Bearded Dragon Killing Spree

[biancanbobby]

. I'd advise you to replace that particular male and start from scratch if you plan on breeding.

I was thinking that this may be a better option. But he has never shown agression before, so I dont understand the sudden need to wanna drag the females around the tank via their head.

 

[JasonL]

They drag them around by their heads for breeding, usually by the fatty tufts and spine ridge around the neck, sounds like your male is over keen, or just downright nasty..

 

[Rocky]

Yeah she is blind in one eye, at the moment anyway. It seems pussy under her eyelid, but has gone down alot since the attack, so she may come good. She had both eyes shut for about 4 days when he attacked her as she is missing her 2nd eyelids on her good eye, so it must have been sore. But that eye is fine now and he can see really well, and when I put my hand in the tank she comes running up and onto it.

Her jaw is very slightly out of place still but it gets better every day as she knocks it on the bottom of the tank (like a snake sometimes does) so I think by the time the weekend is over she will be looking normal again besides that eye.

But she is still very good looking.... That picture is her maybe 1 day before she was attacked.

Did the vet give you anything to help the healing process?

sounds like your sources are rubbish, beardies are normally fine to keep together, i have been keeping beardies together for a good 7 years now, not the same animals but my current trio have been together for 3 years wqith no probs and i know many others on this forum that keep beardies together with no probs.

@biancanbobby: sorry to hear bout your probs, not 100% sure why he would be doing what he is since i have never had that prob but possibly just an overly agressive individual who in the case should be kept separate. Also sure its a boy? Sexing at 8 weeks isnt really reliable.

I have heard many cases from both sides, alot of tail and toe nipping and death, but also alot of them staying together for years with out issue, In my opinion i think it differs from dragon to dragon, how they are bought up and the environment they are in.

 

[biancanbobby]

Did the vet give you anything to help the healing process?

Nah the vet said that she will heal by herself and that the damage wasnt anything major and to just keep an eye on her and help her keep her fluids up, and I have done so and she is doing fine.

 

[JasonL]

Was the second female the same size? , I could understand it happening if there was much of a size difference, adult dragons eat small lizards, and that includes their own kind, they may even prefer them to insects every now and then.

 

[biancanbobby]

Was the second female the same size? , I could understand it happening if there was much of a size difference, adult dragons eat small lizards, and that includes their own kind, they may even prefer them to insects every now and then.

She was smaller then him but bigger then the previous female. Maybe 5cms smaller then him.

 

[MMAnne]

This is odd, I too have read that Dragon's are 'social creatures' and enjoy the company of other bearded dragons? I am pretty sure I read this on the Bearded Dragon Forum. I also know of many, many people that house more than one Dragon in the same enclosure together and have never had problems. Naturally, they were all of similar sizes - but still people are saying it should not be done full stop?

Well either way, would it be safer housing a female and a female together? What about two males (what about territorial probs)? I am getting a Central soon, but just one (for now).

Hmm, what about ackies?

 

[JasonL]

Be careful what you read on OS Bearded Dragon sites, after all, they think there is a need to bath desert dragon daily....... ackies tear into each other too.... and male/male reptiles of most species are best kept apart.

 

[Dan19]

Sure they might be fine together, one day something might happen? It seems that most aussies say they house them together... I and many others do not recommend it. No 'probs' doesn't mean its ok either. Why risk it? Just because you and a few hundred do it doesn't mean its the right way.. more dragons die from being together then there are good cases of housing together. My sources aren't rubbish as mine have came from experienced people and many bearded dragon sites that just specialize in vitticeps.

Do you have any solid proof for your statements. It seems most of your "sources" are from the internet. Believe it or not, but not everything on the internet is true.:shock:

 

[MMAnne]

Be careful what you read on OS Bearded Dragon sites, after all, they think there is a need to bath desert dragon daily....... ackies tear into each other too.... and male/male reptiles of most species are best kept apart.

Thanks for that, I've yet to start my research on ackies yet, but again I have just seem so many kept together :S Esp at the reptile park, they keep alot of diff species together and they do fine. Then again, they have large enclosures.

