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"Pet Bearded Dragon Care & Information (Pogona vitticeps)"

Bearded Dragon Prices & Costs

Questions that gets asked a lot is:

What is the Bearded dragon price range?

or

How much does a Bearded dragon cost?

The question one should actually ask is, what will a Bearded dragon cost me? This answer to this very important question is twofold. First, yes, what does a Bearded dragon actually cost i.e. what will it cost me to buy a new Bearded dragon (or to determine what babies are actually worth for selling), but more importantly, what are the maintenance costs of keeping a pet or baby Bearded dragon.

So many people think that there is only a once-off expense when purchasing a Bearded dragon. While the initial costs can actually set you back quite a bit, the ongoing costs must also be considered. I will try to explain all the important aspects involved in the total costs of keeping a pet Bearded dragon:

1. The initial cost of a new Bearded dragon (i.e. Bearded dragon price)

2. The initial cost of Bearded dragon housing

3. The ongoing cost of Bearded dragon food

4. The ongoing cost of a Bearded dragon vivarium

1 ) Because Bearded dragons are established pets and bred in large numbers, their prices are relative low in comparison with other lizards and even snakes. Their prices are declining and will become very cheap in the near future. I reckon a good price for a normal baby (six weeks) Beardie is ZAR 200, or about U$D50 in 2009. There will be a slight variation in the Bearded dragon price range depending on your local availability.

In south Africa the baby Bearded dragon price tag actually decreased quite a bit from ZAR 600 in 2004 and ZAR 1 000 in 2003). Commercially available pet Bearded dragon become more expensive with age, while some colour and pattern variations will also cost more.

2) The initial costs of a properly set up Bearded dragon vivarium can also set you back quite a bit. It is actually normal to pay three to four times more for the caging and all of its accessories than for the dragon itself! A proper sized, good quality cage or enclosure will last the lifetime of the dragon itself. Additional accessories such as Bearded dragon UV and Bearded dragon heating, a basking rock and a suitable substrate will also contribute to the initial costs.

3) Food, mainly live insects, is probably going to be the most expensive part of keeping a pet Bearded dragon. Apart from the need of having a constant reliable supply of live crickets, one must also consider the price of these insects on a regular, weekly to monthly basis. Although it is cheaper in the States and probably other parts of the world, a weeks supply of crickets in South Africa can easily set you back about ZAR 100.

4) Vivarium accessories such as UV lighting need to be replaced at least every six months. Other hardware that need regular inspection and replacement includes the wiring, the heat bulbs and the vivarium substrate. The ongoing costs of electricity use also needs to be considered in this category.

Always Remember
Always remember only to buy healthy animals from reputable pet shops and breeders. Make sure to buy animals that are captive bred in your own country and that it is not illegally imported or caught from the wild.

The Advanced Bearded Dragon Manual
For Basic & Advanced Bearded dragon care incl. Bearded dragon prices & more...
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