boyd's forest dragon?

[juliedamian]

hi, i am wanting to get a boydii and im getting the enclosure and stuff but a friend just told me that they are hard to keep, and if you have the humidity too high they get some disease and if its too low they get skin rott, is this true?

are they really that hard to keep and get the enclosure right? im worried about spending 650 or more on him if he's gonna die or get sick really easy?

any thoughts?

thanks

[wood_nymph]

i'm still only class one so i haven't kept them myself yet, but a mate of mine does. humidity can be a bit tricky he said and his have a habit of being "moody" but he loves his and wouldn't trade them for the world. i guess at the end of the say they're not class one (beginners) for a reason. i have heard southern angle heads are a lot easier and work as a good intro to boyds.

hope that helps

[-aspidites-]

I got a pair of juvie boyd's a little while ago now.

Humidity isn't much of an issue. Regular misting is all they need. I've not heard of skin rot due to a lack of humidity... in fact I'd suggest that would more likely be caused by too much (could be wrong here though, since I've never experienced it).

Contrary to what nymph posted above, I understand spinipes to be far more moody than boyd's. I understand them [spinipes] to be less tolerant of high temperatures also. I can't say for sure though, I've never kept spinipes.

But yes, I've got a young pair and they're both very, very different in personality. They've been separated since just after I got them due to one dominating the other, so if you plan to get more than one, you may find you can't house them together, although from what I've heard this usually isn't an issue.

One of mine is a guts, one of them doesn't eat much at all--in fact, I'm almost starting to get a bit worried about the other one, it seems to have gone off its food completely of late.

The one which is a guts even jumps down off its branch trying to get to the roaches through the glass, before I even get them into the enclosure!

Anyway, I'd suggest getting well established ones and you probably won't have too many issues.

Good luck, they're great little dragons! :-)

[Minka]

I agree with Aspidities.

I keep a couple of juvie boyds and there all very different. Well im glad to hear you also have a picky one Aspidities but to make sure the smaller baby is eating enough i will assist feed it if needed. But generally they all are top little feeders. I put them in a click clack to feed as i can monitor how much they are eating.

They are quite bold little things despite there secrective nature.

Humidity wise regular misting is all that is needed where i am located, as it is already quite humid all year round. They also dont tend to drink from a water bowl so making sure they are hydrated is extremely important.

Boyds are a great little dragon but having said that unless you are fully aware of there needs i could easily see it going all very wrong

[juliedamian]

thanks everyone! thats a big help. i haven't kept boyd's before but i have other dragons and i have researched as much on the boydii as i can find. maybe my friends mates got sick and one died due to something else.

so exactly what lights would i need in his enclosure? is it just the UVB? i live in north brisbane area. and what else would i need in his inclosure? just a humidity gauge or other stuff as well?

i appreciate the help, thanks

[Southside Morelia]

Hi,
Keeping Angle heads as a stepping stone to Boyd's is a great suggestion!
That's what i did and have successfully kept both specie and still do.
If your hearts set on Boyds, they really aren't that difficult to keep at all, as long as the basic husbandry needs are fullfiled you shouldn't have a problem.
Briefly, they need UV & heat, but nothing over 28C. It's best to use a substrate with them so you can keep up humidity, get a little waterfall and this will add humidity and also for hydration. MAKE SURE though that you regulary clean the water as they like to crap in it.
With feeding, if kept in a colony or pair, in my experience one is always more dominant, my male is like that...he's a guts, so what I do is feed the others with a pair of forceps, it's cool because you interact with them and you obviously can monitor what animals are eating what, mine have become really tame by feeding them by hand regulary. The big male lets me pat him under his dewlap and like some tame beardies, he sits at the glass and watches us, wanting some attention it seems!
About Angle Heads, they don't need heat, just UV, so keeping them is more forgiving than Boyds and at $500 cheaper per animal, a better starter lizard if you ask me. You can buy a whole colony for the price of one Boydii.

[juliedamian]

thanks southside, i want a boydii cos my husband wont let me get a few dragons we aldready have a water dragon and i can only get one more (he says thats plenty) and i love the boyds.

i would get the enclosure right before i get it so thats things are right first. i talked to you before about the polyurthane enclosure too. as i said i want it right before i get him.

i will look at the angel heads and read up on them maybe i'll get that instead. i dunno i just wouldnt want to get the boyd if its hard to keep. i wouldnt want it to get sick or die.

thanks

[Southside Morelia]

Hey Julie,
If you love em and can afford them, go for it! You obviously keep animals with success, Boyds aren't hard to keep and with common sense and some knowledge, you'll be sweet.
Problem with Boyds, there bugger all info out there to research on. I've successfully kept mine by asking a few questions to the guys who are successfully breeding them, thanks TOAD and a few others.
But really now, it's what i've learnt and observed for the last 18months in keeping them and the good thing is it has worked.
Go for it, if you need any more help/advice, feel free to PM.
Cheers
Scott

[juliedamian]

thanks scott,

i know i've searched the net for info on them and theres bearly anything.. but i have been asking questions and learning more.

thanks for the help

[Magpie]

Mine are kept in a 2'x2'x4' cage at the moment, they are just over 12 months old.
I've never had a problem with mine eating, they all eat crickets or woodies put directly into the cage.
I've never had a serious problem with bullying, i have all 4 in together.
I rarely mist them, but i do live somewhere very humid (in fact, i get wild boydii in my yard). They are in and out of their (large) water bowl every evening.
I offer no heat, even in winter and our house is very open plan and drops to 12C or less.
I like to use live plants with them once they are larger, babies were kept in an incredibly simple set-up.
I'd say in my experience (I kept and bred angle heads in NSW) boydii are as easy, if not easier to keep, bu I never had any issues with the angles except one got a jaw abscess after we moved to Cairns. I think both species are in fact easier to keep than beardies or water dragons, you just don't hear about the thousands of beardies that die due to husbandry every year.
The main thing is to leave them alone (this goes for most herps IMO).
Give them a spray daily if the humidity is low, feed them in a tub if you need to, but leave them be, in a quiet area as much as possible.

[juliedamian]

ok thanks magpie.

i reckon i still get the boydii as ive liked them for a while. and i just got a care sheet for them too. i think i'll be right with them and the emclosue will have temp thermostat and humidity gage so i can keep an eye on it.

THANKS EVERYONE YOUR HELP WAS GREAT AND MUCH APPRECIATED!!

[mebebrian]

Anyone got pic's? i love Boydii and would also love to own a few.