How can i convince my mom to allow me to be the care taker of a Bearded Dragon?

Question

ok here is the deal my mom is a single mother and already has 2 boys(including me) and i help her out a lot by taking my really hyper brother on bike rides to the playground and babysit etc. And i clean my room whenever it is messy. i try to clean things when i have the time. I mow the lawn and try to be as responsible as i can. The thing is we do not have any pets. i know its her house her rules. but i go to school of choice.(its on the way to the school my mom teaches at) so i don't have that many friends on our neighborhood maybe 2 or 3. and i found out that one of my friends has a bearded dragon and i thought they were sweet and i was doing my research and was wondering how i could ask my mom if i could get a bearded dragon. Any tips?

Answer 1

You sound very responsible!  Ok, read over this care sheet and these websites and make a list of everything you need to buy, then go to the pet store or online reptile supply and price the items.  This way you can save allowance or birthday money, etc. to save for.  Keep in mind you'll have to buy crickets (and food for crickets) and other insects to feed it for the rest of it's life.  Also, you'll have to buy fresh veggies every week to feed it forever.  Reptile bulbs need to be replaced twice a year, and these are expensive.  Electric bills will also go up because heat and UVB lights need to be on for 12 hours a day.  Keep all this in mind, and if you and your mom can afford it, then by all means purchase a beardie.  Just know what to expect and discuss it with your mom first so there are no surprises.  These guys can live for more than 10 years if taken care of correctly, so plan for the future!

Bearded Dragons



Beardies should have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank.  Breeder tanks are wider rather than being tall.  This allows for more floor space.  The larger the tank, the better for your beardie.  Mine is in a 75 gallon.  



Do not use sand or other loose substrate on the bottom of the tank.  The risk of intestinal impaction is very real and very common.  Also, loose substrate allows for the quick growth of bacteria and harbors parasites.  It is difficult to clean well and usually smells before long.  Good choices for substrate are non-adhesive shelf liner, which is rubbery, cheap, easy to clean, and looks great.  This is what I use in my lizard tanks.  Other choices include reptile carpet and ceramic tile cut-to-fit.  Sand is NOT natural!  In the wild beardies are not forced to live, eat, and p**p all in a confined small space.  



You must have a heat lamp and a way to regulate temperatures.  The easiest way to provide this is to use a reflector dome with a regular household light bulb.  You can change the wattage to increase or decrease heat as needed.  Plug the heat lamp into a thermostat (they sell these for reptile lamps) or a dimmer switch.  This way the temp can be carefully regulated.  Baby beardies need 105F and adults 100F.  Use a digital probe thermometer to measure the basking temp.  These are sold as indoor/outdoor thermometers in most garden departments.  Set it to “outdoor” and place the probe on the basking platform. You cannot use stick on or dial thermometers, as these only measure air temps and not basking temps.  They can be off by more than 20F!  If the temps are too cold or too hot, you’ll end up with a sick and stressed dragon.  Place the heat bulb over one end of the tank so the other end can be the cool end.  The beardie can self-regulate his temperature this way by moving from one end to the other.  Most beardies spend a good part of their days basking.  A basking platform can either be anything the beardie can climb onto to bask.  I prefer the artificial logs or bridges, as they are easy to clean.  



Beardies must have a UVB bulb!  These look like fluorescent bulbs that fit into fixtures made for them.  The larger the better.  These bulbs must be within 12 inches of the basking spot to be effective.  Both heat and UVB bulbs should be on for 12 hours a day.  It is best to use timers to accomplish this as they allow for the creation of a natural day/night cycle.  Good UVB bulbs are Repti-sun 10.0 or Repti-glo 8.0.  These bulbs should be changed every 6 months as they lose potency long before the light gives out.  



Feeding a variety of insects is always best.  In the wild they will eat up to 50 different types of insects.  Good choices include crickets, superworms, phoenix worms, silkworms, hornworms and occasionally wax worms (high in fat).  Avoid mealworms as they are too high in chitin (outer shell) and can cause impactions.  All insects must be properly “gutloaded” before being used as food.  This means providing correct food and water or moisture for them.  All insects fed must be no larger than the space between the beardies eyes.  If the prey is too large, this can lead to impaction and possible paralysis!

Salads must also be provided.  Several greens and vegies should be in each salad.  For a complete list of safe recommended vegies, see the Beautiful Dragons website below under the “Nutrition” link.

Provide your beardie with a small bowl of water.  Do not use a large bowl as this will raise the humidity too high in the tank, which can lead to upper respiratory problems.  



