobbed" Spyro!  

Great Day for Foster Dexter!

Dexter came to NCHS in January of 2017.  He suffered a Hemipene prolapse and quite the series of medications!  This guy deserves a forever home, and guess what?  He got it!  Dexter was adopted by Sharon, a HUGE supporter of NCHS beardie adoptions!  Foster Dexter is now living the good life out in Lincoln, CA!  Good job Dex! On his way to his new home and to be spoiled by his Mom...Sharon!

NCHS March Meeting 2017!

Foster Addison enjoying the attention, and talk on Western Pond Turtles! Susie V. just HAD to hold Addison!  Susie adopted Rupert back in August 2016!  We love NCHS beardie adopters!

Beardie Garden!

Live in a "mild winter" climate?  Grow a beardie garden!  This garden produces this many greens trimmed every three days!

Mustard Greens & Arugula!  Two rows of approximately 10 plants in each row.

Round Two for Rosie!

Foster Rosie's egg are infertile, but she still had two clutches!  They were approximately 4 weeks apart.  Good thing that lay box is always handy for the females!  Last clutch 31 eggs, this one 21 eggs.. .

Foster Spyro Sheds that Coat!

After 12 days of being a great eater, and pooper, Foster Spyro is on to his new life minus the old coat!  His shed coat is flaking and he's a healing machine! !

Foster Spyro's First Bath!

Foster Spyro has come along way in a week.  He's basking under his MegaRay and T5 UVB tube lights and finding shade when he's too hot...thermoregulating!  Yay!  He eats the occasional Hornworm or Black Soldier Fly Larvae and has a veggie/protein slurry everyday.  Today we tried a bath, because he clearly needs to shed!  He loved it, closed his eyes and let the water run down his face, and then a bath poop!  He even watched as I trimmed his nails!  I think he's loving this attention...

Foster Dexter is Ready for Adoption!

Update on Foster Dexter, the prolapse dude! Today is his last day of subcutaneous medications! I can't tell you how happy this makes me, I always dread the days I have to stick him with a needle. :( He's doing great, eating Dubia, Mustards, Arugula, Butternut, and Red Peppers. He's a bath pooper, has never pooped in his enclosure, so his adopter will have to be very mindful of a bath every couple of days. He's a gentle giant, and gorgeous! He's on the website: http://www.norcalherp.com/adoptable-beardies.html

Meet New Foster Spyro

Spyro is a miracle beardie.  He's about 4 years old and did not have UVB lighting for 3 years!  It's truly a miracle that he is alive.  Needless to say, he has Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).  His body is in bad shape, scales are almost black, his jaw is soft, limbs are "floppy" and cannot not stabilize him properly.  Despite that...he moves around, "head bobs" the other beardies, basks, hides, and eats his liquid diet like a champ!  His current care includes a low dose of pain meds, liquid calcium, and top-notch UVB (high out put T5 Arcadia Bulbs and a 100 watt MegaRay basking bulb).  He also is fed a liquid diet (slurry) of veggies, supplements, and Black Soldier Fly Larva (highest and best calcium content).  As of this moment he needs to poop!  This will reveal how his internal organs are holding up.  He's a fighter and a joy to care for...

Morning Salad Prep...

Salads are given daily to the Beardies.  They don't always eat them, but since bugs are not given everyday, for the older dragons, they do get hungry and will graze on the salads.  Today's salad includes collard greens, butternut squash, red bell pepper, and mustard greens from the garden.

Special Needs Fosters...

This is Foster Ricki, or Foster Ricky...because of the crumpled bulge at the base of the tail, it's difficult to do a flashlight gender test.  I do believe he's Ricky, because he "headbobbed" Carrie, a female...lol. Ricky just went through a shed, which was hard on him.  He's feels much better now and is back to his normal jovial self.  Because he had Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), his care would include baths every other day, top notch UVB like the T5 High output, and help occasionally with eating.  Although he's pretty good at accessing his bowl!  

This is Foster Angel...she also had MBD as a baby, and even though she's smaller, is older than Ricky!  Angel's MBD caused her two front legs to fracture.  She was treated at UC Davis Vet Clinic and has had months of recovery.  In September 2016 she weighed 46 grams, and today she tops out at 275 grams!  She will always be petite, but is a ravenous eater and might gain even more weight!  Angel's front legs are functioning and getting her around just fine, but her front feet don't "grip" like a normal dragon.  The feet also have a difficult time shedding, probably blood flow to that area just isn't ideal.  Angel's special needs care includes baths every other day, and High Output UVB like the T5.  She's a feisty gal and full of personality!
 

Addison is Still Looking!

Sweet little chubby Addison is still looking for her forever home!  She will eat veggies from your hand, and loves to ride around on your shoulder!  She's quite the swimmer in the tub also. :)  A gentle soul and loving gal...

Ramping Up Your UVB!

Many folks use a T8 24" light fixture, or similar fixture, for their Bearded Dragon enclosure.  Some of these fixtures do not come with a reflector and are hung inside the enclosure.  You can increase the UVB by at least 50% for your dragon with one simple fix, a foil light reflector!  Simply fold a piece of foil the length of the bulb over once so its a double foil layer.  This allows for the foil reflector to hold its shape.  Now, simply drape it over the bulb!  This takes all the UVB light and directs it downward for the cost of a piece of foil!  It literally increase your UVB output by 50%!

Using a 6.2 Solarmeter, this measures a brand new 10.0 Reptisun bulb without the foil reflector.  Reading is taken at the bottom of the enclosure.

This is placing the foil reflector in place.

Using the Solarmeter, measuring the UVB after putting the foil in place.

New measurement with the 6.2 Solarmeter, 95 to 142!  You paid precious money for this UVB, and your dragon loves it, ramp up your UVB with a foil reflector!  Foster Fergie appreciates the extra UVB!

The Season for Eggs...

This is the time of the year that female Bearded Dragons often lay eggs.  The eggs can be fertile or infertile.  Sometimes the scent of the opposite sex can cause females to develop eggs.  Often you can feel the eggs in the belly area and they feel like marbles, but many times you cannot feel them at all.  Some common signs your female might be carrying eggs include: restless behavior, pacing and wanting out of the enclosure, scratching in the corners and in hides, and lack of appetite.  If your female is experiencing any of these behaviors, put together a quick lay box for her.  A simple box can be a tote with a mixture of sand, soil, and vermiculite.  If all you have is sand, just use that.  Moisten the mixture so that it holds together firmly, but does not drip...kind of like a sand castle!  Put you gal in the box and she will instinctively know what to do, if she needs to use it.  A clip on heat light is a good idea if she's active in the box and spends any length of time in it.

Above is Foster Rosie digging away in the lay box.  She laid two infertile eggs in her enclosure and showed some of the common egg laying signs.  She spent all afternoon scratching and digging around in the box.  Rosie didn't lay any more eggs, but she was quite content in her efforts.  After a couple of hours, she had a nice warm soak and went back under her heat lamp in her enclosure.

Many female beardies are comfortable just laying their eggs in their enclosure.  Foster Carrie laid seventeen eggs in her enclosure before I realized what had happened!  She was quite content in her environment and didn't seem to need the lay box.

Both Rosie and Carrie will be available for adoption once their egg laying season comes to an end!  If you are interested in adoption, please visit www.norcalherp.com for more info.