I work at a school and we are contemplating getting a bearded dragon for the classroom(s), but we are wondering how people feed them on the weekend? Are they OK if one just leaves a "big bowl" of salad in it's home Friday and then feed fresh first thing Monday morning? Do we put in a bunch of extra crickets? Typically, someone is here year round, during the week and when we may be closed, like over Christmas break, we would either have someone come in or bring it home. Thanks for thoughts...we wanted a Bearded Dragon due to the students may handle them more and they can eat out of a student's hand, which is a great learning tool. (We can't exactly do that with a snake)
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Feeding on the weekends while away.
- Thread starter Rosy89
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I wouldn't leave a big bowl of salad for them, because you definitely want to remove old food and not leave it in there to grow bacteria and such. You definitely don't want to put a ton of crickets in there, because they can and will bite the dragon while it sleeps.
I believe normally people have a full on set up both and home and at school, and take the beardie home with them every night, on the weekends, during breaks, etc. Not to mention, say the beardie gets sick with something, it would probably be best to have the option to leave it at home during the day rather than it be around children. These guys aren't particularly difficult to take care of but it is certainly a commitment, so it would probably be best to have one person be the primary caregiver and make sure its getting taken care of correctly.
Just my thoughts, hope it helps.
I believe normally people have a full on set up both and home and at school, and take the beardie home with them every night, on the weekends, during breaks, etc. Not to mention, say the beardie gets sick with something, it would probably be best to have the option to leave it at home during the day rather than it be around children. These guys aren't particularly difficult to take care of but it is certainly a commitment, so it would probably be best to have one person be the primary caregiver and make sure its getting taken care of correctly.
Just my thoughts, hope it helps.
Think you've missed the point slightly. You say it's probably better to leave it at home during the day rather than it be round children. If you read the original post it's the school that's getting one for the classroom so leaving it at home would defeat the object!
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beyourownspotlight
Hatchling Dragon
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I think they mean if the beardie becomes sick, it's better to have somewhere quiet for it to recover, rather than it being forced to be in a room full of children.
I'm very split on these types of things. Bearded dragons can live up to ten years, that's a big commitment for a 'classroom pet', for any kind of pet to be honest. They're pretty easy to care for once you have the care routine down, but my fear would be that bringing it back and forth would be stressful for the animal. But so far what people have said, regarding having one person being the main caregiver makes the most sense, as well as not just over feeding on friday afternoon, then leaving the food in until monday morning. Depending on the age, fresh greens should be offered every day. In my experience, my greens dry out super fast, and I wouldn't eat them the next day, so why would I expect my pet to? Another thing to consider might be the age range of the children in contact with the bearded dragon, how much care would they be able to provide? How reliable are the kids? How responsible? These little guys can be puppy dog tame, but if hurt or threatened they can still bite, and I've not been bitten yet, but I've seen my wee girls teeth and I dare say it'd hurt. Personally I'd do way more research on it, before even considering it.
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Yeah i was referring to in the case that it got sick or something, it would be a good idea to have a set up somewhere away from children. Im not sure how parents might feel if they knew there was a reptile with parasites in this classroom with their kids. Its no big deal to most of us but theres always someone who might get upset.
I didnt even consider it biting someone. My girl has shown me her beard and her teeth but never bitten me out of aggression. She has however accidentally got my finger while hand feeding her (it was my fault not hers) but i will say that it hurt pretty significantly. Took off some skin and throbbed. Felt like i shut my finger in a door. Not a big deal but to a kid maybe it would be. So yeah it could be an issue especially with a lot of kids i could see how it could get overwhelmed.
My 5th grade teacher had one, and she took it home every night with her. She would allow it to run around the classroom sometimes as long as everyone stayed in their seat and we could watch it eat. But we weren't allowed to hold or touch it. I stayed after school to watch her clean the cage and stuff, thus my love of reptiles and beardies was born. Ive had one ever since.
I didnt even consider it biting someone. My girl has shown me her beard and her teeth but never bitten me out of aggression. She has however accidentally got my finger while hand feeding her (it was my fault not hers) but i will say that it hurt pretty significantly. Took off some skin and throbbed. Felt like i shut my finger in a door. Not a big deal but to a kid maybe it would be. So yeah it could be an issue especially with a lot of kids i could see how it could get overwhelmed.
My 5th grade teacher had one, and she took it home every night with her. She would allow it to run around the classroom sometimes as long as everyone stayed in their seat and we could watch it eat. But we weren't allowed to hold or touch it. I stayed after school to watch her clean the cage and stuff, thus my love of reptiles and beardies was born. Ive had one ever since.
Also need to consider how beardless get their water. Whilst you can have a bowl of water in your viv, if it's anything like mine it might not get touched. I've never seen mine drink from his water bowl, but it's there should he want to. They get most of their water from their food. Vegetables dry out fairly quickly in the conditions in their enclosure which is part of the reason mine get fresh everyday. I reckon there'll little if any water in the veg should it be left for several days.
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beyourownspotlight
Hatchling Dragon
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I'm not understanding. Are you suggesting multiple people who might have experience could take it in turns to take the bearded dragon home?
No, not multiple people just you. I know a girl
that is a teacher and she brings the dragon home on the weekends. I know another girl that is a librarian, she brings her dragon home on the weekend.
I would hope that the pet you are having in the classroom is one that you have experience with and you know how to care for.
that is a teacher and she brings the dragon home on the weekends. I know another girl that is a librarian, she brings her dragon home on the weekend.
I would hope that the pet you are having in the classroom is one that you have experience with and you know how to care for.
