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Bearded Dragons for Sale
Bearded Dragon
Keeping Bearded Dragons as Pets
Killer, the full grown bearded dragon
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Type |
Cold blooded reptile, in the lizard
family. Diurnal (up during the day and sleeping at night) |
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Temperament |
Bearded Dragons make excellent
reptile pets. With one of the best temperaments of all lizards, they are
generally docile, and many seem to actually enjoy being handled. They are
diurnal (up during the day and sleeping at night), which means you can watch
them during the day. They will watch your every move sometimes pacing their tank
as if begging for attention and to be fed (they love to eat!). Their spikes make
them look like dinosaurs, however, they are usually quite tame and easy to
handle. They can even make good pets for children, if properly supervised, and
their relatively small size makes them very manageable. Bearded dragons vary in their
personality. Some are more personable and responsive then others. Some show more
signs of intelligence than others. |
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Size |
When first born baby bearded
dragons are just under 4 inches in length and weigh about 1/10 of an ounce (2
1/2-3 grams). Adults typically are 19-23 inches and weight at least 3/4 of a
pound (250 grams). The German giant morphn type can reach up to 26 inches in
length. |
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Housing |
Bearded dragons are often kept
in a glass aquarium tank with a screen top. Other housing that is sometimes used
are custom wood cages (which can be hard to clean), cages made from molded
plastic, which can be pricey but they are light weight and easy to clean. You
can start a baby for the first 4 to 6 months in a 30 inch long enclosure.
Keeping a baby in a larger area can sometimes cause problems as the baby may
have a hard time finding his food, water, basking sites and shelters. As the
baby grows a larger area will need to be provided. The smallest enclosure for
one or two adult bearded dragons is either a 4-foot x 2 foot tank or a 6-foot x
18-inch tank. A single adult should not be kept in a tank smaller than a
standard 55 gallon (48 inch x13 -inch) tank. Anything smaller will restrict
activity in a way that is not healthy for the beardie. A wood chip bedding is
not always recommended as the crickets will find places to hide, making it
difficult for the Beardie to find its food. These hiding crickets will then come
out during the night hours while your beardie is trying to sleep, harass him and
stress him out. Sand or fine gravel is a good alternative. Sand and fine gravel
are not only their natural desert bedding but it is easy to keep clean. Poop can
be scooped out in clumps. A layer between 2 and 3 inches is recommended. Some
also like to use newspaper or even rabbit pellets or alfalfa pellets, but you
must watch so that it doesn't mold if it gets wet. Cage carpet can also be used.
It can be taken out and washed over and over. If you choose to use cage carpet
be sure there are not loose ends that can be ingested. Bearded dragons need a
source of heat. Some choose to use a heat pad, however Beardies like to bask in
the sun and a heat lamp provides a good replica of the sun. If you place a rock
under the lamp, the lamp will also heat the rock which will also warm up the
dragons underside. A basking light should be provided at one end of the cage.
Bearded dragons are primarily desert dwellers, however, they do spend the
hottest part of the days in relatively cool areas; as with all desert animals,
too much heat can be just as dangerous as too little. During the day the
temperature should range from 76 F (24 C) on the cool side to 86 F (30 C) on the
warm side, with a basking area ranging from 90-100 F (32-37.7 C). Night time
temperatures can drop no lower than the low to mid 70s (21 C) on the cool side.
It is also recommended that you provide a UV light to help them absorb calcium.
UV light activates the synthesis of vitamin D3, which is a prerequisite for the
absorption of calcium and other minerals from the diet. Remember that glass
filters out virtually ALL of the beneficial UV rays needed by reptiles for
vitamin D3 conversion. Always place your fixtures above the tank, preferably on
the screen, to allow the light to pass with no filtering! Keep all lighting and
fixtures out of the tank to prevent your dragon coming into contact with the hot
fixture and possibly causing severe burns. Your lighting cycle should run
between 12-14 hours of light per day, and the use of a timer is recommended. If
you choose to put your Beardies cage near a window for a natural source of
sunlight, be sure to carefully monitor the temperature!