Beardies benefit from bathing and soaking.  This not only helps with shedding, it is a good way to keep him hydrated.  Simply use a large Rubbermaid container.  Fill it to beardie shoulder height with warm water and place the beardie in it.  Some beardies love water and others never learn to enjoy a bath.  Let him soak for 10-15 minutes.  Baby beardies can be soaked 3 times a week (they dehydrate much more quickly) and adults every 1-2 weeks.  Daily  

Answer 2

As for trying to convince your mom to let you have one, you can also inform her that they're a great starter lizard and are one of the easiest lizards to take care of (not saying they're easy, just one of the easiest)  

Answer 3

You sound very responsible! Ok, read over this care sheet and these websites and make a list of everything you need to buy, then go to the pet store or online reptile supply and price the items. This way you can save allowance or birthday money, etc. to save for. Keep in mind you'll have to buy crickets (and food for crickets) and other insects to feed it for the rest of it's life. Also, you'll have to buy fresh veggies every week to feed it forever. Reptile bulbs need to be replaced twice a year, and these are expensive. Electric bills will also go up because heat and UVB lights need to be on for 12 hours a day. Keep all this in mind, and if you and your mom can afford it, then by all means purchase a beardie. Just know what to expect and discuss it with your mom first so there are no surprises. These guys can live for more than 10 years if taken care of correctly, so plan for the future!

Bearded Dragons

Beardies should have at least a 40 gallon breeder tank. Breeder tanks are wider rather than being tall. This allows for more floor space. The larger the tank, the better for your beardie. Mine is in a 75 gallon.

Do not use sand or other loose substrate on the bottom of the tank. The risk of intestinal impaction is very real and very common. Also, loose substrate allows for the quick growth of bacteria and harbors parasites. It is difficult to clean well and usually smells before long. Good choices for substrate are non-adhesive shelf liner, which is rubbery, cheap, easy to clean, and looks great. This is what I use in my lizard tanks. Other choices include reptile carpet and ceramic tile cut-to-fit. Sand is NOT natural! In the wild beardies are not forced to live, eat, and p**p all in a confined small space.

You must have a heat lamp and a way to regulate temperatures. The easiest way to provide this is to use a reflector dome with a regular household light bulb. You can change the wattage to increase or decrease heat as needed. Plug the heat lamp into a thermostat (they sell these for reptile lamps) or a dimmer switch. This way the temp can be carefully regulated. Baby beardies need 105F and adults 100F. Use a digital probe thermometer to measure the basking temp. These are sold as indoor/outdoor thermometers in most garden departments. Set it to “outdoor” and place the probe on the basking platform. You cannot use stick on or dial thermometers, as these only measure air temps and not basking temps. They can be off by more than 20F! If the temps are too cold or too hot, you’ll end up with a sick and stressed dragon. Place the heat bulb over one end of the tank so the other end can be the cool end. The beardie can self-regulate his temperature this way by moving from one end to the other. Most beardies spend a good part of their days basking. A basking platform can either be anything the beardie can climb onto to bask. I prefer the artificial logs or bridges, as they are easy to clean.

Beardies must have a UVB bulb! These look like fluorescent bulbs that fit into fixtures made for them. The larger the better. These bulbs must be within 12 inches of the basking spot to be effective. Both heat and UVB bulbs should be on for 12 hours a day. It is best to use timers to accomplish this as they allow for the creation of a natural day/night cycle. Good UVB bulbs are Repti-sun 10.0 or Repti-glo 8.0. These bulbs should be changed every 6 months as they lose potency long before the light gives out.

Feeding a variety of insects is always best. In the wild they will eat up to 50 different types of insects. Good choices include crickets, superworms, phoenix worms, silkworms, hornworms and occasionally wax worms (high in fat). Avoid mealworms as they are too high in chitin (outer shell) and can cause impactions. All insects must be properly “gutloaded” before being used as food. This means providing correct food and water or moisture for them. All insects fed must be no larger than the space between the beardies eyes. If the prey is too large, this can lead to impaction and possible paralysis!

Salads must also be provided. Several greens and vegies should be in each salad. For a complete list of safe recommended vegies, see the Beautiful Dragons website below under the “Nutrition” link.

Provide your beardie with a small bowl of water. Do not use a large bowl as this will raise the humidity too high in the tank, which can lead to upper respiratory problems.

Beardies benefit from bathing and soaking. This not only helps with shedding, it is a good way to keep him hydrated. Simply use a large Rubbermaid container. Fill it to beardie shoulder height with warm water and place the beardie in it. Some beardies love water and others never learn to enjoy a bath. Let him soak for 10-15 minutes. Baby beardies can be soaked 3 times a week (they dehydrate much more quickly) and adults every 1-2 weeks. Daily They are really nice animals and are very amusing.

Answer 4

Write down why you want a Bearded Dragon and that you'll be taking care of it. It is a 10-15 year commitment so she needs to know you will still be there for it 5 years down the road even if you get a job or go to college. If she sees you are willing to pay for it and look after it and she knows its something you really want i'm sure she'll let you get one. She just needs to know right now that its not just a phase.