Bearded Dragon Care Sheet
From Exotic Pet Wiki Pedia
Contents |
General
Scientific Name:
Pogona Vitticeps
Size:
Generally they will average 16-24 inches from nose to tail.
Longevity:
With good care they can live to well over 10 years old.
Active during:
Only active during the day.
Behaviour:
Active and curious making interesting and entertaining pets.
Temperament
Generally very tame and trusting. Babies can be skittish, care should be taken when handling to ensure there are no drops to the floor.
Ease of care
Bearded Dragons are easy to care for once the correct set up has been created and maintained. The set ups can often be expensive but the equipment is essential to the health of a bearded Dragon.
Housing
Vivarium:
For an adult a 4 foot vivarium should be given as a minimum. Larger is fine for adults, generally the larger the better.
Accessories:
Bearded Dragons like climbing and exploring, rocks and bits of wood make an interesting environment for your bearded dragon to live.
Humidity
No special humidity requirements. Bearded Dragons are desert animals.
Heating
HOT, very hot. Ambient temperatures should be 80/85F at the cool end with 90/95F at the hot end, with a basking spot of up to 105F
Light
Bearded Dragons need high a UV strip light provided. It is essential to provide full spectrum lighting with UV-B and UV-A. This helps to synthesize vitamin D-3 which is required for calcium absorption.
Substrate
Babies should be kept on newspaper as they can be prone to impaction if substrate is ingested. Adults can be kept on sand (play sand) although other alternatives such as reptile carpet and tiles can also be used.
Diet:
Food
Bearded Dragons should be offered a variety of insects and salad. Juveniles will instinctively want a diet consisting mainly of insects as these provide the protein they need to grow. Juveniles: appropriately sized Crickets should be offered, but also meal worms, locust, silkworms, waxworms and salads. Adults: the same as juveniles but the occasional pinky will also be appreciated.
Due to the possibilities of impaction for young Beardies, offering insects no wider then the space between their eyes will offer the best protection against this happening.
Water
Water should always be offered, although Beardies rarely drink direct from a water bowl. Water can be added to salad which can offer most of a beardies hydration if given on a daily basis. Beardies will also drink when bathed if the water is splashed about in front of them or by dripping water on their nose.
Frequency
Babies should be offered insects once or twice a day with salad also offered on a daily basis. Adults should be offered salads on a daily basis with insects once a day or every other day.
Supplements
Vitamins and minerals should be added (insects dusted) once or twice a week and calcium supplements should be added (insects dusted) 3 to 4 times a week. Bearded Dragons are susceptible to vitamin A overdose so care should be taken with vitamin supplementation.
Breeding
Requirements
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Seasons
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Incubation
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Further information or considerations:
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