|
Bearded Dragon Care Sheet |
|
|
|
Written by Jonathan
|
|
Monday, 03 April 2006 |
|
Bearded Dragon
Introduction
Bearded Dragons are moderate size lizards from Australia. They live in a desert climate that is typical of the Australian outback. All Bearded Dragons that you find in the United States are...
captive bred. This is because it is illegal to export them from Australia and all the Bearded Dragons in the US and the descendents of dragons exported before this law was created.
Choosing a Specimen
Before choosing a Bearded Dragon, you will have to choose what age of dragon you want. Baby Bearded Dragons are voracious eaters. They can easily eat 50-100 appropriate size crickets a day. This might prompt you to choose an older dragon with a smaller appetite.
When choosing a specific dragon, make sure it is alert and follows you with its eyes. It should not be sleeping if it’s in the middle of the day. Make sure the dragon has all of its toes and limbs and no large nips off of its tail. Baby Bearded Dragons have been known to take nips off their baby brothers and sisters. Make sure the cage looks clean with no flies or other pests flying around. Also, check to see if the right temperature has been maintained and the correct lighting is being used.
Some Questions you might want to ask the breeder/pet storeowner…
· What is the frequency of feeding?
· What size crickets do you feed them?
· What other food items do you offer?
· Do you use supplements when you feed?
With the answers to these questions you will be able to decide how well they have been taken care of.  Bearded Dragon
Housing
Baby Bearded Dragons can easily be housed in a 10-gallon aquarium. Bearded dragons grow quick and should be moved to a larger aquarium around 3-4 months with adults (1 year old) housed in at least a 50-gallon (long) aquarium. Bearded Dragons are semi-arboreal so they do need things to climb on. Driftwood or sand blasted grapevines are two good choices. Do not use branches you find outside. These may carry harmful parasites that may affect you bearded dragon. A hide box should also be provided for your dragon to hide in. This will help to eliminate stress on you dragon.
Heating and Lighting
Bearded Dragons need full spectrum fluorescent lighting with UVB. This should be on 12 to 14 hours a day. The temperature gradient should be 78 on the cool side and 88 on the warm side. The basking area should be 90-100 degrees. The basking spot should be a rock so the bearded dragon can get the warmth from the top and the bottom. It is essential that the dragon can receive warmth from the bottom because it is necessary for proper digestion.
Do not use heat rocks. These have been known to get to hot and potentially burn your lizard. The method I use is simpler and safer. Find a large enough rock so that your dragon can fit on it. If you find a rock from outdoors be sure to thoroughly clean it with a 10% bleach solution. Then place this rock on top of a heating pad that has been attached to the bottom exterior of the cage. Make sure that the rock is in direct contact with the glass bottom and not on a layer of substrate. The basking light should then be placed so it is directly over the rock to ensure the rock is nice and warm for your dragon. I use a 100watt bulb for the basking light.
Don’t guess if you have the right temperature. Buy at least 2 thermometers, one for each side and one hygrometer. The humidity should be kept around 40%. Since they are desert creatures you do not have to worry about keeping the humidity up. The thermometers should be placed fairly close to the ground since that is where the bearded will be spending the majority of its time.
Water
Bearded Dragons absorb most, if not all, of the water they need through the food they eat. I supply a water dish in my cage just in case he may be thirsty. I have on several occasions witnessed him drinking out of this bowl. You cannot count on yours doing the same. As long as you feed you dragon lost of moist vegetables, he should easily stay hydrated.
Food
There are a couple of things you can feed your bearded dragon. One could be the standard cricket diet. This is fine as long as the crickets are gut loaded and supplemented with vitamins and calcium. If you are feeding crickets, you will also have to feed your dragon a diet of leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, and/or turnip greens. These should be chopped up small enough for the bearded dragon to eat. I spray mine with extra water right before I feed it to give it some extra moisture for my dragon. You may also want to sprinkle some vitamin/calcium mix over the greens.
Another method is to buy a commercial diet for your reptile. One such diet is Repcal’s Bearded Dragon Food. This you can buy in a 4 ½ lbs bag for only $15. This is a great deal because if you are only feeding one dragon, this will easily last you a year if not longer. This food provides all the necessary vitamins and calcium the bearded dragons needs. Bearded Dragon
Substrate
There is a debate on which is the better substrate to use. The standard type of bedding is a sand substrate. This is fine to use as long as you do not feed crickets in the same cage. If the sand is ingested it could cause impaction in the intestines, which could lead to death. If you use sand and plan on feeding your bearded crickets, be sure to have a separate cage with either a cage liner or paper towels to feed it in. Feeding commercial diets or vegetables is alright in the regular cage.
Another type of bedding is Alfalfa Pellets. These are harmless if ingested. There have been rumors that the dust from these pellets can cause respiratory problems in you lizards, though I have never personally witnessed this before.
Supplements
Like all reptile, Bearded Dragons need both vitamin and calcium supplements. The prey items should be dusted with a calcium/vitamin mixture (2 parts calcium to every 1 part vitamins) every other day.
Supplies
· 50 gallon long terrarium or larger
· Substrate
· Water Bowl
· Food Dish
· Flourescent Light Fixture
· Full Spectrum light with UVB
· Heat Lamp
· Heat Lamp Bulb (100watt)
· Heat Pad
· Basking Rock
· Hiding Place
· Branch
· 2x Thermometers
· 1x Hygrometer
· Crickets or Prepared Diet
· Timers
· Vitamins
· Calcium
· Feeding Tank |
Home 
Care Sheets