The friendly Bearded Dragon is a great reptile for those who are beginners. They are relatively easy to care for, and their docile temperaments make them easy to handle. They are also beloved for their “smiling” faces and unique personalities.
A large, semi-arboreal native lizard of Australia, these guys spend their time dwelling partially in the trees and on the ground. Including their tail, they grow to about 15-20 inches long and have spines on either sides on their body that run to the base of their tail.
Before you can bring your bearded dragon home, you must first set up the habitat. It is important to ensure that your bearded dragon has heat and food. It is essential to inspect all equipment, including the basking pad and ultraviolet light. It is essential to maintain the same temperature throughout the day. It is important to maintain a low humidity.
To replicate the bearded Dragon's natural environment, you should install heating pads. This will allow your beardie stay warm and active while also keeping the temperature comfortable. An automatic feeder is a great option if your bearded dragon is large.
Bearded dragons can display a variety of morphs. These morphs are mainly based on body types, but can also be derived from selective breeding.
When you’re looking for a bearded dragon, it’s important to understand the different morphs. A morph is a genetic mutation that results in certain traits. The most common are color variations. You can see a wide range of colors in beardies, including beiges, browns, and muted tans.
There are other morphs that result from genetics, such as visual morphs. These are inherited traits that are passed down from parents. They’re often the most unique beardie varieties. Some of them are translucent, meaning they have a transparent appearance. Others, such as hypomelanistic, lack melanin, which makes their skin lighter.
Bearded dragons like many other reptiles have specific lighting requirements that can be really confusing, especially for new owners that don’t have previous experience.
Because of that reason, having a good understanding when it comes to lighting the space of your bearded dragon is very important.
You should know there are plenty of options when it comes to lighting for bearded dragons and choosing the wrong setup can be harmful to your pet. However, if you carefully read our guide you will get plenty of information about setting up proper lighting for your pet.
A bearded dragon's skin is very rough and may cause scratches if handled improperly. However, once acclimated, this reptile will become more docile and easy to handle. Wearing light gloves or long sleeved clothing when handling the beardie will help prevent minor cuts and scrapes. You should also keep in mind that all reptiles are vulnerable to Salmonella bacteria, which can cause severe illness if not treated.
Thank you for your response. Would I be able to put the bearded dragon on a sleep schedule that works well with my job? I hear that lights should be 12 hours on and 12 hours off. You mentioned feeding before noon. I was wondering if it was possible to change his “noon” time? I was thinking lights on 12 pm – 12 am. Maybe his noon would be later in day like 4 or 5? Thought it might be easiest to feed when I get home from work but I understand if it doesn’t work like this.
Setup a Bearded Dragon Tank Bearded horses require a clean and dry environment. You can keep your beardie happy, healthy, and comfortable by placing it in a cool, but not too humid room. The ideal room should have a door. Keep a dehumidifier away from your beardie's bedroom. This can disturb the beardie's rest.
They received their name due to the flap of skin under their chin which opens up to scare off predators. The common name Bearded Dragon refers to all 8 species of the genus Pogona. They used to be in the genus Amphibolurus grouping, but has since been placed in Pogona.
This diet should consist of 30% vegetables and 70% small crickets. The protein in a dragon’s diet can consist of crickets, superworms, or even a pinky mouse. In all life-stages they should eat the following vegetables:
The following care guide is based on the Pogona. vitticeps Bearded Dragon and the advice may vary slightly depending on which of the six species you adopt. However, most of our advice below will be fine for all six species.
Newborns have an egg tooth that they use to pick their way out of their shells. After they hatch, dragons should be removed from each other immediately, as they can develop a social hierarchy much like they do as adults.
Personally I haven’t found a pet insurance provider that covers reptiles which I’m particularly partial to. Given that vets are priced according to out-of-pocket costs rather than inflated by insurance like the American healthcare system, I find it’s more effective to simply set aside money for reptile health costs in a savings account and to keep a CareCredit card for emergencies.
This is not uncommon. There are a couple of things to keep in mind to solve this. Movements and eyes: do not move fast, be gentle in your movement and do not make excessive eye contact. Sit around his enclosure where he can see you, and then just chill there! He will eventually understand you’re not there to hurt him.food: when you feed him, make sure you limit the interaction to feeding. Do not feed him, and handle him or clean his enclosure. Different actions should be done at different times, to sort of get him into an expectable schedule. Handling should be a progressive experience, one in which you gain each others trust step by step.
In terms of hydration, they are picky if they have to get their water intake from a deep bowl. Therefore, it is best to offer them water from a shallow water bowl with clean water at all times.
Since bearded dragons are naturally solitary creatures, they do not get lonely if placed alone in a cage or left for some time away from their keeper. They much prefer having their food and heat to themselves rather than sharing it with another bearded dragon.
Bearded Dragons – 12 Fun Facts
Bearded dragons require minimal veterinary care when appropriately managed with the correct lighting, temperature, supplements, and diet.
Turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, iguanas, and chameleons are some common examples of reptiles that need UVB light. This helps prevent animals from developing hypocalcemia (or lack of calcium). UVB lights should be kept on during the day and turned off at night and should be used along with calcium supplements.