I think I might just stay on the safe side and keep all my species separately (ok, except for housing multiple frogs or multiple geckos together, I have never heard of any problems on that account as long as the enclosure is big enough).

Although I still can't help but wonder - this isn't based on any kind of 'fact', but it still seems to me that more people don't have problems housing them together, than the amount of people that do. I think with the proper enclosure and a healthy dose of common sense, there is no reason Beardies can't have a house mate.

 

[Rocky]

Do you have any solid proof for your statements. It seems most of your "sources" are from the internet. Believe it or not, but not everything on the internet is true.:shock:

His proof would be threads like this, and other threads, ads that say "selling pair, the smaller one had nipped toes and a tail" and Hearing other stories of peoples bearded dragons. Sure, some people say that they have housed together for years with no issues, but so did the owner of this thread, and look what happened there.

 

[Dave]

Do you have any solid proof for your statements. It seems most of your "sources" are from the internet. Believe it or not, but not everything on the internet is true.:shock:

Do you have solid proof if you don't agree with me? I don't think anyone can fully prove either way. If you don't believe me and I showed some proof would you still disagree? probably. I don't say I;m right. I'm sure many of you house them together. From places I LEARNED this is what I found. Not all internet sites are bull. Even some books are wrong. There's many sites that show tests on uvb. Growth rates, nutritional values. It is down to the person what they believe is right. its nearly impossible to tell who is right and wrong.

 

[Manda1032]

I always thought that they could be kept together all year round as I read about it on the internet and thru books before purchasing my dragons and from all I read it advised me that they are one of the very few lizards that can be kept together all year round... I will just have to get a second tank. :x

I have to side with you there, I have a book that doesn't state anywhere that they cannot be kept together. Actually it tells you the requirements for keeping a number of beardies together.... from hatchie to adult!

 

[biancanbobby]

I have to side with you there, I have a book that doesn't state anywhere that they cannot be kept together. Actually it tells you the requirements for keeping a number of beardies together.... from hatchie to adult!

I think we probably have the same book! I cant remember the name of my book but I know that it is green in colour....

 

[Dan19]

Do you have solid proof if you don't agree with me? I don't think anyone can fully prove either way. If you don't believe me and I showed some proof would you still disagree? probably. I don't say I;m right. I'm sure many of you house them together. From places I LEARNED this is what I found. Not all internet sites are bull. Even some books are wrong. There's many sites that show tests on uvb. Growth rates, nutritional values. It is down to the person what they believe is right. its nearly impossible to tell who is right and wrong.

I was reffering to your first two post's. You have said exactly the right thing near the end of that last post. "It is down to the person what they believe is right." You do not know this person, yet you say there sources are rubbish. How do you know that they are not the biggest breeder in the country or personally know that person? I do not want to argue, pm me if you are that bored.

 

[Manda1032]

It's written and published for America but is sold heaps in pet shops in AUS its the guide to owning a bearded dragon, printed by t.f.h

 

[Dave]

I was reffering to your first two post's. You have said exactly the right thing near the end of that last post. "It is down to the person what they believe is right." You do not know this person, yet you say there sources are rubbish. How do you know that they are not the biggest breeder in the country or personally know that person? I do not want to argue, pm me if you are that bored.

"read about it on the internet and thru books" Is what she said. Some books seriously are wrong.. I wont name the book but it has way outdated information and says heat rocks are good to use and breeders use them. And internet, what you said can be wrong too.

 

[Manda1032]

The only thing it says in the book is to not keep little ones with larger ones

 

[hydropython]

ddd

 

[hydropython]

"read about it on the internet and thru books" Is what she said. Some books seriously are wrong.. I wont name the book but it has way outdated information and says heat rocks are good to use and breeders use them. And internet, what you said can be wrong too.

Good to see that a person with many decades of experience keeping herps of many different types is giving out advice about what can be generally expected.

It makes me sad when so much misinformation is given out be people without knowledge.