The Run Around

This evening, I was supposed to be picking up five pictus (also known as panther) geckos from a woman whose ex-boyfriend had purchased the animals and left them behind. We had agreed on a time and she sent her address and phone number over and told me to let her know if for any reason I wasn't going to be able to get there when I promised. I assured her everything would be fine and that I'd see her at the decided time to pick up the geckos.

Once all of this was solidified, went about researching their care and preparing to separate them into smaller groups as five was too many for the one tank and I could almost guarantee there was at least one male in the bunch and having a bunch of bouncy baby pictus geckos wasn't my ideal foster situation. I even made arrangements with another rescue member for her to take in a pair as she was looking for gecko(s) to foster/adopt and it would take some of the strain off myself.

While nervous for my first rescues to be a species I didn't have experience with I learned they were similar to leopard geckos in care and had minimal requirements. I actually was getting excited about experiencing a new animal (as if I haven't had enough "firsts" lately) until I got an email from the woman saying someone else showed up and since she wasn't home her daughter gave them the geckos. She apologized, and I responded calmly, but now my nerves are on overdrive that some "stranger" took in these geckos when the woman herself couldn't identify them. I can only hope that the person has done/will do proper research and raise these guys well.

The sad truth of rescue is that there will always more more that need help so just need to believe that the universe didn't think these were the ones that need my assistance most urgently and that another animal will cross my path at some point that I can truly help.

Until that point, plan to get some supplies cheap to build an enclosure appropriate for leopard geckos or panther geckos just in case.

Today's Adventure at the Vet

I scheduled to bring both of the dragons to the vet today as I wanted Katara to be looked over and have a fecal run and my vet advised to bring Fuego in so she could get a weight on him and see how his tail was healing up. Since Fuego flips his lid whenever he sees Katara I had to put paper over one side of her traveling container so he couldn't catch site during our rides. Luckily, this tactic held up despite the bumps and traffic I encountered.

Once I arrived at the vet, I got the nice surprise that a picture of Fuego was posted on their large message board. I filled out the paperwork on Katara and after only waiting a few minutes one of the techs who I've come to know since Fuego's surgery came out happily greeting us, and admiring Katara, and brought us to one of the exam rooms where I gave details on Katara which she relayed to my lovely vet (Dr. Jennifer Mateleska at Fresh Pond Animal Hospital for my local readers). Dr. Mateleska gave Katara a thorough exam and noted that she looked fantastic considering her MBD and previous living conditions. For free, she did an x-ray to ensure there weren't any fresh bone breaks and came back reporting nothing was abnormal aside from the fact that my not-so-little girl is carrying eggs. We have no idea how long she's been containing them but we are taking the wait and see approach at the moment before surgically removing as she's eating, having bowel movements, and is active. Will post the x-ray tomorrow as my home computer is giving me errors during loading, of course.

Fuego's "exam" showed that he almost doubled in weight in 2 1/2 weeks! I noticed my boy was a bit bigger but had no clue that he had increased so significantly in size. He's finally on track to being the giant, chubby male I always envisioned him as an adult.

Most of the staff came into the exam room as some point to greet Fuego (as I previously posted, he won a lot of hearts during his surgery) and I got to use the occasion to educate them on bearded dragon care and passed out the business cards I made for the rescue. One of the technicians was considering getting one after her son saw pictures of Fuego and she seemed ecstatic to get one through a rescue versus a pet store. Cannot describe how happy I am to have found a vet, and a practice in general, who embraces my reptiles so readily.

Great News & Not-So-Great News

Let's start with the great news.

Today, after almost a year in my current apartment, I learned that there's a legitimate dollar store ten minutes away from me. Once I made this joyous discovery, I drove there and for under $5 got a bunch of fake plants to help better accessorize Memphis' tank and got extras to use in his/her juvenile tank when the time is right as well as a few porcelain bowls I can use to feed live feeders to both Fuego and Katara. Plus, I "splurged" and got myself a pair of car sunglasses, sponges, and got some new toys for the felines of the house. Now everyone is happy.