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Clean-up |
Bearded Dragons should have
their cages spotted cleaned daily. When using sand as a bedding, poop can be
easily scooped out. Rocks and any drift wood should be whipped of poop and or
ran under water. Food bowls should be washed daily in-between each feeding. A
thorough cleaning should be done weekly. |
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Grooming |
Bearded Dragons do not require
grooming, however, they will enjoy a shower now and then: a light misting with
water will also help keep the skin humidified to make it easier to shed. The
tank, however, should never be damp. |
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Feeding |
Bearded dragons should be fed a
combination of live bugs and vegetables along with some fruits. Vegetables need
to make up a significant part of your Dragon's diet: 10-25% for hatchlings and
juveniles, 30-50% for an adult. A wide variety is
the key, however crickets and dark leafy greens being two of the main choices
especially for babies. The live food consists of commercially-bred crickets,
meal worms, wax worms, and juvenile Madagascar hissing cockroaches, which can
usually be found in your local pets store. (yes this means regular trips to your
local pet store for food) It is not recommended that you catch your bearded
dragons live food outdoors, such as crickets. Outdoor bugs may have been exposed
to pesticides, even if you do not use pesticides, your neighbor might, which may
kill your bearded dragon. Green vegetables, and fruits can be offered in
appropriate-sized pieces, usually finely chopped is best. A good rule of thumb
is to chop veggie and fruits no larger then the space between the dragons eyes. Leafy greens high in
calcium should be offered such as kale, arugula, collard & mustard greens,
parsley, dandelion greens & flowers, endives, radish, carrot & turnip tops,
escarole and chicory endive. Finely chopped squash, corn, peas, carrots
(shredded), sweet potato, cucumber, zucchini, green peppers, chard, chopped
fruit such as cantaloupe, apple, blueberries, peaches, pears, grapes, plums,
raspberries can also be fed. Avoid spinach - it actually prevents some nutrients
from being absorbed. Plants from fields and lawns that have not been
treated with pesticides and herbicides can be fed as well. Leaves, blossoms from
clovers, dandelion, and mustard and well liked by beardies. Some types of grass
and petals from rose blossoms, hibiscus and calendula can be offered as a treat
along with finely chopped fruits such as apples. Citrus should never be given to
a bearded dragon. Nor should iceberg lettuce be fed, iceberg lettuce has very
little nutrition and may lead to the runs causing dehydration. Some people like
to try and feed pellets and or dog food to their beardies, however many bearded
dragons will not eat commercial diets and feeding pellets and dog food may lead
to a calcium deficiency and dehydration. All food that is offered should be
smaller in width than the dragons mouth to avoid chocking and blockage while
digesting. Crickets and meal worms purchased from the pet store are usually not high in nutrients directly from the pet store. Therefore
gutloading is highly recommended. Gutloading means, you feed your mealies and
crickets a high nutrition diet 24 hours before feeding them to your dragon.
Things such as dark greens, oranges, carrots potatoes for moisture, and a
mixture of baby cereal are some examples of things that should be fed to your
crickets and mealies before feeding them to your dragon. You can also purchase a
product called Gutload from the pet store which is loaded with nutrients that
will be passed on to your dragon. Pinky mice can be fed to adult dragons once in
a while. Baby beardies should be fed 2-3 times daily. They should be fed
as many crickets as they can eat in a 10 minute period. Very small crickets
should be a first food for newborn hatchlings. Any uneaten crickets should be
removed from the tank. Too many crickets hopping around the cage can stress a
beardie out. They may also gang up on and bite the beardie. Beardies are diurnal
(up during the day and sleeping at night) Crickets tend to be nocturnal. The
crickets will hide during the day and come out at night while the beardie is
trying to sleep. Always provide fresh water for your dragon. It should be in a
bowl or dish shallow enough for your lizard to see easily into and drink out of;
deeper bowls can be half-sunk into the bedding. Vitamin and mineral supplements
can be offered, being careful not to overload them with vitamins but on the
other hand providing an adequate amount. A calcium supplement is usually
recommended. Contact your vet to find out the proper amounts to give. |
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Exercise |
If you provide a large enough
home for the beardie it should give itself adequate exercise all on its own. |
Life Expectancy |
About 5-8 years, some have been
known to live up to 12 years. |
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Health Problems |
Bearded Dragons tend to be very
healthy reptiles. Given the proper food and care a bearded dragon can live out
its life without facing any problems. Listed below are some of the problems that
can occur with a bearded dragon. One of the main health problems for bearded
dragons is a calcium/vitamin D3 deficiency. Other health problems can include
mites, internal parasites, respiratory infections, gastroenteric infections,
pseudomona, coccidia, egg-binding, partial paralysis associated with hind leg
extension. If you house several baby bearded dragons together with an inadequate
food supply available, they may start to nip each others tails or toes and
fingers. They do not regenerate either their tale or their toes or fingers if
lost, however infections usually do not result. |
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Gestation |
A male and a female dragon
should not be kept together until they're at least 2 years old, and then ONLY if
you intend to breed. Before the age a two years a female dragon's bones are not
developed enough to lose the calcium and pass the eggs easily. Many times they
reabsorb the eggs and you never know they produced them. A few eggs may develop
into a cream/yellow color funny shaped things that will need to be passed or may
even block up the dragon. Only a female who is 2 years old or older should be
allowed to breed. Bearded Dragons usually mate around February. Their Gestation
period is 5 weeks. A couple of weeks before the dragon is due to lay their eggs
a cat litter type tray of bird sand and peat with a piece of bark covering the
top should be placed in with the bearded. The bearded dragon will lay about
20-30 eggs. The eggs should be incubated at 82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit for a
period of 65-75 days. About 24 hours before the eggs are due to hatch they will
start to collapse. Newly hatched dragons should be left in the incubator for a
period of 24 hours to allow the yolk sac to be absorbed. Young bearded dragons
will usually start to feed within 72 hours of hatching. Babies should be fed
very small crickets and very small/hatchling locusts. |
| Origin |
The Inland Bearded Dragon,
Pogona vitticeps, is native to eastern continental Australia, but most of the
beardies in pet stores are now captive bred. The name Bearded Dragon comes from
the beard of adult males, and the Australian word for this type of lizard. Their
color ranges from the "normal" sandy colored tans and beiges to reds, oranges,
and golds. |
Lizard Calendars!
Killer, the adult Bearded Dragon
Live crickets are a bearded dragons favorite food.
Killer, the baby Bearded Dragon
A typical bearded dragon set up. Heat lamp on one end and a
UV light on the other. The UV lights gives out very little heat, therefore the
end with the UV light will be the cooler end of the tank.
Bearded Dragons shed their skin as they grow.
Misha, the friendly Bearded Dragon.
Bearded Dragon Photos Page
1
Video - Bearded
Dragon Eating Crickets
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