In the past week, much misinformation about adenovirus was being circulated in emails and verbally to keepers and breeders of bearded dragons. These erroneous statements continued to grow and became alarming as they were giving dangerously wrong information about something that is affecting some breeder's colonies and can affect the entire population of bearded dragons in the US.
This inaccurate information was also being used by a breeder that was selling adenovirus positive bearded dragons to the public as he felt what was stated, made it an acceptable practice. I contacted the universities and veterinarians that a mass mailings of informational flyers were suppose to be quoting and also names from personal emails to me. In all cases, the veterinarians and universities denied this was information coming from them, anyone on their staff or that these comments were accurate.
Each was provided the same flyer type email that was mass mailed to individuals. Elliot Jacobson DVM, PhD, DACZM Professor of Zoological Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville was gracious enough to take the time from his very busy schedule to respond in emails, called me to review them and why he feels this is happening. He also provided the following information to be shared with our community in hopes this can dispel some of this misinformation until his staff can complete a page dedicated to this topic in bearded dragons, on their new website. Please read the following letter from him and reprinted with his permission to interested individuals in this industry.
From the sadness of someone's passing, also emerges a story of life and communities working together to nurture that life. Marilyn Mears was recovering from the unexpected passing of her husband, Bill, a few months ago when she received another shock. Bill Mears, of Ontario, Canada, was an internationally known hobby breeder of inland bearded dragons. Noted for their personable nature and fondness for human companions this species, that comes from an area of central Australia, has become one of the most rapidly growing popular pets of the lizard species within the US. Bill was one of the early breeders of them, and also a highly respected source of information on their care in captivity in North America and Europe through his website Borderview Dragons.
When Bill passed away, Marilyn had worked quickly to place all of Bill's small colony of them with competent individuals, since she was not that knowledgeable about their care or needs. Once they were safely placed, she closed down the room that had been built off their home that housed them, turned off the heat to it and this became a storage area.
Imagine her surprise and then panic a few months after his death, when she went to store an item and saw several tiny faces peeping at her from several corners.
Cheryl & Jim of Virginia, report that their first clutch from 2 year old parents hatched 3 sets of twins. She was delighted to see two heads piping from one egg, but when two more eggs did the same thing, she was amazed.
We have heard of several breeders reporting twin births, but never of one reporting 3 in one clutch. Often twins are much smaller than their siblings, so a challenge for needing extra care is greater for them to survive. These are between 1-2 weeks old now and all eating good and growing. They do gestate the same time period that siblings do, unlike mammals who usually are born early.
In two sets of twins, one is slightly smaller than the other, in the 3rd set they are the same size. One set had the yolk sac still attached, but since have dissolved.
The first still surviving albino bearded dragons have hatched and are thriving at 2 weeks old. There are 4 of them with 8 normal looking siblings. Here are several pictures of them with their siblings.
These pictures have been examined by experts and declared genuine, not altered or tampered with.
These are NOT a product of intentional breeding to get albinos, but occurred naturally from unrelated parents. They are reported to be eating well, growing and healthy. These babies are being exposed to natural sun for an hour a day since it is not known what the contrary effects are that UVB exposure may have on them at this time and are also being supplemented.
These are not the first albinos to hatch. They have been found in the wild by field researchers in Australia, but only deceased babies and no adults. Some, a few years ago, were reported to have hatched in Australia, but none survived, and also some in Nevada, that only lived a few days, never eating.
Please join us in welcoming these long watched for babies and sending good wishes for their continuing to thrive.
I have been emailing with the gentleman who identified and named P. henrylawsoni's (improperly called rankins by some) and he shared some information on bearded dragons in their native environment I thought you all might find interesting.
He has identified and has a specimen of a ninth species of pogona and is about to name it. Similar to P. henrylawsoni but brick red in color with a white belly and other markers that verify a different species.