The not so fantastic news is that my first rescue fell through and while I'm glad the animal found a new home I'm also disappointed that I wasn't able to help. A guy has been advertising a leopard gecko on Craig's List for a few days so I decided to reach out and offer my assistance if he couldn't find a home (he was having a hard time feeding all his animals) and he agreed so we tentatively set up that I'd pick up the gecko either Thursday or Sunday. A few hours later he tells me it has been re-homed. Again, I am glad that someone stepped up but I was actually looking forward to temporarily owning a leopard gecko and has done some research to make sure I was prepared. Of course, there will always be more that need help so perspective is necessary.

P.S. Katara continues to be the sweetest dragon I have ever encountered. Ordered a harness for her so be prepared for outdoor adventure pictures/stories soon!

Rescue Work

A few weeks ago while perusing one of the bearded dragon forums where I am a member I came across a post regarding a start-up reptile rescue looking for transporters and rescuers/foster homes. I responded to the post and got directed to their Facebook page where I realized what a passionate and wonderful group of people were involved so I jumped straight in.

I haven't done any transporting yet but have been searching Craig's Lists for reptiles in need of rescuing (it's sad the sheer volume that fall into this category) and have been assisting in assembling the group in working towards our goal of being a certified non-profit organization. Of course, I would love to be fostering but the group started as mainly a bearded dragon rescue and I knew that I didn't have the space or resources to foster one on top of Fuego with his recent surgery and Katara with the special care she needs for her MBD. Additionally, 40 gallon tanks take up a lot of space and my bedroom is only so large.

In comes Memphis. The rescue, titled Reptile Rescuers of the United States, realized that we couldn't focus on bearded dragons alone so have expanded to take in any reptiles we were equipped and able to help. I've decided I can offer my home to a crested or leopard gecko as their space, heat, and food requirements are very minimal in comparison to Fuego and Katara's demands as Memphis lives happily in a Kritter Keeper being misted twice a day and feed every other day. I am awaiting word if I'll be taking my first foster, a leopard gecko, shortly and of course will track its progress and journey to find its new home.

Officially Introducing Katara

I intended to write this post yesterday but instead decided to focus on my new beardie's arrival and actually getting work done and eventually celebrating a friend's birthday. Luckily, everything I felt yesterday is still fresh on my mind so not worried about forgetting too many details.

She was shipped via UPS Overnight Air which guarantees arrival before 10:30 AM. Believe the universe wanted me to suffer as much as possible as she wasn't at my door until 10:25 AM. That morning I had already prepared her salad and where she would bathe so I could quickly give her a nice soaking and then allow her to settle which I'm glad I did as she was, understandably, phased from her almost 24 hour journey so I kept the bath short and then brought her upstairs to her new abode where she positioned herself for a nice basking session.

I checked on her every half an hour or so and each time I entered the room she would glance over at me displaying no fear whatsoever. She also seemed fine with Fuego who, upon seeing another dragon, decided to become Mr. Macho Man with a display of black bearding, glass dancing, and head bobbing. She didn't buy into it for a moment. 

Once work wrapped, I brought her out for a longer bath. Despite her limited mobility, which is focused mostly on her legs and feet that don't have proper strength or muscle content, she wiggled around her container like a champ once she took a solid few gulps of water. She kept looking up at me during her bath (already moving into my heart) and finally I couldn't resist plucking her out and having a short hang out session on my bed where she readily lapped up her calcium supplement. Doesn't hurt that it's banana flavored.

Since she ate some of her salad, and all of her medicine, I decided that trying some live feeders may be worth the effort. I took out her super worms, that come to find out are nasty little buggers, and she promptly half rolled/half leaped off of her perch to devour them. She managed to eat five without any issue. Her old owner wasn't wrong; this girl loves eating.

At the moment, Katara sits in her tank watching me as I type. I just had her out with me for about an hour where we did a mini photo session and she explored as well as leaving me a nice gift on my comforter. I have a spare. In the short time she has been here she has illustrated how sweet, calm, and adorable she is and I can't believe she exudes these qualities after all the abuse she suffered. I feel lucky that she gets to spend the rest of her life here being cared for and adored upon.

Delay

I was hoping to be posting all about the new girl today and spamming you with pictures but sadly her arrival date got delayed until Friday much to my dismay. Despite the woman and I going back and forth for weeks regarding shipping the dragon to me she lets me know Monday night that she doesn't have the proper sized box in yet and the weather isn't great (a fib, I imagine, as I know the town she lives in and the temps are perfect for sending a dragon) so she couldn't ship Tuesday night. Livid doesn't quite begin to explain how I felt but I calmed myself before replying and a few messages later we are supposedly set for her to be at my door on Friday. Fingers crossed.

