Exotic Pets for Beginners: Bearded Dragons

Bearded Dragons, although easily available from pet shops can be quite difficult to maintain. As they are native to Australia, their environmental requirements can be quite complex. Specialist equipment is a must if you plan to keep Bearded Dragons. When kept in the right conditions however, they can be highly rewarding pets. They are extremely social, easy to tame, docile and are very rarely aggressive in captivity. They can also exhibit very interesting behaviour that can make watching them very entertaining.
  They can live for around 10 years, but they can sometimes even surpass this with good conditions. They grow to an adult size of around 18 – 24 inches after 2 – 3 years. For a tank, size is very important. 50 Gallons or more is deffinately needed, the bigger the better. A tight fit screen top is also a must. As for substrate, paper can be a very effective and cheap idea. Sand or wood chippings, like with Geckos, is not recomended as the Bearded Dragons can eat this and it can lead to intestinal problems.
  Bearded Dragons are semi arboreal, meaning they like to perch a bit off the ground. Rocks, half logs and branches should be provided to give them something to climb. It is important to make sure that all of these things are sturdy and that they can not fall on top of your Dragon.
  Thermometers should be used to help maintain temperatures in the day of 26 – 30 degrees celscius at the cool end of the tank and 35 – 40 degrees celscius at the basking spot end. Night time temperatures can fall to around 18 – 21 degrees celcius at night. UVA or UVB light bulbs are needed to provide the Bearded Dragons with the right radiation. It is important to remember that these bulbs have a life expectancy so needed to be carefully monitored and then replaced near the end of their lifespan. The Basking spot should be within 7 inches of the light so that the UV rays can reach the Dragon. A screen top is also important so that the UV rays can reach the Dragon, as glass can sometimes block the rays. A ceramic heater in a ceramic socket or an incandescent light can also be used to help maintain the right temperatures. Do not be afraid to experiment with light locations and distances to create the right temperatures. A good light cycle should also be made available, light timers can be used to ensure 12 – 14 hours of light in a day. Once tame, it is also possible to let your Dragon loose outside as long as it is under constant supervision.
  A shallow water dish should be made available all through the day and the water should be changed regularly. Bearded Dragons are Omnivorous so should be fed a mixture of insects, greens and other vegetables. Their diet should be mainly crickets with 20 – 30% being made up of plant materials. Bearded Dragons can be fed various insects, although they should be fed mainly crickets, they can be fed wax worms, meal worms and other types of worms as special treats. Adults can also be fed baby mice or pinkies occasionally. Greens should be made available all day and can be offered in a small dish. Young Bearded Dragons should be fed twice a day with as many crickets as they can eat in 5 – 10 minutes, adults should be fed once a day. All insects offered to the Dragons should be gut loaded either with vegetables or special powders 24 hours before being offered up to your Dragon. It is important that you feed them in the daytime, as the high temperature is needed to help their digestion. It is also important to remember not to offer Fireflies or Box elder bugs as they are believed to toxic to Bearded Dragons.