Wildcaught?

**graduationxday** · #1 07-11-2008, 04:20 PM

I was looking at yardsales today for a nice tank.
Planning on some fire belly toads and a BD.
At one yardsale, I talked to the seller about why I was looking for a big tank.
Told her I wanted a BD, and she said "My husband has one! He caught it out west."
My mom was joking around and said "Wanna sell it?" and she was like "Yes! Tank and everything. We're moving and I don't want it to come with us."

They've had it for four years.
I wouldn't normally want a wild caught one, but they aren't caring for him properly, I don't think.
From the size they were saying the tank was, they have him in a 20 gallon.
I know that's not big enough.
They haven't tamed him or anything, and I'm pretty sure they don't let him get in a tub of water.

I dont know what I should do in this situation.
I know I could give him a better home, but it won't be anything like how he was in the wild. I'm tempted to want to let him back go, cause my boyfriend's going out west, but I don't know if he could survive it anymore since he's been in captivity for four years.

I didn't know BDs lived in the US other than as pets...
Do they?
It may not even be a bearded dragon. They could just be wrong.
Gosh. I really just have no idea what to do.
Advice??

**venus** · #2 07-11-2008, 04:29 PM

Cant help you without a picture. Did they happen to show it to you? I doubt it was a wild caught bearded dragon, but stranger things could happen. Can you get more information. How do you know they weren't caring for it right?

**graduationxday** · #3 07-11-2008, 04:35 PM

It wasn't at that house, so I didn't get to see it.
I have a number to call, and I can maybe get him to email me pictures or something, or since he lives close I could just go see it.
They showed me with their hands, you know "About this long, and this wide.." and it looked like a twenty gallon.
That's too small for an adult dragon, isn't it?
And the wife said they feed it carrots and rediccio [[i dunno how to spell it..]] lettuce mostly, and crickets.
I don't know anything else for sure.
She said they don't handle it, and that makes me thing they don't give him baths and stuff.

I'm probably going to call and ask about more stuff, live substrate and heating and such, and I'm going to ask if its healthy.

I just really don't know what to do. :[[[
I don't have a tank for a BD yet, but I'm probably going to make one pretty soon after I get my shelves fixed and the lid for my snake's cage fixed.
But if he's lived in it for four years, I'm sure he can wait a little bit while I make his new one.

**graduationxday** · #4 07-11-2008, 04:37 PM

Oh yeah, if I did get him, would I be able to get him tame?
So I could take him outside sometimes and put him in a bath and all.

**Merlin** · #5 07-11-2008, 05:08 PM

Bearded dragons are not native to the US and I have never heard of any wild colonies living here. They originally came from Australia but all that are here now are captive bred.
I am not sure what these people have but I highly doubt its a bearded dragon. Since it is something that they caught there is no telling what kind of a lizard it is and as such you have no way of knowing if you could even care for it.
If you could get them to send you a picture of the animal we could help you with identification.

**graduationxday** · #6 07-11-2008, 06:24 PM

That's probably what I'll do.
I didn't think they were native here, so I was confused. x]

I'll call.
Gosh I hate calling people I don't know... :/

Oh well. It's worth it. lol

**graduationxday** · #7 07-11-2008, 06:30 PM

Okay I talked to the guy.
He said he caught it in New Mexico.
He said someone let it go and he caught it.
He lives pretty close to me, so I'm gonna go see it.
If my mom takes me... I can't drive yet. x]
I'll take a picture and show ya'll.

**graduationxday** · #8 07-11-2008, 06:41 PM

I'm about to leave to go to his house.
Would it be rude to ask if I could take a picture? :/

He said he'd take $50 for the BD and tank.
I can probably do that, just not today...

I'll tell ya'll how it went when I get back. :]

**Merlin** · #9 07-11-2008, 06:57 PM

Just tell him you are interested in the animals but need to make sure its what you think that it is.
For all you know it may be a protected species!

**graduationxday** · #10 07-11-2008, 07:22 PM

I went over to look at him and get a pic for ya'll.
And when I got there I realized I had forgotten to take my camera.

But!
He looked exactly like a bearded dragon.
Normal colored, not anything special though.
Are there any BD look-a-likes in New Mexico?

And he was healthy looking and alert.
He didn't seem amaciated or anything.
He'd follow your fingers if you moved them.


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