Not that I'm lacking animals to fill my time up by any means. Somehow Fuego managed to eat 500 roaches in 4ish days so I had to run out to buy crickets after he black bearded at me when I took him out for his bath. Got to love the juvenile/teenage stage in male bearded dragons. Thinking I might move him into his "adult" tank in the next week or two and hopefully that allows him more space to burn off his pissy attitude. At least he's still stupidly adorable.

Memphis, the Gecko, is still terrified but hope to make a run to the Dollar Store this weekend so I can customize his/her tank a little better and hopefully add to its sense of security. I really want to start handling him/her but am waiting at least a week which is a slow torture. Once I start handling, will be sure to post pictures as they are absolutely fascinating looking creatures and his/her colors pop when he/she is fired up. Side not, can't wait to know the gender so I can stop with the he/she bit. Seriously.

Cleaning and Preparing with some Additional Preparing Thrown In

After spending 45 minutes cleaning the rats' cage (yes, I have rats also), I took a short break to peruse the internet and eat a healthy dinner consisting of chips, salsa, and some sour cream. Once I had the proper sustenance in me I convinced myself the cleaning must continue so I headed back upstairs to test the temps in the new girl's tank which luckily didn't take too long to get to the proper measurements. The next project entailed organizing most of my pet products into my newly acquired (again) dresser to help free up space and make my room slightly less of a disaster. This was partially a success (my room is still a mess...).

Since Fuego is deeply in shed I took him downstairs for a bath and wrapped him in his "sleep towel" so I could clean his tank without worrying about him taking leaps off my bed. Cleaning his tank includes taking everything out, which included five live roaches this time, blasting it down with my steam cleaner, replacing the paper towel substrate, putting paper back up on three sides of his tank, putting all his decorations back in, and finally adding Fuego to the mix. This entire process usually takes about 20-30 minutes if I'm not occupied by Fuego's juvenile antics.

Wrapped up my dragon related duties by ensuring that the new girl's lights worked properly with the timed outlet (they do) and checked out her 100 superworms who are currently living in a tupperware container with oatmeal as a bedding to make sure they are still kicking. Once both items were confirmed, I finally got to turn my laptop on to check the forums for the reptile rescue I am involved with, looked at FaunaClassifieds to see if the new girl's current owner had sent my shipping quote over, and briefly hopped on Craig's List to see what reptiles people are advertising.

Obsessed?

...maybe just a little.

Preparing for "The New Girl"

While it wasn't the ideal transport option having to ship the new girl has provided me additional time to get everything all set up for her arrival. I have, rather frantically, been spending way too much money and obsessing over each detail hoping to make her as happy and comfortable as possible in my care. In list form, here is what I purchased especially for her -

• 40 gallon tank with screen
• Lights (reptisun 10.0 & halogen bulb)
• Under-the-Cabinet Light Fixture
• Large Hiding Log
• Non adhesive shelf liner
• Calci-blast Supplement
• Large Corner Water Bowel (flipped upside down to use as a basking spot)
• 3 pairs of fleece shorts
• 100 superworms

Of course, I still need to pay the shipping to get her here but honestly couldn't be more excited and am OK with spending my money in this fashion (less happy about the car repairs and medical bills I've had lately). Once I have her, I will be investing in a leash, additional live feeders (silk worms and maybe horn worms), and need to get her travel cage before I go on any of my weekend summer getaways. Is it possible for her to be spoiled by me before I actually have her? If so, she's spoiled.

P.S. The gecko's name is Memphis. Trying to keep this blog mostly beardie orientated but don't be surprised by the occasional post on this family member. 

Reptile Expo and an Inevitable Addition

This morning I went to the Massachusetts Reptile Expo which is an entirely volunteer run event. My first reason to go was to coo over all the animals, of course, but I also wanted to get some supplies and feeders for my new girl arriving Wednesday. My second goal was well accomplished as I got a well-priced UVB bulb, 100 superworms for $5, and got a nice basking platform that I now realize is probably a bit too small but it's perfectly sized for Fuego's tank so he gets to enjoy that the lucky boy.

