Boyds Forest Dragon Information Thread

[Southside Morelia]

Hi Guys,
I thought it would be a great idea that we have a sticky thread where anyone wanting information on the elusive Hypsilurus boydii can view and ask questions and anyone who can contribute constructive information through their own experience, can post and share their experiences that we all can learn from.
This way we can work together to build our own informative data base, which will evolve into a care sheet that all can view and gain info from in future, as these lovely critters are becoming more popular than ever, due to their appeal and an affordable price nowadays
Feel free to ask questions and post pics as this is a joint venture and there are many different and successful ways to keep them providing the minimal husbandry requirements are kept and adhered too.

I have kept and bred Boyds and have essentially had to learn through my own experience and through talking with people who also have kept them, because there is no real info available as many newcomers to the breed experience, which I did myself.Just a bit about Boyds before we start the thread.

• You MUST have a Class 2 License to keep Boyds. Reason: They are not really for novice keepers as they do have some special requirements.
• They are native to the tropical rainforest region of Nth East Queensland, so their enclosure should mimic that climate for them to thrive in captivity IF you live in the Southern colder states.
• They prefer vertical branches to rest on, so a taller rather than wider enclosure is recommended.
• They are insectivorous, meaning they prey on insects. (some claim they eat fruit, but I could never get my colony to do so).
• They are not Bearded Dragons and will NOT sit on your lap or shoulder for extended periods. I have had one male that was an exception and used to "enjoy" a rub under the dewlap (flap of skin under jaw) and tolerated some handling, more later in the thread.
• Dominate males can tend to be very domineering/territorial and bully other males and even females when at breeding age.
• They can suffer from MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease) IF they are not supplied with UV lighting or vitamin D. I have not experienced this through keeping to "basic husbandry requirements" as mentioned, which is good UVA & UVB lighting, plus periodic dusting of the food item with calcium powder. I also dusted with vitamin powder once a month as well. More later on food and how to present it.
• Varied food items is always good as it keeps their appetite healthy. LIVE prey that wiggles and moves is the only way to go as this excites the Boyds Forest Dragon. I have never fed dead prey and am interested to hear if anyone has. Cockroaches, crickets, silk worms, earthworms, moths, meal worms (for older Boyds ONLY) are all eaten readily. I do feed some animals by hand and they enjoy it. more later on feeding methods.

Enough said now, ask away guys and we can start to build the data base on how to keep one animal correctly, to breeding, incubation of eggs and raising bubs to adulthood, lets cover it all!

 

[snakeluvver]

THANKS I've been needing this info a lot, I was thinking of getting one but didn't know their requirements!

 

[Jungle_Freak]

Some very good info there Scott

 

[Damiieen]

Wow great info I would love to own a boyd in further years. We need more people like this and there should be a forum specially for caresheets. Cheers

 

[emma_jane]

That's amazing info, thank you!!
and gorgeous photos

 

[Mr.James]

Great work Scott, I will add some of my experiences & care info to this thread over the weekend.

 

[Flaviruthless]

Thank you Scott, I was looking at getting a few next year and this is great. With regards to enclosure requirements, would would be your suggestion for a group of 3? Is it wise to keep 1 male and 1 female together or is it better to keep 2 females and 1 male in the same enclosure? How long do they live for? For keepers like myself, hoping to maybe start out with some Boyds in the near future, it's great to get some tips and essential info from experienced keepers!

 

[giggle]

>> You MUST have a Class 2 License to keep Boyds. Reason: They are not really for novice keepers as they do have some special requirements.

I was under the impression here in QLD it only requires a class 1 license.

Great that there is a dedicated thread now Hopefully someone will be able to ad a little more about the ins and outs of actual care and living with a Boyds

 

[James..94]

Great info Scott
Mods can this be made a sticky as it has great info.

 

[Southside Morelia]

Ok, lets kick it off as Rahni has asked about enclosures.
This is how I built my Boyds enclosure, step by step. I have a syatem wherby it has automatic misting and live plants growing under lights, so drainage is essential. I wil talk about this later.
1st pic: the shell of the enclosure. 2nd pic: completed enclosure (built by Brett AKA Dickynee) 3rd pic: Is lining the base of the enclosure with a waterproof lining to prevent the melamine from swelling and rotting. We then add large pebbles which is the base and forst stage of a good drainage system. 4th pic: After the large pebbles are in, flyscreen is placed over the top. 5th pic: Small pebbles are now added the flyscreen prevents them from falling through and keeps the drain clear for water to flow through and not block the drain.

