RSS
Home
Bearded dragon basics
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Bearded dragons basking under a heat lamp (bottom one is grumpy!).
Photo H. Friedland.
If you want to get a pet reptile and you are not sure what to get, a bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) could be an excellent choice. They are not the easiest of all of the pet reptiles, but according to Reptiles Magazine, they are the most popular.
One look at a bearded dragon and you will see why people love them. They are cute and appear to be interested in everything you are doing. They are diurnal, active during the day. They are omnivorous, meaning they eat a variety of foods including baby rodents, insects, worms, vegetables and fruit. They are quite hardy and tolerant of handling, making them a good pet for kids. But just like any other pet, they are not toys and will only take so much before becoming aggressive. Bearded dragons look like they are covered in prickly barbs, but in reality, those prickles are not sharp.
Care of bearded dragons is fairly simple. You cannot keep two males together, they will fight, sometimes to the death. One adult bearded dragon can fit comfortably in a 40-55 gallon aquarium. They need warmth and UV light. Ideally, their temperature should be in the mid 80s F, with a basking spot about 110 F. At night, the temperature can dip down to about 70 F. They need ultraviolet, UV, light. UV light does not go through glass or plastic. Many people make the mistake of buying the UV lights with the plastic cover over the bulb. That’s fine for a shop light, not for a reptile. The plastic can be easily removed by taking out the screws that hold the plastic cover. It’s that simple.
Rescue groups see loads of bearded dragons with missing toes, tails and horrible MBD (metabolic bone disease). The toes are from poor shedding, not enough humidity. Sometimes tails and toes are bitten off by cage mates. They do not grow back. MBD is caused by lack of UV. They need the UV light to process calcium so if they don’t have it, they end up with a calcium deficiency that can cause severe deformations or death.
All animals need water. Some misguided people don’t think that bearded dragons need water, but they do. Bearded dragons without access to water because dehydrated and will end up with impactions (can’t defecate) or prolapses (their insides end up on the outside) from pushing to try and defecate. Both of those problems can kill the animal. A water bowl large enough for soaking is necessary. They will sometimes use it as a toilet, and that makes cleaning the cage much easier.
Basking log and hide box are essential to keep the animal from becoming stressed. Stress is a serious problem with pet reptiles, especially if they are kept in areas where there is a lot of foot traffic. There are commercial beddings available for bearded dragons. I personally, don’t recommend sand. If they eat a lot of sand, even the calcium sand, they can have the dehydration problems I mentioned. Their food runs in the sand. They grab the prey with their somewhat sticky tongues and eat it, usually eating some sand along with it. Newspaper works really well, is cheap and they won’t eat it. Crushed walnut shell is a horrible substrate for bearded dragons. It is not digestible.
A healthy and happy bearded dragon can live about 15 years. If you do your research and get everything your dragon needs, a bearded dragon can be a wonderful pet.
Related Articles:
Comments