Despite my best efforts, I also brought a new addition home, a baby Crested Gecko. From what I can tell he/she (too young to determine gender yet) is what they refer to as a Harlequin which is a term for his colors/markings. The poor babe is entirely stressed out at the moment, and who wouldn't be after being on bright display for several hours followed by a bumpy car ride and then finding yourself in a brand new environment, so I am giving him a few days before I begin handling. It's much more important that he/she feels safe and secure than for me to enjoy petting his suede-like skin. Put food in for him about an hour ago and hope he/she eats a little at least.

I also came across an absolutely gorgeous leatherback boy from Jungle Jewels Reptiles who I would have snatched in a moment if I had any further space for another baby but my new girl will need a dedicated amount of time so I made the reasonable choice and left him for someone else to snatch up. There were also a multitude of corn snakes but that must wait as well.

Already well aware I'll have a reptile room as soon as I own my own house.

And cue in being a nervous wreck...

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a business trip so my boyfriend has taken Fuego so he can receive proper care while I'm sitting in sessions and being forced to network until Friday afternoon. I fully trust in my boyfriend, who loves Fuego almost as much as I do, to follow my written instructions (two pages with pictures included) and keep Fuego happy, healthy, and well fed. Despite this understanding, I am already panicking as my boyfriend left with my dragon in tow about twenty minutes ago. Already my room feels like it's missing something.

Of course he promised to send me plenty of updates but I know the sense of worry will linger until Fuego is back in my care Friday evening.

Can't believe I'll be doubling my concerns come next Wednesday when my new girl gets delivered but honestly can't imagine life any other way then surrounded by animals whether they be furred or scaled.

P.S. Will write a much more in-depth post on this subject but starting to get involved with a reptile rescue and they have a great fundraiser going on right now on their website now which is a raffle ($1 for one ticket or $5 for six) to win 250 super worms and a cup of 15 horn worms. If you don't have reptiles, happy to feed them to my babies or they can be donated to someone in the rescue doing fostering. Many thanks.

Craig's List Fury

I have a very bad habit of browsing the "Pet" section of Craig's List because, well, I'm a masochist and I enjoy seeing all these poor animals that need homes that I don't have the space to rescue. While partaking in this activity last night I ran across a posting for a 4 foot long corn snake with "everything needed" included. This "everything" included a 10 gallon tank and lights that the snake doesn't need at all and ones that probably disrupt proper sleep patterns. 

I emailed the poster and fairly nicely told them that a 20 gallon tank is the bare minimum for an adult corn snake and that I hope they told the new owner to upgrade the enclosure as keeping a snake that large in that small of a tank is bordering on cruelty. To say they didn't take my advice well is putting it lightly.

His response included threatening physical harm if I ever showed up at his house (let me mention that I never said anything remotely close to going to meet him) and accusing me of having no life/being a loser. While I'm certainly not the coolest kid on the block it only takes 2 minutes for me to shoot over an email so not sure why that qualifies me as not having a life. Anyway.

I did send another email back, well worded and very polite, telling him that threats are not appropriate and that animal cruelty is not something to take lightly. I am awaiting a curse filled response but also tried to talk him down on price as this poor girl deserves a proper enclosure and not a tiny tank with nothing to climb on and improper lighting.

I am such a bleeding heart for these creatures.

Freedom

Brought Fuego to the vet this morning (exactly what I wanted to be doing at 8:00 AM on a Saturday while dealing with sharp stomach pains) to have the bandage on his tail removed. He's had the bandage for a little over a week ever since he had surgery to remove 1/2 of his tail due to a condition called tail rot. While he didn't appear phased by the bandage, I wasn't able to bathe him while he had it and he is starting to shed so baths are even more important than usual. Side note, yes, dragons should be bathed to help with hydration (they absorb water through their vent) and aid in shedding.

Everyone at the animal hospital seemed thrilled to see Fuego (he's a bit of a celebrity there and their first dragon patient) and I was more thrilled when the bandage came off and his tail appeared to be healing perfectly and had even started to regenerate. Maybe even betters news, he gained 10 grams in the week since his last appointment! At some point I will have to post all of the "issues" Fuego came to me with but one was that he had stunted growth so I've been working diligently to put some weight on him so this is a fantastic sign. Planning to buy a digital scale to keep tracking his progress.

