One of my favorite guys!

My bearded dragon isn’t a very typical pet. I probably love him because I’m definitely not a very typical person. I call him big guy. I think I’m the lizard version of a crazy cat lady 😂 He’s missing a few toes but that just makes me like him more. I love different and odd. I find that different often has the best character. I don’t know why some people hide their differences. The majority of people really like those things. Sometimes it’s very comforting to know that people are just like them. Normal is boring and I admire those who embrace their differences. I know how difficult that can be and what a great accomplishment it is.

I must say that this is an ideal pet for kids or people with health issues. They are such calm and tolerant animals! They also have such expressive eyes and are very friendly! They are often referred to as the puppies of the lizard world. Which is great for me because I love dogs but definitely couldn’t take care of one on my own. Although a great pet, they still have very important needs and I highly suggest thoroughly researching everything before getting one. Like any pet, it’s a big responsibility, not to be taken lightly!

I was always a major science geek and I’m amazed watching him. Even the worms I hate touching. I was just watching them eat carrots. Most people get worms at the pet store but I feel that they’re always unhealthy and half or more of what you pay for are dead. I order them in bulk online and feed them everything that I want him to eat. Right now I have a few hundred.

He eats kale & various other vegetables and fruits. I try to give him a variety of different things like tomatoes, grapes, bananas, strawberries, sweet peppers, mustard greens, etc…. I get this great dried mixture of mixed veggies, fruits and bugs that you have to mist with water to soften that I try to give him like once a week but I give him fresh greens daily.
He loves worms but I liken them to being like a big mac. He certainly needs the protein but I think that if he had a choice, he’d pick the big mac over salad every time but he needs both. So on days that I feed him worms, I give him kale hours before so he eats that too.
I also keep a serving of these calcium loaded, freeze dried crickets that he loves in there because he’s not allowed to go hungry. People make fun of me because I worry about him when it’s cold and give him a baby blanket (as you can see in the picture) and although he can’t tell me, I know he loves it. He gets mad when I take it away but calms down once I put it back. He sometimes reminds me of a macho guy trying to play it cool, acting like he doesn’t need a soft blanket but that lasts a few seconds and he doesn’t like when I take it away.

Bearded dragons require a calcium supplement so I coat his worms in calcium powder before giving them to him. I also feed the worms carrots the day before I give them to him so he’s getting that good stuff too.
Certain foods, like tomatoes, have chemicals that block the absorption of calcium if fed too much so he only gets certain things like once a month. Most of these things have a lot of beneficial vitamins so I try occasionally adding them. I like to offer variety and even if he doesn’t eat it, it’s there to try.

I spray him with warm water regularly. He’s shedding right now so I feel that this is extra important. I always add extra water to his kale but try to add more when he’s shedding. Textured caves and rocks are great hiding places and stuff to climb on but the rough surfaces also help him rub his old skin off.

I love my tea but after I wake up, the first thing I do is feed him and then have my tea.
I have a funny story but I need to explain something about me first. The brain injury caused delays in communication between my brain and my reflexes. I know things logically but the message is now taking a longer route with traffic. It’s just seconds but it makes a difference. People don’t think about the fact that the body’s quick reactions are proof of how extraordinary the brain really is.
With that being said, on to my story.
I was feeding him super worms one night and one touched me. I mean, I have ex boyfriends so I have experience touching disgusting things😂 My natural reflexes took over and just knew I wanted it away from me. So I threw it and I had no idea which direction I released it. So I didn’t even know where to look.
A few nights later, I get myself all tucked into bed. I can see the living room floor from my bed. Well this worm comes casually crawling across the floor (these have legs and are very fast) and I was all pissed because it waited for me to get all comfy so guess who became a midnight snack 😁

He’s definitely been such a big help to me! He’s awesome company and a joy to watch plus his expressive face makes me laugh when I imagine what he must be thinking. He’s nosy and stops what he’s doing if he hears something. Someone came over one day and he heard them speak. He stopped and listened to everything. His hearing is sharp. He’ll be resting but when he hears me coming close, he opens his eyes. So I amuse myself and I’ll try to sneak and spy on him but, no matter how quiet I am, he hears me, opens an eye and seems to roll his eyes as I laugh. That just makes me laugh more. If people saw me, they’d probably just think- that’s crazy Gina
Alternatively, sometimes when I’m all loud, he just stays asleep and then I act crazy & check to make sure he’s breathing. At this point, I get a side eye like he’s thinking- are you kidding me right now you crazy bitch 😂

He makes it very well known when he wants out and I really empathize with that because I know what it’s like to be locked away and crave company.

All I really know is that he’s not just a pet to me and I’ve felt so many different emotions because of him. He’s very important to me but he just wants to sleep and eat worms. MEN! 🙄😂