It is NEVER safe to leave my daughter Laura or myself alone in a pet store for more than a minute or two. When we do tend to wander off from each other, we often meet others with animals who are really very friendly and there are times when we do end up coming home with one of those animals if the person bringing it to the store is looking to rehome it! This is the case of the Queen! I'll explain.
Laura and I go to various pet stores at least 2 or 3 times a week to pick up crickets for the lizards, or other gizmos and gadgets that we feel one of our animals need or will feel great if they had it in their possession. Laura often spoils her dog Yuuki with extremely expensive little cans of dog food; I personally never spend that much on Ginger, but then again Ginger eats about half of whatever I'm eating. She's only a little spoiled herself. Today, Laura and I headed into PetSmart to pick up a new wire cage for her newly adopted rats (rescued really from becoming feeders). She named them (all female) Freya, Eden, and Lyric. Oh, my goodness, they are adorable. We went into PetSmart because I thought I remembered a cage that was out of the box. I saw it the last time we were in, and if it was still there, being out of the box often means that it may be a return, and therefore about 30-40% reduced in price! YEA!
I was correct! Laura did in fact pick up the really nice "apartment" for the rats, and saved herself about $30! You just can't beat that - - unless you count leaving the store knowing you're about to adopt a two-year-old (adult) Bearded Dragon that needed to be rehomed due to her not being so happy where she was living. Even lizards get depressed folks, it's a fact. They start to dim in color, they stop eating, they just hang out in their hides and don't want to be social. It's a very sad thing really. I asked the lady (a store associate) who owned her what she needed and how I could be of assistance. Turns out the lizard needed to be rehomed, not just given a play date. I bet you didn't realize that lizards very much like to interact and be given human attention. They do. Beardies can live to be about 15-16 years, so she's still young, but she's over the juvenile stage. This is important for her diet.
If you know us, know me, know Laura, (or really any of us, Caity and/or Reuben could be counted on to do the same things Laura and I do) you'd know that I can't turn down a good looking healthy (even if it's depressed) lizard! They are so freaking adorable! Did I have a big enough tank or enclosure? No! Did I know where to get one in the next 30 minutes? Yes! I found a nice 40-gallon tank and the lady was super happy. She didn't want to part with the enclosure she had been keeping the lizard in as it was rather expensive ($1000) and it was handcrafted. I don't blame her. I ran over to Alligator Alley (Oklahoma's Reptile Store) and I picked up a 40-gallon tank for $85.00 with a great lid (with locks). The owner gave me the lizard for free, and I purchased the needed accessories such as the lamp, heating rock, heating source (for the corner) ground covering, hides, water and food dishes, even some climbs, and a really cool bamboo hammock from the owner. The minute I set it up the lady pulled into the drive and we made the rehoming happen! Perfect!
She had been named "Smaug" for the smaller dragon in the Lord of the Rings. I don't really like that name, sorry. I thought about it, and she's a Queen! I decided she should be Queen Isabella de Brugh of Scotland! I can call her Issy. She's really a nice-sized lizard, about 16" long from tip to tail. She's lighter in color and has amazing orange and darker tan striping. She's just so sweet, but she's not really friendly yet. She'll be OK, and after a week or two of becoming familiar with us, I'm sure she'll be lapping water out of our hands and eating super worms from our fingers. I don't mind giving her all the time she needs. In my room (where she's kept) I have a white noise machine that is on constant "Ocean" sounds. I also play sweet Celtic instrumental music most of the day and keep the lights dim until the evening. She'll find it very relaxing and she'll enjoy my company I hope. I spend a great deal of time at the computer and she can look out of her enclosure to watch me. She's staring at me now, probably wondering what that wonderful smell is - - it's a Butter Rum and Caramel candle from Michaels!! (Ah...Autumn in August)
That's about it. News from the Home of the Stringfellows. New rats this week, and now a new Bearded Dragon. You just have to keep up if you can. Since we sold the horses it has become nicer in that on the weekends and evenings we're no longer at the barn. We're home-loving on critters that we can fit in our hands. She's a big big lizard for sure, probably about 5 pounds if I had to guess. Right now, she's literally lounging on her hammock in the corner under the heat source, listening to the ocean waves and smelling the candles. I think she's already feeling a bit more chill than she was at her other place. I don't know the situation, but I can tell you this, she's one chill lady at the moment!
Queen Isabella de Brugh. Photo Credit: Me
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