For being such a good patient, Fuego got a large helping of dubia roaches for breakfast and got to spend the day basking in some of his favorite spots. He even tolerated me taking his picture and gave me his cocked head stare as I aimed my camera at him...

He lost quite a few inches from his length from the surgery but he's still my adorable boy.

Making the Blog Title Accurate

At the moment this blog's title is Living with Dragons which to be honest is a lie as I only live with one, my boy Fuego. I have learned, through way too much time spent on forums and in Facebook Groups, that dragons are like pringles and "you can't have just one". Well, I guess I am adding to that truth as I'm planning to bring another dragon, a female this time, into my world.

This girl was rescued by someone on a forum I frequent but she can't afford to keep her as she already has a few other dragons and feeding can get expensive. She has MBD (a disease caused by a calcium deficiency) which has resulted in some physical flaws (a kinked tail, for example) and limited mobility but she's supposed to be an absolute doll and at the end of the day that's what matters most to me. Her cage will need to be customized in some ways due to her condition but I think some low incline ramps, a bit of fleece, and tile with enough grip should do the trick. I envision a trip or two to Home Depot and Wal-Mart in my near future.

The only true issue at the moment is getting her to me. The woman prefers not to ship but she is four hours away from me and I don't think my car can handle an eight hour ride in one day. Attempting to get a rescue train established but that's proving difficult as well. Will try to remain positive but have a feeling that shipping will be my only option. This girl, in surviving her ordeal, has already proved how tough she is and I trust that she can also handle an overnight trip. Details will be forthcoming.

Baking a Branch

Today's adventure in owning a dragon included baking a branch. Yes, you read that correctly, baking a branch.

Currently, Fuego's main hangout spot/basking area is a large branch I bought at the same reptile expo where I purchased him. While he's usually good about pooping in the middle of his salad bowl this morning my cat Nanu decided to leap on top of his tank giving him quite a scare and causing him to release a little earlier than usual and directly on his necessary basking spot. This all occurred as I was prepping to go to work so I scraped out what I could knowing Fuego could handle a slight discoloration for a few hours.

This evening, after putting Fuego to bed, I snuck his branch out and gave it a good solid rinsing with hot water and did a little scrubbing. Once I was satisfied with the level of clean I dug out an old baking pan, preheated the oven, and shoved it in with a timer set to thirty minutes. Still have another ten minutes or so of baking but these are the moments where I pause in life and realize I really am strange...

Daily Routine

While cats are adept at training people dragons are a very close second.

Here's a regular day of me bending to meet his needs -

6:15 AM: His lights/heating automatically turn on (thank you timed outlet!)

6:45 AM: Wake up, unravel Fuego from his towel wrap, shower

7:15 AM:  Prep his salad (ripping greens by hand and shredding squash)

7:25 AM: BREAKFAST TIME! (roaches or reptiworms followed by salad)

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM : Work :-(

4:15 PM: Check on Fuego

4:45 PM: DINNER TIME! (again, roaches or reptiworms)

6:00 PM: Bath Time (Fuego is not a fan...)

7:30-8:15 PM: Free range time for Sir Fuego. At the end, wrap him burrito style in his favorite towel and place him back in his tank for bed

While his needs will decrease slightly as he gets older (babies do tend to demand more) I imagine I will continue to be a slave to my dragon for as long as I own him and, you know what, I'm OK with that.

Beginning

On Sunday April 1, 2012 this guy came to live with me -

To be fair, this story starts a few weeks earlier at a company sponsored event that I worked. At said event there was a "reptile guy" who brought an alligator and a large boa for people to pose and take pictures with which of course I participated in happily. I wandered back over to the gentleman once most people had moved on to drinks and appetizers and started talking to him about the alligator he held. Without warning he told me to hold on for a moment and suddenly pulled a bearded dragon out of a bag nearby. It was love at first sight as evidenced below -

That night I began researching bearded dragons and a little over a week later Fuego came into my life. He is my first reptile and I must admit he's teaching me more about these fantastic creatures than I could have ever imagined. I plan to document my life now that I have a dragon (and might be adding another) and of course share pictures and stories as they occur.