Taking the plunge…

Today was a big day.  I lodged my application for keeping a reptile that is not exempt from licensing.  Our Dragons are a Class A species and are therefore I don’t require a license.  For a very long time (since I was a kid), I’ve wanted to own a snake.  With the experience I have gained in keeping our Dragons, I think I am ready.

Something that I have yet not really detailed that demonstrates my commitment to keeping reptiles in general, but, more specifically the snake that I hope to acquire is the deal I have going in relation to my health.  I had an arrangement with my beautiful wife last year that if I lost 25 kgs, I could bring home the Bearded Dragons that we now have.  Obviously I met that goal.  Problem being, I put a lot of that back on.  This time, rather than just get back to where I was, I agreed to lose 35 kgs in order to earn the privilege of bringing a snake into our home.  Well, I am just about there.  I’ve lost just over 30 kgs to date.  So, as an incentive to drop those last few kilos, I lodged the license application with the hope of being as ready as possible for the day when I break that weight barrier.

I included links and information contained in this blog in my application to demonstrate the care and experience that I have in relation to reptile keeping.  So if by any chance you are reading this and you are assessing my application, please be nice, I really want this and have worked hard to get in a position to have it.

I’ve also started getting ready for if I am successful both in my application and the remainder of my weight loss.

  I have started setting up what was originally the hospital tank when Booster was injured, ready to hold what I hope will be our new family member.  As you can see, I have put it on a nice cabinet, that was also a weight loss incentive along the way.  It won’t be on the window as it is pictured here as direct sunlight is a no no for maintaining a consistent and manageable temperature.  We’re just setting up our lounge after the arrival of our new couch and this location is temporary.

I had originally intended this to be the final enclosure for a sub species of Antaresia, which would happily live in an enclosure of this size throughout their life.  However, after doing a lot of homework, I have decided to go with a Diamond Python as my first snake due to its superior hardiness and overall nature of the species.  What that does mean though is that this enclosure will only be suitable for the next 2-3 years depending on the size of the individual.  At that time I will need to look at acquiring a larger enclosure.  I have some designs in mind and am looking forward to either building it myself, of having it made for me.

All this of course hangs on two things.  My continued weight loss and being successful in my license application.  I’m working hard for one and crossing my fingers for the other.

A quick final note about our Dragons.  Both are sleeping happily through all this cold weather.  I have checked on them regularly, ensuring that they are still alive, if not really kicking.  I have also set up the thermostat on a ceramic bulb to ensure that no matter how cold it gets during the night, they will be at least warm enough to make it through until morning.  I am a bit of a Nervous Nelly about it and probably being overly cautious as a result, but, it is our first Brumation together.

The Old Switcharoo…

This is a sad post as well as a happy one.  Starting with the sad, last Saturday we parted company with Booster who is pictured here on the left.  He hasn’t died or anything, it’s not that sad a story!

I have been contemplating the idea of acquiring a nice breeding male for quite a while.  I have always been a little disappointed that Booster was never a good handler.  As much as my kids would have liked to hold him even on rare occasions, he was never a boy I could trust to be calm.  He was never a biting risk or anything.  He just didn’t like to be handled.  Plus of course, his colouration was not of the same standard as Lolly’s.

Recently, a very nice looking male that was for sale came to my attention as well as a young man looking to get started in reptile keeping.  Combine the two and we arrive at today.  On Saturday last weekend, Booster was handed over to his new keeper.  I was happy to help a young guy starting out and I am confident that Booster will be in a good home.  He was a sleepy Dragon when I parted company with him, but, in spring, I know he’ll wake up as good as ever.

Today, I was able to take possession of our new ‘stud’ male.  I have named him Beau, after the Black and Gold Dragon in the animated series Dragon Booster, from which Booster got his name.  In the series, Beau is the Dragon of Legend and is in fact named after Bucephalus who was the famous steed of Alexander the Great although that is not referenced in the TV show.  JT has contributed what may stick as his second name ‘Double O’.  I am not sure how long Beau Double O will stay, but, Beau is definitely finalised.  Beau is pictured here on the right.

I brought Beau home around lunch time today.  He had been rudely disturbed from his attempts at brumation to be brought to me and took some slow measured investigations of his new enclosure.  It was quite enjoyable watching him slowly and methodically check things out.  What was even more pleasing was his calm nature as I was handling.  It could have been partly because of his sleepiness and temperature, but, in contrast, in the same state, Booster was still trying to leap out of my hand on the weekend.  By all reports Beau is a great handler and I am exceedingly pleased about that.

By the time I got home from work today, Beau was fast asleep in Booster’s old hide rock looking like he was made for it.  I am not sure that I will even turn the light on tomorrow, as if he is settled back to sleep, I’ll just leave him to it.  What a great transition that would be.  A new home after being woken up from a deep sleep and the possible stress that comes with both and Beau going straight back to sleep tells me that the transition could not have gone better.  Now all I have to do is wait until spring to really get to know him!

And then there was quiet

So all our babies have flown the nest!  Bruce is now well ensconced in his new home.  He is pictured here happy as a pig in the proverbial.  I look forward to seeing pictures in a few months time when he has grown and might have started showing some colour like his mum.

Speaking of Lolly, she and Booster have started Brumating.  As I have mentioned before, Brumation is the reptile equivalent of hibernation in mammals.  Reptile physiology is obviously very different and their bodies go through different processes during long periods of what is essentially sleep.  However, during this time, unlike mammals, it is very likely that Lolly and Booster will wake up every now and then.  They might take a drink and something small to eat and be awake for a few days.  Then most likely they will ferret around a bit and go back to sleep.

This process can continue until the days start getting a bit longer and the weather starts to warm up.  Fascinating that even in an environment where the temperature and light cycle is controlled, that their natural instincts can still kick in so strongly.  Our Dragon’s Den has very little exposure to natural light from the window on the other side of the room.  But, this has been enough for them to catch the day length cycles to kick in both their breeding and Brumation cycles this year.  So basically, I have stopped feeding Lolly and Booster about a week ago and once they had cleared their stomachs, they found a comfy spot and went to sleep.  A day or two later, I turned off the light and heat sources and left them to it.  They have been asleep ever since.  I have put the ceramic heat bulb that emits no light on a thermostat to keep the temperature at about 20C.  That should see them through the process, as scary as it is for me going through it for the first time, without any dramas.

Our babies from this year will not and should not be allowed to brumate.  Dragons should not go through this process in captivity before they are at least 12 months old and are clearly in good health.  Our Dragons did not show any inclination to sleep for exceedingly long periods until the last month or so.  Given their condition I felt as confident as I am ever going to in letting them brumate.

So as the title says, it is all very quite on the Beardie front at the moment.

Baby Boom – Issue #8 (and final for now)

This is Bruce, not Charlie.  He is our last baby Dragon. 

The others I took into our local reptile pet store about a week ago.  As you can see, Bruce is quite small, but, he is going well.  I have held onto Bruce for a work colleague who named him and who has organised an enclosure and is going to give him a great home as a pet for his child.  A great outcome indeed!

This is the final post in the baby boom series and wraps up our first experience with breeding our dragons.  All in all it has been an awesome experience that our whole family shared in.  Everything from wondering if Lolly was pregnant to the amazing day when the eggs started to hatch has been fascinating.

It will be a long wait until next year, and I have not even decided if I should let them breed again or let Lolly have the year off.   I have received solid advice that it would be ok for her health wise, but, I’ll wait and see.

So for now and this breeding season, the action is all over.  What a great time it has been.  We’ll be back to business as usual from here on in.  Although we are heading into the colder months and Brumation is on the horizon!