Care Sheet For Bearded Dragons

Introduction

This section discusses the basic information and facts regarding Bearded Dragons.

What is a Bearded Dragon?

A Bearded Dragon is a reptile (lizard) that originates from Australia. In brief, there are more than several different species of Bearded Dragons, but it is the Central/Inland Bearded Dragon that is most common within the pet industry.

Where Can I Buy a Bearded Dragon?

From breeders - You can find Bearded Dragons for sale from breeders that specialize in raising and selling these reptiles. Where can you find these breeders? You can find them on Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc. All you have to do is search for the term and do some research on which breeder is reptuable.

From pet stores - You can find Bearded Dragons for sale from pet stores, such as Petco or Petsmart (or any other local reptile store that might be within your community).

From people (rescues) - If you know of a person who has a Bearded Dragon that he or she can no longer take care of, then you can consider adopting the reptile from that person. However, if this reptile was neglected and is in poor health, then this option might be best left for more experienced Bearded Dragon owners.

Housing

This section discusses the housing (enclosure) requirements for these reptiles.

Types of Enclosures

Glass terrariums - Glass terrariums are a common choice for these reptiles; glass terrariums can be found online on websites like Amazon or at local pet stores such as Petco or Petsmart. If you decide to get a glass terrarium, then I recommend buying one that has doors in the front.

Custom - Custom built enclosures are the best choice for housing your Bearded Dragon. Overall, custom built enclosures offer many benefits, such as build quality, being stackable, holding in heat well, proper light exposure, etc; custom enclosures are also known as PVC cages, melamine cages, ABS cages, or vision cages.

What Enclosure Size Should I Get?

20 gallon terrarium - Ideal for baby Bearded Dragons (dragons that are under two months old). In summary, a smaller enclosure will make it easier for young dragons to catch their food. Please note, you will have to upgrade the enclosure size within a few months.

40 gallon terrarium or larger - Ideal for juvenile or adult Bearded Dragons. Of course, the larger the enclosure the better for your Bearded Dragon.

4x2x2 Custom - If you decide to get a custom built enclosure, then aim for dimensions of at least 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and 2 feet tall. Again, the larger the better.

WARNING!

I do not recommend cohabitation, you should only have one Bearded Dragon per enclosure by the time they are juveniles. Unfortunately, these reptiles live in solitary in the wild and they do not get along well with their own kind. In fact, they only pair up to fight over territory or to mate. With this in mind, it is very dangerous and irresponsible to house Bearded Dragons together. Even if fighting does not occur, there are still issues. For example, housing Bearded Dragons together can cause stress and stress can lead to issues such as a lack of appetite. In addition, cohabitation creates a competitive environment. For instance, these reptiles will have to compete for the better basking spot, space, food, etc.

Lighting

This section discusses the lighting requirements for these reptiles.

During the Day

Two bulbs will be required during the day (as seen in the image below). Of course, you will also need the appropriate fixtures to house these bulbs.

Heat bulb - A heat bulb will be required, you should get a wattage that is hot enough to generate a basking spot of 95-110F and a cool side of 80F. If you are using a glass terrarium, you will need to buy a dome fixture for the bulb.

Fluorescent UVB/UVA bulb - A fluorescent bulb that outputs UVB/UVA will be required, it is extremely important to the health of a Bearded Dragon. With this in mind, I highly recommend buying the Reptisun 10.0 T5 High Output bulb by Zoo Med. For the fixture, Zoo Med also makes their own fixtures for this bulb, but you can also use an under the cabinet fixture for these bulbs.

During the Night

At night, all lights should be off. However, if you live in an area where it gets lower than 65F at night, then you will need to provide some heat for the reptile.

Ceramic heat emitter - If your Bearded Dragon's enclosure is lower than 65F at night, then use a ceramic heat emitter to provide heat. In summary, a ceramic heat emitter is best because it will only output heat (not light). Please note, these bulbs get very hot so make sure you have an appropriate fixture for it. Moving on, the night temperature should be in the range of 70-79F.

Natural Sunlight

Going outside - I would like to take a moment to mention that natural sunlight is good for a Bearded Dragon. In other words, if you live in a hot or warm area (such as the desert), then taking your reptile outside to bask under the sun (natural UVB/UVA), can be very healthy for it. However, some Bearded Dragons love outside time while others hate it. If you are not sure how your reptile will behave for the first time outside, then use a proper outdoor enclosure or a reptile leash.

