What do you know about Bearded Dragons?

Question

I am soon getting a make bearded dragon. I work for a petstore, so I do know the basics, and the most important things. I also have many friends who have beardies, or are also very knowledgable on them.

But, sometimes you find out new and rewarding things through here so I thought I would go ahead and ask this question.

So if you know some good tips, extra things, or the like then please share!!

What do you know about bearded dragons??

Thanks!!

Answer 1

i am more of a snake person but i know that dragons need UVA/UVB lights. which you can buy at a pet store. they grow quickly and adults should be in housed in nothing smaller than a 40 gallon breeder tank. a 55 gallon is perfect, even for two. they need branches to climb on a bask on. heat rocks should be avoided. river rock (thats been cleaned) can be put under the basking light to provide under belly heat.

the hot side of the tank should be 110 degress F for juveniles and about 95F for adults. the cool side should be around 85F

if you get a baby, do NOT use sand as a substrate. babies are clumsy eaters and can miss a cricket and inhale sand. reptile carpet can be used for babies. but dont use the felt kind. it has loops and their claws can get caught in it.

dragons eat rickets and meal worms as their main diet. but they can be fed fruit (strawberries, bananas, peaches, all finely chopped) and veggies. when feeding a baby crickets, if you have a larger cage for it, it is wise to feed it in a seperate tank. a 10 gallon is perfect for this use. that way they have a smaller space to get thier food and dont have to do so much running around to get it.

this site is very good and has TONS of info.

good luck!

http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/ca...

Answer 2

Hi there. I've worked with bearded dragons for going on 9 yrs now and do reptile rescue and rehabilitation work.  I learned from some of the best--- Cheri Smith, Kathryn Tosney, Susan Donoghue and Roger Klingenberg to name a few. You can access our experience and resources and members like those above at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bearded_dr... . You do not have to join to utilize our LINKS and FILES section, which I'm sure you will find very helpful.

Unfortunately from my angle, petstores are often the major cause of health problems with bearded dragons, but we work together to try and educate on the safe and useful supplies available and proper usage of them to produce healthy, THRIVING bearded dragons that live to their FULL potential and life expectancy.

I welcome you to join us, we'd love to have you. If not, please feel free to utilize the resources we have collected and produced for your beardies health!!

Answer 3

ii had 3 ;]

an older one. but he died. a baby one and he died, :[ and i have a last one.he still alive. heesz a baby.  all you have to do is feed him crickets and greens. and make shure yhu  give him water.and heat. best idea try getting a bookabout bearrded dragons at dhe library. its kinda hard 2 take care of the dragon if yhu dont have the right supplies or dont take care of what he wants, such as like decorations that he can climb on and sleep on and stuff.

Answer 4

well im sort of offended!! lol no not really. i wouldnt use the carpeting. its nasty and holds way more bacteria and moisture than other things. but dont use sand. i would use ground walnut shell. its completly digestible if they do eat it and wont cause impaction. same as millet seed bedding. i use the walnut for my mali uromastyx since he was a baby. well he is still a baby but you get my point!

Answer 5

Here is my mini care sheet!  :)

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 misting with a squirt bottle is also beneficial.  

Beardies should have a stool sample checked by an experienced reptile vet twice a year.  They can carry a lot of parasites which can cause loss of appetite, diarrhea, and illness.  Some of these parasites, such as coccidia, can never be totally eliminated.  Under stress their numbers can rise and cause problems.  Your vet can advise you when treatment is needed.

For more info on care, health and feeding, please check out my favorite sites:

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.co...

http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BD...

http://www.beardeddragon.org/

http://www.bearded-dragons.com/tips/