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Bearded
dragons originate from Australia;
they are known to live in sub - tropical forests and also deserts.
Bearded Dragons aren't either the smallest or the largest of the
lizard family and are known to grow on average 16-24 inches from
nose to tail.
Bearded dragons are among the tamest of all lizards, and their outgoing
personalities, activity level, appetites and interesting social
behaviours make them a very captivating lizard to observe. They
have a very rapid growth rate, so the 4" hatchlings can grow
to their adult size within a year.
Most bearded dragons adapt easily to handling and are calm enough
to perch on their owner's shoulder, or be placed on a countertop,
or enjoy the view from a windowsill. |
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Housing
The minimum size cage for up to 2 adult dragons should be 48"
x 24" x 24". Several basking sites should be provided
under the hot spot and the UV lighting. Bearded Dragons need to
bask and they need high temperatures to help with the digestive
process. Basking area should be about 100 degrees Fahrenheit with
an ambient temperature of 75F and then dropping to about 65F at
nighttime.
Bearded Dragons need to have UV running along the top of the tank.
In the wild they bask in the sun to absorb the vitamins from their
food. Obviously in a tank they won't receive much sun so a UV
will act as the sun. Bearded Dragons need to tell the difference
between night and day, to do this you need to have your UV bulb
on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours. The UV must be within 12"
of the bearded Dragon to enable the dragon to get the full benefit
of the UV bulb. Your UV bulb will need to be changed once a year
as it loses its efficiency. You will need a ceramic heating bulb
and a pulse thermostat to control the temperature of the tank.
You will also need a thermometer inside the tank so that you can
check they are being kept at the right temperature. Some people
use 2 thermometers, one at the cooler end and one at the hotter
end to monitor the temperature range. If you use only one thermometer
then place it in the middle of the tank towards the bottom.
A substrate is known as the material to line the bottom of the
tank and these can range from newspaper, bark, and sand for reptiles.
Never use hot rocks, as they are widely known to cause belly burns.
Feeding
Bearded Dragons like fruit and vegetables as well as meat. They
like a large variety of live insects, which include black and
brown crickets, locusts, mealworms and wax worms. A good measure
of the size of live insects to feed is that they must not be bigger
than the size of the dragon's head. Do not feed mealworms to baby
dragons as they contain chitilin which is hard to digest. Do not
feed them insects from your garden, as you do not know if they
have been sprayed with anything that can be harmful to your dragon.
Fresh fruit and vegetables must be offered daily and remember
that they like variety. They like to eat Chicory, Watercress,
Broccoli, Courgettes, Carrot, Peas, Apple, Banana, Kiwi and grapes.
Try to avoid spinach and kale as they are calcium binders and
affect the dragon's bones. Another thing to avoid is iceberg lettuce,
as this has no nutritional value to the dragon. Make sure to chop
the food into small bite size pieces to avoid choking.
Bearded dragons grow very fast and this means that they require
extra calcium for their bones to remain strong and to develop
at the normal rates. Bearded Dragons also need extra Vitamin D3;
this vitamin is needed just as much as calcium. This vitamin is
needed for your Bearded Dragon's body to absorb the calcium.
All you need to do to maintain your Bearded Dragon is to dust
your live food every other day with a vitamin and mineral supplement
like Nutrobal. Water can be offered in a shallow dish but it is
advisable to spray the cage once a day, as in the wild the dragons
would drink the dew from the plants.
General Information
Natural sunlight is very beneficial and should be provided if
possible. Bearded dragons should never be placed outside in a
glass enclosure. The animal could easily overheat and die.
Bearded Dragons live for an average of 4-10 years depending on
their quality of lives, if they have had good lighting and temperatures
maintained as well as a good balanced diet then you could expect
your dragon to live longer than a dragon that hasn't. But if you
have a female that has been repeatedly bred then her life span
can be expected to be quite short.
Beardies will keep you amused for a long time. Just observing
and interacting with them is fascinating.There are 2 things that
the Beardie does; one is to nod its head (which is a sign of dominance)
and the other is the arm waving (this is a sign of submissive
behaviour). When they sit with open mouths this is their way of
cooling down their body temperature
It
is not advisable to keep two males together as they will probably
fight; more so if a female is present. If you would like to keep
more than one Beardie then make sure that there is only one male
in the cage.
Do
not mix other reptiles with Bearded Dragons, as it is an accident/fatality
waiting to happen.
Recommended
Reading
Bearded Dragons: Facts and Advice on Care and Breeding
by Richard D Bartlett. ISBN 0764111256
Buy Now
Your Bearded Dragon's Life by Liz Palika. ISBN 0761527710
Buy Now
Bearded and Frilled Dragons by David Zaffer. ISBN 079380261X
Buy Now
Bearded Dragon by Tam Mazarlig. ISBN 0793830206
Buy Now
If you are at all interested
in buying a reptile then please do as much research into the subject
as possible. There is a wealth of information available.
Do not use just these
care sheets as your only source of information.
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