The bearded dragon is a type of ancient lizard, which was originally found in the deserts of central Australia. This lizard is called “bearded” because it has a flap of skin underneath its chin. Whenever the bearded dragon is disturbed, it extends this flap of skin. Usually these lizards are very even-tempered though. They also seem to do quite well with human interaction.
Besides this flap of skin that is their “beard,” these lizards have a broad triangular head and a flattened body. The adults will reach the length of 19.5 inches whenever it is measured from the tip of its head to the end of its tail. Males are a little longer than females., but females are slightly heavier
A bearded dragon can live for between 8 and 12 years when it is properly cared for. In such a case, there have been some owners who have reported that their bearded dragons have lived to be 15-years-old. So, if you want 1 of these lizards as a pet, you will need to be prepared to care for it for a long time to come.
Today the bearded dragon one of the most popular pet lizards in the United States and Canada. It is rapidly gaining popularity as an exotic pet throughout the rest of the world too because of their convenient size, hardiness, and omnivorous diet. However, if you do not know how to care for it, you should gain some knowledge about this lizard before you decide to get 1 as a pet. You should also know that this is not a pet that you are going to be able to play with or cuddle. In fact, this lizard will spend part of its day in a hiding spot that is located within their habitat. It is also important to know that male bearded dragons are territorial and thus they should always be housed separately.
Is A Bearded Dragon The Right Pet For You?
If you are able to answer “yes” to the following questions, then a bearded dragon might be the right pet for you:
As for their personality, they tend to be very docile and trusting of their owners. They are also outgoing and curious. Some of their body language includes such things as bobbing their head or waving their leg. It is sometimes possible to mimic these behavioral patterns and thus arouse a mirrored response in your bearded dragon. So, while you will not be able to be cuddled or touched a lot, they can still be a lot of fun to interact with. Some of the other reasons why you may want to have a bearded dragon as a pet include:
Choosing Your Bearded Dragon
Congratulations! If you are still reading this information, then you must have decided that a bearded dragon would make a good pet for you. Now you need to know what to do whenever you go to purchase your lizard. There are some signs to look for that indicate that this is a good lizard for you to take home. These include:
1. There are no missing toes or tail nip.
2. Its tail is curled up towards its head.
3. It is either active or basking under its UV lamp. This shows that the lizard is attentive to its environment. If it is basking under its lamp, then it should have its head up and its body raised.
4. Its eyes are clear and open without any mucus or crust.
5. Make sure that you pick the lizard up so that you can see if it is alert. It should also show some movement and alertness whenever you do this.
6. It should have a fat tail base.
7. It should be holding its head up and acting perky.
8. There should be no other reptiles housed with the bearded dragons and there should only be a few bearded dragons housed together.
9. There should be no bones showing.
10. It should have rounded body contours.
11. Make sure that there is proper lighting and heating and that there is no feces left in the cage.
On the other hand, there are also some signs that the bearded dragon is ill and thus you should look elsewhere for your new pet. These signs include:
1. It should not be lethargic.
2. It should not have any excretions around its eyes.
3. It should not be missing any toes or tail nip.
4. It should not be setting still, not moving at all.
5. It should not have any depressions in the back of its head.
6. It should not be lying down without its head and body being raised.
7. Its eyes should not be closed or half closed. There should also not be any dark circles under its eyes. Otherwise, the lizard may be growing dehydrated.
8. It should not have any hip bones showing. Its spine should also not be prominent.
9. There should be no fecal smearing around the vent.
10. It should not have any open wounds or scabbing.
11. It should not have any external parasites.
12. Its living conditions should not be dirty.
13. You do not want a lizard that has been living in a small, crowded cage.
14. It should not have any protruding bones at the base of its tail.
15. Your lizard should be able to walk normally. If it is dragging its back legs, then it may have a skeletal weakness.
16. It should not be dehydrated. You can tell by pulling its skin upwards. If it does not go back into place, then the lizard is dehydrated.
Housing Your Bearded Dragon
Some of the most important supplies that you are going to need for your bearded dragon include:
Since bearded dragons grow to different sizes at different rates and each has its own individual needs, it is difficult to tell exactly what size of cage you will need. It is recommended that you consult with your qualified reptile veterinarian or a book that is written specifically about bearded dragons in order to determine what is the correct size of cage for your lizard. However, if you are housing a baby lizard you can usually get away with a 20 gallon tank. Once your lizard matures, during its first year of life, it is going to need an enclosure that is 40 gallons or larger. This is because they are going to need 8 square feet of floor space.
On the bottom of your lizard's cage you are going to need to put some type of substrate. It is highly recommended that you use one that is based upon a combination of calcium and sand. You do not want to use silica based sand though. One substrate that will work very well is washed play sand. However, the safest substrates are those that are solid. These include such things as paper towel for juvenile bearded dragons or non-adhesive shelf liner for adult bearded dragons. You will need to be careful though, because some substrates, such as sand, can lead to the risk of impaction. This is something that occurs whenever too many indigestible particles have been ingested by your lizard. The particles will clog their digestive tract.
Your habitat is also going to require a basking light is kept on the 1 end. This can be done with a full spectrum fluorescent light that provides UVB rays. It will need to be on for between 10 to 12 hours per day. There should also be a log kept there for your lizard to bask upon.
The other end of your habitat should be kept as a cooling area. You are also going to want to create an area where your lizard can hide. There are hide boxes that you can purchase for this or you can create this area by using branches and potted, non-toxic plants.
