went in for a puppy and came out with a beardy

kitt.just4u

New member
I started with a baby beardy. They said I had a female, it turned iut to be a male. That was 3yrs ago. The next yr I rescued 22 lizards ~ but have since found homes for most, and some have passed from old age. Im left with one full size male beardy in his own cage, two miniature bearded & a basilik all females in a second cage, two leopard geckos (breading pair) & a gold day gecko in a third cage together, and three anoles in the last cage. There is a long tailed grass lizard and a house gecko loose somewhere too.​
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
Welcome to GU. Provided it's not all about a huge (bad) joke, you should be aware of the odds of housing several species together. Rule 1: 1 species= 1 enclosure. Rule #2: know the basic requirements of each species. For example a Golddust gecko and a leopard gecko have VERY different needs in terms of space, humidity, feeding...It's a good thing you rescue reptiles really, but you have to take into account the very needs of each species, or else you'll face major issues with them sooner or later. FYI leopard geckos live in rocky mountaneous wastelands in Pakistan, some parts of Iran, Afghanistan...and Golddust day geckos live in or near rainforests in Madagascar. Can you figure out the huge differences, not mentionning one is mainly nocturnal and the other one purely active at daytime?
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
Conan, I do hope so too. But as we cannot know for sure, it is our duty to give at least proper warnings and information, just in case. It might help some animals being kept under more suitable conditions, you know. ;)
 

kitt.just4u

New member
I really appreciate the help and thanks for the insults. I joined this site for help not critisism. When I rescue its due the other option is someone turning their lizard loose or down the toilet or worse.
My mixed species hasn't been a problem and the beardy n basilik seriously sleep and stuff together comfy. One end of the 6ft high x 5 ft long x 3rd ft wide has swim pool and mister/waterfall. Tons of hanging branches as all three live to climb. Seriously these are all very very healthy and I can even hold my basilik she loves me
rubbing her belly and head..unusual but truth.
my gecko just had the most beautiful baby. White and black striped tale with orange legs and yellow & black stripes up its body. Beautiful and just found four more eggs burried in her breeding dish. The gold DAY gecko is more active at night believe it or not than day. And the leopard geckos are just as active in day as they are at night. I dont keep them in a Tupperware container either like I see on all these vids. Their cage is 4' long x 2' wide x 2 1/2' high. There are plenty of cooler areas to one side..medium in middle and warm at other end. I also spray their cage as they seem to enjoy the moisture licking it off the rocks.
So since I didnt want to see the lizards die, or die before their time, I did the best could with what I had. Other reptile people that ive met are surprised and have come to see. They said my tanks are like a natural environment-lizards happy amd healthy so my question is what am I doing so wrong if they are all happy over last three years, regrow tails, sick ones recovered and healed from previous wounds too on some like cut or cysts on tails etc. How am I not treating them good. I spend two hours a day faithfully taking them out individually, epetting, giving treats from my fingers, just spending some one on one time with each even my new hatched anoles will sit on my arm after their first couple wks afyer being born, while I work online or do something around house. I even take the beardies outside on the lawn if I have a couple spare hands. I didnt join this site to get bashed. I joined as I thought I cud get some intelligent help with my babies. Thank you for the couple of you who stepped up and did give me some valuable info. Oh and the baby gecko---the other day the father ate a vricket and soit part of it bavk up and the baby ate it from his mouthm.is that normal. Both parents take turns staying with baby now a week old, but lately last few days moms been sitting on her tray of 4/5 eggs she burried them this time so I do t want to disturb her. Is it normal for her to sit on them now? I never knew she was even having eggs as last couple yrs there wasn't any eggs this yr alone have seen about 6/7 eggs but top crushed in. So I made little vermiculite moistened in warm corner and shes got the one that just hatched and almost half a dozen more in that little box. She just wont come out of their unless she has to go to the washroom or eat. Then the male goes jn and sits in the box until she gets back. Is this normal. Once again thank you to the ones that were genuine with me.
 

kitt.just4u

New member
baby gecko Eva 30Jul2014

20140729_134410.jpg
Im still trying to learn how to post pics. Here's my first attempt of raising a gecko from egg to live. Born 30July2014
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
How long have you had these animals?
It's a good thing if they have plenty space. Yet there are HUGE differences as regards their requirements. Beardies are desert dwellers, too much humidity is certainly bad for them, and they require much higher basking temps than a basilisk. We're not saying you treat them bad, but many problems may arise sooner or later due to improper husbandry conditions. You know, each species have their own needs and you have to take this into account. Not talking about the dangers of cross-contamination: one given species may carry bacteria that are natural and harmless to them while other species from different parts of the world may become seriously sick with the said bacteria. On a human scale, think about what has happened when Europeans colonized America: millions of native American Indians died out of benign diseases such as the flu, cause their immune system was just not prepared to it, meanwhile the Spanish, Portuguese, English...brought back to Europe deadly diseases which did not harm the Indians. I'd say the first thing you need to learn here is how important it is to provide each species with natural conditions just like they find in the wild, including temps, humidity, food, nocturnal or diurnal habits, behavior...even though these animals may be captive-bred for many generations. Things often don't get bad at once, but on the long run improper husbandry parameters may lead to disasters. As for me I'm not here to judge you but to tell you what you should change, for the own good of your animals. Healthy reptiles on the long run do matter more than any other consideration.
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
How long have you had these animals?
It's a good thing if they have plenty space. Yet there are HUGE differences as regards their requirements. Beardies are desert dwellers, too much humidity is certainly bad for them, and they require much higher basking temps than a basilisk. We're not saying you treat them bad, but many problems may arise sooner or later due to improper husbandry conditions. You know, each species have their own needs and you have to take this into account. Not talking about the dangers of cross-contamination: one given species may carry bacteria that are natural and harmless to them while other species from different parts of the world may become seriously sick with the said bacteria. On a human scale, think about what has happened when Europeans colonized America: millions of native American Indians died out of benign diseases such as the flu, cause their immune system was just not prepared to it, meanwhile the Spanish, Portuguese, English...brought back to Europe deadly diseases which did not harm the Indians. I'd say the first thing you need to learn here is how important it is to provide each species with natural conditions just like they find in the wild, including temps, humidity, food, nocturnal or diurnal habits, behavior...even though these animals may be captive-bred for many generations. Things often don't get bad at once, but on the long run improper husbandry parameters may lead to disasters. As for me I'm not here to judge you but to tell you what you should change, for the own good of your animals. Healthy reptiles on the long run do matter more than any other consideration.
 

