pygmy bearded dragons

[python blue]

Hi im looking for abit of info on the general care and husbandry of pogona henrylawsoni for a friend of mine as he wants to know all there is about them before he goes out and buys them as he doesnt have a computer any help will be greatly apprecated also pics of people's set-ups and is it ok to keep them on sand, thanks in advance.

 

[Renagade]

do a search on it, i've posted heaps of pics of mine.
ren

 

[wood_nymph]

get him to buy a book on them if he's serious about knowing all about them. a good book will cover topics such as; diet, lighting/heating requirements, how to spot healthy dragons, how to spot desease, cage size requirments and furnishing as well as info on behaviour handeling and even breeding.
nothing beats having a complete source of info availble to you 24/7 in your book shelf, just remember that you'll get a lot of opinions no matter whee you go and even conflicting advice esp when it comes to the internet so coherant published material is usually easier to use for a beginner.
not that you would find good help and info here as well

 

[wood_nymph]

oh if you want a recomendation on a book to get i would use Darren Greens' Keeping Bearded Dragons. it covers a lot without going over board and is very easy to read, could knock it over in about an hour max. it usually retails for about $12.95 and you can find them on ebay, online reptile suppliers like the sponsers of this site, pet shop and even normal book stores

 

[akar0522]

[FONT=&quot]Pygmy dragons have the same requirements as bearded dragons (as far as I know). I've only had mine for about 1 month. There are heaps of great websites about bearded dragons, not to mention all the books. Just got to look around a bit.

I don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a question I need answered too.

One of my pygmy dragons escaped on Sunday :cry:

I've found the gap in my cage where he escaped from and have fixed it. [/FONT]

1. [FONT=&quot]What's the best way to find him? I’ve looked everywhere, even placed some roaches in a dish on the floor for a few days but he didn't show up. Do dragons have a strong sense of smell or do they rely on movement to catch their prey? I'm not sure if he has escaped from my house! He escaped once before and I was lucky enough to find him again (decided to name him Houdini)[/FONT]
2. [FONT=&quot]Will pygmy dragons happily live on their own or do they require friends? The one I’ve still got seems to be less active now that his buddy has escaped. I'd love to get another one (if I can't find the escape) but I think I will have a lot of trouble finding one the same age - wouldn't want him to get eaten :shock:
   [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]p.s. my dragons are around 8-9 weeks old.

I'll post a few pics of my setup when I get time (maybe on Sunday)[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]gotta go bond is on tv
[/FONT]

 

[wood_nymph]

1. it's mainly movement that attracts their attention, but smell definately play a part too. in terms of find him, looking under everything is about all you can do other then waiting which is often the hardest thing to do. i have heard of putting flour on the ground of teh room he's most likely to return to so if he visits while your not there you can see his tracks.
2. yes they can live on their own, in the wild they are mainly solitary dragons though in capivity they are commonly kept in pairs/groups with varying degrees of success. the one that's left does know his freinds gone and this would naturally affect his behaviour because something has changed, but this won't be a permenant state.

 

[CodeRed]

Akar, set up a heat light and basking spot to attract him.

 

[richardsc]

id recomend the bearded dragon manual over darren greens book,darrens book is very basic the manual covers everything in detail,as to keeping them there pretty much a mini central beardy,but maybe keep them a smidgen warmer over winter,sand is fine for a substrate,theres also another bearded dragon husbandry book out from allen repashy that covers centrals,and has a section on henry lawsoni and frillys to,also a good ead

 

[akar0522]

richardsc - good point. The bearded dragon manual is one of the most usefull books i've read on bearded dragons.

CodeRed - I put a heat mat on the lounge floor (where the inclosure is located) on the day i realised the dragon went missing. Hum... I suppose the heat lamp will be more likely to attract him because it gives off light and heat. I'll give it a try.

wood_nymph - Thanks for the advice. Unfortunatly i have carpet on the floor so i can't really use the flour trick - good idea though.


Thanks for the advice guys i'll keep you updated.

p.s. sorry again for taking over the thread python blue. I'll post some pics soon

 

[akar0522]

Here are a few pics of my setup (the first pic is old - other 2 shot today). These where taken using my camera phone.

 

[akar0522]

I think i'm going to add some mexican moss (have heaps in my backyard). Also i was thinking of adding a vine of some sort for my dragon to climb on. Any suggestions? I'd like it to fit in with the desert theme. Maybe i'll just use a "bone white" tree branch.