 

[Southside Morelia]

Now we add the substrate.
1st pic: Add substrate and background:
I prefer to use coir blocks re hydrated. This is a natural coconut husk product that can be purchased from any gardening store even Big W.
IMPORTANT...MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE COIR BLOCKS WITHOUT FERTILISER!!!!
Break the block up in a bucket and add water and watch it grow.
The reason we buy the fertiliser free stuff, is because we don't want bacteria breeding in the substrate later and with fertiliser in the substrate this will help feed the nasties. The key to having a substrate in your enclosure free from the bad bacteria, is to flush it out regularly, that's why you need a good drainage system like the one I have showed you how to build. Water your plants and flush out the system...in turn you are creating a humid environment...guess what, that's what Boyds love and live in, in their natural habitat...
2nd pic: Some decorations, I made the trees myself more later if anyone asks... 3rd pic: add the waterfall. 4th pic: close up of my tree recreation plus the new tenants....5th pic: add some dried gum leaves to mimic the forest floor. Personally I have never seen a coir forest floor so the gum leaves make it look a bit more realistic, washed first but just in water...and thats it!
Lighting and misting later....

 

[Southside Morelia]

Finished pic again... plus a Boyd having a dip in the waterfall. The waterfall not only helped with keeping up humidity, it also was a great place for them to have a bath.
IMPORTANT TIP: make sure if you have any vessel that contains enough water for them to take a dip, you clean it out regularly as they love to poop in it as well. :lol:

 

[Southside Morelia]

Lighting & Heat: (For Southern states ONLY referring to temp requirements) To overcome the dual problem of keeping a temperature that is similar to Boyds habitat which is approx 20 - 28C as they live in the rainforest UNDER the canopy, so it is cooler than the direct sunlight in the region.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Boyds don't bask like other dragons.....and supplying our little guys with UVA & UVB and subsequent vitamin D to prevent MBD and also keeping the plants alive through supplying them with artificial sunlight to promote growth, I prefer to use Mercury Vapour lamps. these lamps give Heat and beneficial lighting UVA & UVB all in one and I rate them over any other UV lamp in THIS set up only.
Other flouro lamps etc are better for other lizards but I found that the dual purpose of this lamp in this set up was the best. make sure that the lamp is external to the enclosure and IF misting will NOT get wet and more importantly your Boyds wont get burnt!!!
I have a wire mesh top on the enclosure so the heat will penetrate the enclosure PLUS the important UV rays will also.
IMPORTANT TIP: UV does NOT penetrate glass so it is of the utmost importance to have any UV lamp not diffused by glass or any other solid material like plastic or perspex.

 

[porkosta]

Excellent Thread. Thanks heaps for the info.

 

[Tit4n]

Hands down, these guys are covered through this thread thanks so much for sharing

Admins should think about sticking this

 

[Southside Morelia]

Nice comments guys, thanks and appreciated!
The thread is about a accumulative effort to build a really informative information base for all to access for info when they need too, or just want to suss out IF Boyds are the right animal for them. NO info anywhere on the NET, lets change that so we can all learn together.

Plenty more info to come and some others input would be appreciated as we go through the steps of successful husbandry techniques.
Housing & Feeding next.
BUT some MORE input on enclosures from others would be great first before we move on.
Mine is ONLY an example of an enclosure....BUT we all cant afford or cannot make one like mine and that's cool!!!
The thread is NOT about showing the best, its about showing what we all can do to keep this fascinating animal! So don't feel intimidated as its NOT a competition and I would love to see how many smart herpers can improvise according to their budget and what materials they have in their possession.
So other successful versions are a MUST to make this thread an informative data base for all to learn from.
i'll have a break until some more post their enclosures, big or small, ALL WELCOME, even if we can find faults as this is a learning curve....lets see them before we move on.

 

[Southside Morelia]

No more pics....
Come on guys, with the amount of PM's and emails I have received, I know there are many who keep them. :lol:
Before we move on, here's a pic of the misting system if anyone is interested. I purchased this from the USA and have had it running for 5 years straight without a hiccup, although I have had to clean out the tiny hole in the spray nozzle once, as it had blocked due to a calcium build up through impurities in the water over time.
1st pic shows the water vessel on the right which is the water the pumps extracts from and the drainage bucket on the left. The water is that brown colour because of the coir substrate. As I mentioned before I flush the whole substrate out once a week with a watering can, the plants love it and it will flush out any bacteria in the substrate.
This system is controlled by a timer see bottom right of 2nd pic, which can take up to 16 different programs. I have it misting 2 times a day in summer and once in winter for approx 5 minutes a time. I have mixed it up over the years where i'll just override the timer and have a downpour....the Boyds love it and just let it rain all over them...you can actually see them enjoy it...lol

IMPORTANT NOTE: You can easily mist by hand with a standard $3.00 spray bottle from Bunnings or in smaller enclosures IF the substrate is kept moist, the heat from whatever heat source you use, will create a humid environment as long as the substrate is moist.

 

[giggle]

excellent information beautiful set up

 

[licky]

South side morelia= God of Boyd's knowledge.
If only more people would do this for other species, alot of begginers would have an easier time collect info.

 

[Waterrat]

I was under the impression here in QLD it only requires a class 1 license.

There is no class 1 or 2 in Qld. You need an endorsement on your basic Recreational Wildlife Licence (WIWL) to keep restricted reptiles (which does not include Boyds) but there is no 2 years waiting period like in NSW.

Well done Scott. Can you sum it up into 1 post and ask the mods to make it a sticky?