kitt.just4u

New member
Im trying the best I can with what I have and really appreciate all the guidance I can get.
 
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kitt.just4u

New member
I truly appreciate all the help I can get. As I said earlier I live in a northern community and there is no help with the pet stores and online all I seem to find is mostly confusing. I just didnt want to see these poor critters let loose or worse. They are all really healthy believe it or not and have been together I didnt realize it but three yrs now..I thot it was only two. I live on a disability pension and they eat before me..I really love these guys and spend lots of time with them.
i knew so little I ended up the 1st yr with salmonella poisoning twice in a month hospitalized and almost died both times. Then they found out what it was and I use gloves to clean their cages now. I'm sorry I wasn't more educated on these critters before I rescued them but like I said, cudnt see them go thru the fate that was the option.
I cant put the basilik in anything by herself now as she sleeps in middle of the two beardies stacked one atop the other. I'll try and get a pic of the three of them sleeping together. I put her alone before and she got sick..well at least thats what previous owner said she was..when I put her back within a week she was back to her old self..psychological? Who knows their living together is strange do never know???
ive got to go but I'll try to figure how to load pics. Im not too computer savy. Also my leopard geckos had no tails when I got themneither did the day gecko..and now they all do and the day gecko went from dark green to beautiful gold color. Have a wonderful day. Thank you again.
Kitt.
 

thorrshamri

Moderator/The French Viking Moderathorr
Your intentions are really good- rescuing pets and do everything you can for their health and well-being. Sorry for you about salmonella. Yet you know, reptiles are fairly different from other pets since they depend much more on outside temps and other factors than a human, cat or dog. Go to the care sheets section on this forum for the geckos you own and you will see how they should be housed and cared for. As for other species which are not gecko, we don't particularly focus on them here. You may find useful information on beardies and basilisks on forums such as Reptile Forums UK. Even if it's a British forum the info there is valid. In my opinion you need to read more on each species so as to understand they each have particular needs to be "happy" and completely healthy. Other reptile forums and websites may also be of interest to you, particularly the care sheets sections. I can feel you do what you can and that you're a good person with the best intentions, so rather than shouting at you because what you do is certainly not what everyone in the hobby would recommend I try my best to educate and share info prior to anything else. See, for example, where such or such species come from: beardies are diurnal omnivorous lizards from Central Australia, in the middle of deserts and wastelands with little vegetation and lots of sunshine and heat while basilisks are from Central-Southern American rainforests, they usually live near rivers and in trees, with little opportunities to bask under the sun and they are basically insectivorous and carnivorous. From that point, do you understand their basic needs are different? Keep in mind reptiles don't have a constant body temperature like we do, each species has its own requirements depending on their natural surroundings in the wild, this is also true for the humidity level, type of food, and so on.
 

kitt.just4u

New member
once again thank you so kindly. Well my new leo is growing so well. Still mom n dad take turns sitting it. Not sure of sex yet, of course what can I say-beaming ear to ear. I didnt know much on geckos before but havi g been rwading a lot of the posts on this site now.
 

kitt.just4u

New member
willow and Boastful relaxing

Here are my basilik Willow and her friend Bootyful having a restful moment.
 

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GermanDude

New member
Here are my basilik Willow and her friend Bootyful having a restful moment.

That looks quite... wrong oO
Well animal friendships can occur "lion and dog", "cat and crow" or "monkey and dog", but still... at what temp and humidity are you keeping them?
Bad joke: I hope they dont make babys...
 

Scully

New member
Does one often sit on top of the other? Because in Beardies (I don't know about basilisks) that is a display of dominance rather than friendship. When you have more than one beardie in a viv, one will sit on the other to get closer to the UV or basking bulb and deprive the submissive one. I just sent the last baby beardie I bred off to his new home and in the last few weeks of the two of them being together one would sit on the other so much that I separated them to stop it. What you're doing sounds like you have good intentions, I'm just curious :)
 

kitt.just4u

New member
Itruly appreciate all the help and knowledge I've gained since signing up on this site. Im sorry for late replies, unfortunately I've been in and out of hospital with crippling back issues which leaves me unable to walk or use my fingers until i get a needle in my spine for 2-3wks relief. I'll reply as i can but pls forgive my late response. Eva my first born gecko is growing like a weed. I'll post a few pics when i can figure out how to add them with text.Otherwise I'll post seperately and show my cages as well. Also i have two more eggs waiting to (cross my fingers) hatch in 2-3 wks. One side of cage is dry, and the opposite side has a mister. When the temp gets too much for miniature beardies they both go over to misted side and relax a bit. All three love swimming. Not sure if thats normal but my regular sized beardy has a pool to swim in as well. They love swimming - mostly likely for pooping probably but they can spend up to an hour sometimes just relaxing in it.[/B][/B]
 
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