WARNING!

For heat or UVB/UVA, I do not recommend any of the products seen within the image above.

• Heat rocks & U.T.H. - Can cause severe burns to your Bearded Dragon's underside, because these reptiles do not sense heat well on their bellies.
• Colored bulbs - Can disturb your Bearded Dragons sleep if used at night and it is often said that the colored bulbs are not good for their eyes.
• Compact/coil bulbs - These type of bulbs are not as effective in terms of outputting UVB/UVA. Furthermore, they do not span two-thirds of the enclosure as it was recommended to do so earlier.

Temperatures & Humidity

Daytime temperature - During the day, the basking spot should be at least 95F and the cool side should be around 80F. For the basking spot, younger dragons may prefer a higher basking temp closer to 110F while older dragons may prefer a lower basking temp closer to 95F.

Nightime temperature - During the night, the entire enclosure should be in the range of 70-79F. Again, if the night temp is lower than 65F, then use a ceramic heat emitter (not a colored bulb).

Humidity - At all times, you should try to maintain a humidity percentage around 30%, maybe a little higher if the reptile is shedding. The most important thing to know, is that high humidity is not good for Bearded Dragons. In fact, it can cause a respiratory infection. with that in mind, I recommend keeping it around 30%.

Checking the above - It is very important to make sure that the temperatures and humidity are within the correct range. With that said, you should buy something that is reliable, such as a digital thermometer with a probe that is capable of monitoring temps and humidity. In addition, you can consider buying a temperature gun. On a side note, I do not recommend using stick on temperature strips or gauges.

Substrate

This section discusses safe and dangerous substrate otpions for these reptiles.

Safe substrates - For substrate, I suggest using any of the following: non-adhesive shelf liner, paper towels, reptile carpet, or slate tile. In brief, these choices are easy to clean, replace, and they are inexpensive.

Dangerous substrates - Anything that can be accidentally or intentionally consumed by the reptile, should be considered dangerous to use as substrate (read the warning below for more information).

Diet

This section discusses the diet requirements for these reptiles. In brief, Bearded Dragons are omnivores which means that they eat food of both animal and plant origin.

Live Food

Daily feeders - Below, is a list of live food that offer great nutrition for your Bearded Dragon, these live food choices can be offered daily.

• Dubia roaches
• Phoenix worms
• Crickets
• Locust
• Silkworms

Treats only - Below, is a list of live food that should only be offered occasionally if not rarely. In other words, imagine them as treats for your Bearded Dragon.

• Waxworms
• Butterworms
• Mealworms
• Hornworms
• Superworms

There are reasons for the above feeders being treats only. To clarify, waxworms and butterworms are high in fat. In addition, mealworms and superworms can pose an impaction risk (espicially for baby Bearded Dragons). For hornworms - while good for hydration - are not really nutritous.

Dusting and "Gut-Loading" Live Food

Supplements - It's important to provide your Bearded Dragon with calcium and multivitamin supplements. In the Bearded Dragon community, this is known as dusting live food. For baby dragons, I recommend dusting live food daily, but only once per day. For adult Bearded Dragons, I recommend dusting around five times per week, but again, only once per day. Please remember, dust only in moderation. In other words, too much dusting can be just as bad as not enough dusting.

Gut loading - It is also important to, "gut-load" your Bearded Dragon's live food. In other words, you should properly feed and hydrate your live food so that they remain nutritous and healthy once your Bearded Dragon eats them.

Healthy greens

Daily Greens - Below, is a list of greens that offer great nutrition for your Bearded Dragon, these greens can be offered daily.

• Turnip greens
• Mustard greens
• Dandelion greens
• Collard greens
• Endive
• Escarole

Fruits

Treats only - Unfortunately, Bearded Dragons do not benefit much from fruits. Thus, fruits should only be offered occasionally if not rarely.

Water

Providing water - There are multiple ways to provide water.

• Offer misted greens
• Offer hornworms
• Offer water with a syringe/dropper

Most Bearded Dragons do not drink from still water, which is why I did not suggest a water dish. With that said, the above methods are the easiest and most effective methods for providing water. If you ask me, my favorite method is to use a syringe/dropper as seen in the image below.

Handling