One of the Best Australian Gifts to the Pet Trade: Bearded Dragons
May 27th 2008 14:52
Bearded Dragons are next to leopard geckos in the most commonly kept pet reptile. They're considered a beginner pet reptile, but I believe they a one notch above beginner, as they do require a more complex enclosure and diet. They're not like leopard geckos who only need belly heat and can survive without lighting; they're not like leopard geckos who only need crickets or mealworms to survive.
Bearded dragons are more complex than an 8 inch gecko. These guys are typically 16 to 24 inches in length. They require at least a 40 gallon enclosure with UV lighting, regular lighting, and an under tank heater. Bearded dragons need to be able to get within 6 inches of the UV, unless you are using a UV heat emitter bulb. The tubes do not emit UV very far, which is why bearded dragons need to be able to get 6 inches of the tube; plus they need to be replaced every 4 to 6 months, even if they still work because the amount of UV released begins to decrease.
As for their diet, bearded dragons require fresh produce and feeder insects. Bearded dragon diet really isn't that complicated, but it does require more care than leopard geckos, much less most reptiles.
Bearded dragons need fresh vegetables, such as carrots, squash, greens, spinach, and cabbage, and fresh fruits such as berries, melon, and peaches. You want to offer fresh prodcue daily, even if the bearded dragon isn't too keen on eating it yet.
Offer your feeder insect of choice once or twice a week for older bearded dragons, every other day for juveniles, and daily for babies. You want to offer as many insects, whether crickets, mealworms, roaches, etc, as the bearded dragon will eat in 15 to 20 minutes.
You can take your bearded dragon outside in a fenced in area so that it can get natural sunlight. Just don't leave the bearded dragon outside unsupervised, as you never know what bird may try to pick it up. Plus, some bearded dragons get rather aggressive and dominant when outside.
In the picture above, you can see that Mali is darkening her normal pigment. She is normally a very yellow and orange bearded dragon, wheras in the picture she is very brown. Another common sign that you may see is the darkening of the bearded and flattening out of the body.
Mali actually started lunging at me and running off after this picture was taken.
If you experience any of these signs, get your bearded dragon back in his enclosure. If he is in his enclosure, then just leave him be.
Bearded dragons are more complex than an 8 inch gecko. These guys are typically 16 to 24 inches in length. They require at least a 40 gallon enclosure with UV lighting, regular lighting, and an under tank heater. Bearded dragons need to be able to get within 6 inches of the UV, unless you are using a UV heat emitter bulb. The tubes do not emit UV very far, which is why bearded dragons need to be able to get 6 inches of the tube; plus they need to be replaced every 4 to 6 months, even if they still work because the amount of UV released begins to decrease.
Shia LaBeouf in Holes
As for their diet, bearded dragons require fresh produce and feeder insects. Bearded dragon diet really isn't that complicated, but it does require more care than leopard geckos, much less most reptiles.
Bearded dragons need fresh vegetables, such as carrots, squash, greens, spinach, and cabbage, and fresh fruits such as berries, melon, and peaches. You want to offer fresh prodcue daily, even if the bearded dragon isn't too keen on eating it yet.
Offer your feeder insect of choice once or twice a week for older bearded dragons, every other day for juveniles, and daily for babies. You want to offer as many insects, whether crickets, mealworms, roaches, etc, as the bearded dragon will eat in 15 to 20 minutes.
One of my bearded Dragons, Mali, while outside.
You can take your bearded dragon outside in a fenced in area so that it can get natural sunlight. Just don't leave the bearded dragon outside unsupervised, as you never know what bird may try to pick it up. Plus, some bearded dragons get rather aggressive and dominant when outside.
In the picture above, you can see that Mali is darkening her normal pigment. She is normally a very yellow and orange bearded dragon, wheras in the picture she is very brown. Another common sign that you may see is the darkening of the bearded and flattening out of the body.
Mali actually started lunging at me and running off after this picture was taken.
If you experience any of these signs, get your bearded dragon back in his enclosure. If he is in his enclosure, then just leave him be.
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