[Zoodulcis]

A trip to Australia is on my bucket list. I have a friend in Canberra who I chat with monthly. So I am very envious of your experience and can totally understand the impulse. So far, is he everything you hoped for?

[Zoodulcis]

Aha…so he’s your pet. Well, I like Thrill or Thriller way better than Tommy (so boring). What made you decide on a frilled instead of a beardie or other reptilian pet?

[Zoodulcis]

It’s too soon to worry yet. There is a possibility that she is hiding from crickets. Crickets left in a tank will chew on any other animals in there. Be sure to remove that last cricket and do not put any more in until she emerges. She will need to hydrate in her water bowl at some point, which means you are really going to have to excavate her and place her in her water if she doesn’t come out after 4-5 more days. Feed only as many very small crickets as she will eat in 12 hours, remove all others and see if that helps the situation. This species is known for worrying their owners with their hiding behavior, and she may do this repeatedly as she matures, but at her young age you may need to intervene in a few days if she doesn’t emerge.

[Zoodulcis]

I don’t have specific substrate recommendations for you, since there are so many variables in play here. But my instincts say that you are completely on the right track, however, I would caution you to be patient and let him adjust a little longer before adding new challenges. I certainly would not add another animal to his enclosure at this point. Just keep on doing everything the way you are for at least another month. Only then should you move him to a more spacious tank, which by then he will really appreciate without being so stressed by yet another change that he stops eating. Then, after a few more weeks, re-evaluate the idea of a companion and make sure that it still seems like a good idea. It might very well be, but right now is too soon in his convalescence to be sure, which is actually what this period with you is for him. With the kind of conscientious care you are providing, he should have turned around in less than 6 months. He will live a long time with the right kind of husbandry, which includes careful observation of his habits so that you will know if things take a turn for the worst at any point. Since the previous owner sounds like a *******, thinking his pet was 2 years old when he was actually much younger, it is likely that this frog has had many owners already in his short life. Besides being patient, and keeping the substrate change on the back burner for a while, it might be prudent to take a fecal sample to a vet to make sure that a parasite load acquired from his previously poor care may be adding to some of his coordination problems.

[Zoodulcis]

I bet he is very happy in his big house. We love to see a picture of him enjoying it.

[Zoodulcis]

Nice-looking dude. We don’t get nearly enough Frilled Dragon pix on this forum. I like the name you are considering. Has your son wanted one of these for awhile?

[Zoodulcis]

Oh good, you found it. The guide is on Critter Depot, which is the parent website for this forum.

[Zoodulcis]

Looks pretty nice for a first habitat construction experiment. Have you had a chance to review the cricket guide on this site yet?

[Zoodulcis]

There he is! Is he your first beardie?

[Zoodulcis]

A cutey for sure! How old is he?

[Zoodulcis]

Bearded dragons category is definitely the right spot for you. People with hedgehogs and pet chickens and such use the everything else category.

Raising crickets can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, then it goes much more smoothly and effortlessly. There is a guide to raising crickets on this site that I provided some time ago. Be sure to review that. It sounds like the egg-laying box was quite appealing to the females, but if any hungry females were left inside, they will have eaten the eggs. Perhaps this is what happened? Since they seem to like the box, I wouldn’t change that around just yet. Instead, check several times a day during egg laying sessions and remove the females regularly once you know they have made a deposit.

[Zoodulcis]

Yes indeed they are!! Barn cleaning, hoof trimming and daily walking (45 minutes everyday).

[Zoodulcis]

This is not my area of expertise. I am not a part of the marketing and supply end of the business. My suggestion is to keep them cool and be sure they have plenty to eat.

[Zoodulcis]

The poultry were a long time ago. Only cats and goats right now.

[Zoodulcis]

I don’t have any reptiles right now. I am waiting for two elderly cats to pass into that catnip parlor in the sky. Then I am going to get another ball python. I have had knight anoles and hedgehogs. Oh and I have 6 goats. Not terribly exotic, but awesome nevertheless. I have also had every sort of heritage poultry breed you can imagine, mulefoot hogs, tamworth hogs, and all sorts of cattle and horses. Just goats now in the way of farm animals. Little dairy goats and great big pack goats.

35 inches at maturity is some size! That will be a major undertaking, but I sure hope you are successful. There are many species of geckos that were nearly extinct in the wild, but are now quite common in captivity in the pet trade. I think this is a great trend, as long as keepers have purchased their stock from reputable breeders (nothing wild caught) and are keeping them housed and fed properly. Do you have other pets beside these awesome lizards?

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