The temperature of your bearded dragon's habitat should be kept at between 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is recommended that you use radiant heat for your lizard. An incandescent light or a ceramic heater as your lizard's primary heat source.
Another item that you will want to constantly provide your lizard with is water. It should be clean, fresh, filtered and chlorine-free. You should place it in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over.
Of course, there is some habitat maintenance that you are going to have to do each day. You will need to remove its feces and change the water in your lizard's bowl each day. Then, once a week you are going to need to thoroughly clean the tank. In order to do this, you will have to set your bearded dragon aside in another secure habitat. You will want to scrub the tank and its furnishings with a 3% bleach solution. Make sure that you thoroughly rinse this with water so that you remove the smell of the bleach. After drying the habitat you should add new, clean substrate.
Feeding Your Bearded Dragon
Bearded dragons are omnivorous, which means that they eat both insects and plants. For this reason, 30% of their food to consist of mixed vegetables and fruits and 70% of it to be gut-loaded, meaning recently fed (within the past 24 hours), insects. They especially like gut-loaded crickets. White, freshly moulted meal worms are also good but they have to be white and freshly moulted, otherwise do not feed them to your lizard. This is because they have a hard outer shell and are therefore hard for bearded dragons to digest. In fact, feeding your bearded dragon too many meal worms can actually lead to a deadly impaction because these meal worms have a high level of chitin, which is related to fungus, in them. Other insects that you can feed these lizards are silk worms and crickets. You are going to need to dust these insects with calcium powder before you feed your pet though. This is simply a product that contains nothing more than calcium carbonate in it, which can be purchased at your local pet store.
Bearded dragons also need to eat a variety of leafy greens. Most of these lizards tend to favor collard greens. However, they can eat mustard greens, squash (acorn, scallop,
hubbard and summer), turnip greens, alfalfa plant, romaine lettuce and parsley too. Mixing a couple of these vegetables together will make a delicious salad that your bearded dragon will enjoy. There are some bearded dragons that will plane out refuse to eat their vegetables though. This problem can usually be resolved rather quickly by simply mixing some of these vegetables with the crickets or worms that they enjoy so much.
Some of the other foods that your bearded dragon will enjoy include:
Of course, you are also going to need to provide them with a supplement containing both multiple vitamins and minerals once or twice a week. You are also going to need to provide them with calcium on a daily basis.
You are going to need to feed your adult bearded dragon between 3 and 5 times each week. They will mainly eat vegetation though. Some of the things that you should never feed your lizard include:
1. Mice
2. Anoles (a green or brown lizard that is covered in small granular scales)
3. Any feeder animals (These can cause impaction by blocking your lizard's airways with their tiny bones.)
4. Wild insects or insects found around your house (These insects might carry diseases that could kill your pet.)
5. Lightning bugs (These are also known as fireflies and can poison your insect to death because they contain phosphorous.)
6. Spinach (Calcium binds to it and cannot be digested by your lizard.)
7. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits
8. Dog or cat food
9. Carrots (This because they contain a high amount of vitamin A. However these can be used as a treat.)
10. Any food that contains high amounts of vitamin A (reptiles cannot absorb a lot of vitamin A.)
11. Iceberg lettuce
If you have a juvenile bearded dragon, you will need to feed it daily. Keeping a few juvenile bearded dragons together will require you to have a constant supply of meal worms available for them. This is because juvenile bearded dragons will eat more than adult bearded dragons will.
Your Bearded Dragon’s Health
In order to keep your bearded dragon healthy you are going to need to provide it with the appropriate grooming and hygiene. Before and after you touch your dragon or any of the contents in its habitat you need to make sure to wash your hands. This will help both you and your pet to prevent Salmonella and other infectious diseases from being spread.
You are going to need to give your bearded dragon a light misting shower every other week in order to ensure that its skin is kept healthy. This shower will keep its skin humidified in order that it can be shed easily. However, it is important to make sure that your tank is never damp.
Whenever your lizard's toenails become too long, you are going to need to clip them.
Your daily interaction with your bearded dragon will be something that you can note through your daily interaction with it. Here are some of the signs of a healthy lizard that you should look for:
Bearded dragons will do their best to hide any health problems that they have whenever they become ill. More than likely this is an instinctual behavior that they have developed because, in the wild, they would probably not live long after becoming sick. For this reason, you are really going to need to keep a close eye on your new friend's health. Some of the red flags that you should keep your eye out for include:
There are some common health issues that you should be on the lookout for as well. These are:
Some of the other things that will commonly cause your lizard to become ill include mites, terminal ingestion, thermal burns from the lighting in their cage (make sure that you read, understand and follow any instructions that you are given about your lizard's UV lighting), calcium deficiency (this is why dusting insects is so important), impaction, hypovitaminosis A, respiratory infections, dehydration (which is why you always need to make sure that your pet has clean water in its cage), stomatitis, internal parasites, coccidia and other parasites, dystocia (egg binding), and MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease).
In Conclusion…
This guide to bearded dragons will give you a good starting point. However, you will still need to have an exotic animal veterinarian available for whenever questions or concerns about your new friend arise. Of course, there are a lot of forums and information that can also be found online about bearded dragons, you will still need to depend more upon your exotic animal veterinarian than upon anyone else. While they may mean the best, you really need to be certain that they do indeed know what they are talking about. This is because your new friend's life is in your hands.