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Bearded Dragon Introduction
The Common Bearded dragon (Pogona
vitticeps), otherwise known as the Central, Inland or
Yellow-headed Bearded dragon originates from arid, semi-desert
parts of Australia. They are calm and curious dragons, each with
their own personality, which makes them great pets.
Bearded Dragon Development
Hatchling (day 1 to 6 weeks), juvenile (6
weeks to 9 months), adult (9 months and older).
The lifespan of a Bearded dragon is
approximately 7 to 12 years.
Bearded Dragon Housing
Vivarium Size
Adult Bearded dragons can grow up to about 60 cm / 24 " in length
(sometimes larger). For this a terrarium with a floor space of
at least (90 x 35) cm / (35 x 14) " is needed for a single
Bearded dragon, and (130 x 42) cm / (50 x 17) " for an adult
pair. A 40 gal / 150 ℓ / (91 x 46 x 43) cm / (36 x 18 x 17) "
tank /
aquarium,
should be large enough for a single adult Bearded dragon and a
55 gal / 200 ℓ / (122 x 33 x 53) cm / (48 x 13 x 21) " tank
should be adequate for an adult pair. The floor space should
increase by at least 25% for every Bearded dragon added after
that. Other commonly used Bearded dragon housing enclosures
include large
cabinets and large plastic
cages.
Bearded Dragon
Substrate
Good bedding substrates include
newspaper, butcher / brown paper carpet and astroturf.
Inappropriate substrates such as sand, soil, egg shells, corn
cob or any sized gravel or pebbles can give problems with
ingestion and subsequent impaction.
Do not house different sized / aged dragons together until they
are at least six months old. Larger Bearded dragons tend to
“bully” the smaller ones and can even cause fatal biting
injuries.
Bearded Dragon Maintenance
Daily
Feeding, cleaning food containers, replacing water, poop
scooping and removing old food residues.
Monthly
Terrarium cleaning and substrate replacement. Replacement of
heat and UV source (UV lights should be replaced every five to
six
months). Cleaning and sterilization of cage decorations and
equipment. Diluted F10 can be used for effective and safe
cleaning or terrariums or cage furniture.
Yearly
Inspection of all electrical equipment, plugs & switches should
be done twice a year.
Bearded Dragon Environment
Bearded
Dragon Temperature
Beardies are ectothermic (relying on external heat sources to
keep their body temperature at a suitable level) and
poikilothermic (having a variable body temperature). A basking
spot should be supplied (use a 60 Watt spotlight about 20 cm
/ 8 " above a flat piece of rock). This will also provide most of the
environmental heat. For a dragon to thermoregulate, temperatures
should range from about 24 ºC / 75 ºF on one side to about 34 ºC
/ 93 ºF on the
other, the hot spot of course being hotter (about 40 ºC / 104 ºF).
To provide shade and a cooler surface to climb on, driftwood or
a piece of stomp should be placed on the cooler side of the
terrarium. Although not necessary, night temperatures can drop
to as low as 17 ºC / 62 ºF.
Bearded Dragon
Lighting
For UVA and UVB requirements a full spectrum reptile lamp
(preferably 5% or more) should be mounted about 30 cm / 12 " above the
basking area. UVA helps make food appear more appealing thus
stimulating feeding behavior.
Bearded dragon UVB is needed for calcium
absorption and bone mineralization. For sufficient UV
requirements, even if artificial UV is supplied, these reptiles
should be placed in natural sunlight for at least one to two
hours a day.
Day Length / Photoperiod
All lights (including heat lights) should be on for about 14
hours per day. Commercially available
Bearded dragon electric timers can be
used to automate the light cycle.
Bearded Dragon Feeding
Beardies are omnivorous, which means they eat
meat (mostly insects) and plant material. Young dragons are more
dependant on proteins, thus their diet should consist of insects
with about 20% fruits, greens and vegetables. From about ten
months a gradual change to mostly plant material can be made. A
good rule of thumb is that food (insects & plant material)
should be about the same length as the space between the
animal’s eyes, but for larger dragons it can be up to 2/3rds of
its head.
Crickets are commercially the most available insects and it is
jam packed with most of the Beardies’ nutritional needs. Insects
can be fed dead or alive. It should always be
gut loaded and
dusted two to three times a week with a suitable calcium
supplement. It is recommended that the crickets of growing
babies and juveniles and gravid females are dusted three times a
week, otherwise two times should be adequate. To gut load
insects additional fruits and vegetables (mentioned below for
Bearded dragons) and a good quality cat food can be fed 24 to 48
before feeding.
Other commercial foods include
Dubia roaches
and other feeder
cockroaches,
silkworms and
Phoenix worms.
Less desirable Bearded dragon food items include
mealworms,
waxworms,
superworms,
Trevo worms,
grasshoppers and
nestling mice.
Suitable fruits include kiwis, grapes, strawberries, bananas and
papayas while greens include lucerne, nasturtium, carrot tops,
parsley, celery, rosemary, oregano and basil. Vegetables such as
carrots, corn, green beans, peas and beetroot are also
favorites. Onions, spinach and cabbage type vegetables should be
avoided.
Bearded dragon feeding should preferably take place within the vivarium where
the animal is used to its immediate temperature. Young dragons
should preferably be fed three to four times a day (not less
than two times a day) while older Bearded dragons can be fed daily or
every other day. Feeding should take place not more than two
hours before lights out and not less than two hours after lights
on. Feed as much as the animal can eat within 15 minutes.
Bearded Dragon Handling
Gently scoop up the dragon with your hand
under its belly and always take care to support the body. Let
them rest in your palm with your fingers gently curled over the
back. It is important to always wash your hands with a suitable
disinfectant soap after Bearded dragon handling, its food or
its cage furniture.
Bearded Dragon Health
Regular health inspections with a reptile
friendly veterinarian are vital in the continual health of your
pet. Try to take a fresh faecal sample, sealed in an airtight
ziplock bag, with your reptile to the consult room.
Some of the most common Bearded dragon health problems
include gut parasites, environmental stress, metabolic bone
disease (MBD), sand impactions, physical injuries due to
falling, burns from incorrect placed heat sources and stress.
Most of these can be avoided with the correct husbandry. MBD can
be prevented by the combination of enough calcium and the
correct UV lighting. Less common problems include parasites such
as ticks, lice and adenovirus.
Consult your reptile friendly veterinarian or herpetologist if
any of the abovementioned problems occur.
Always Remember
If you have read something funny, or heard something that sounds
out of place, use your common sense before applying. It is
extremely important to do research from more than one source
(before buying or accepting a new animal). Browse other internet
pages, read related magazines and talk to experienced people.
Use the menu below to get more in-depth
information on important Bearded dragon care-related topics or
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