The Bearded Dragon, or as enthusiasts like to call them, “beardies”, are medium sized lizards which vary in size anywhere from twelve to twenty four inches from head to the tip of their tail. Bearded Dragons are also available in many colors which is often a good sign of where that specific species originates from.
The Bearded Dragon has an interesting triangular-shaped head with rows of spikes which resemble thorns beneath their head. Then these thorns scale or when they are puffed up, it will resemble a beard. These scales can also change colors, turning darker, when breeding.
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Provide your Bearded Dragon with spacious living arrangements. As a general rule of thumb, adults require a minimum of at least a fifty-five to sixty foot gallon tank for adults, and ten to fifteen gallon aquarium for hatchlings, if you should choose an aquarium.
Your enclosure should be secure with a tight fitting lid. Ensure that the sides are free from any pointed edges or other irregularities that can cause harm for your pet. Wire cages are not an option as they do not retain heat and can also result in foot and nose trauma. Having a proper substrate in the cage, making sure the cage is large enough for your pet, and using plastic coated, wire mesh can lessen the chances of your pet getting hurt.
If you are building your own enclosure, make it simple in design which will help with upkeep and maintenance. If you are building an enclosure out of wood, it must be sealed with a polyurethane or a similar water proofing agent and the joints caulked to allow for cleaning and disinfection.
The substrate will line up the bottom of the cage and provide the enclosure with an aesthetic pleasing appearance. Be sure that the substrate is flat and use sheets of brown wrapping paper or newspaper, crushed corn cob, wood shavings, potting soil or kitty litter.
Understanding your pet, regardless of type is in general good pet ownership. The Bearded Dragon, is no different. Understanding posture and other behaviours will go a long way. During breeding season, the Bearded Dragon will display dominance by puffing it’s beard. In addition if your Bearded Dragon is startled or threatened, or may behave in the same fashion. To appear even more menacing, the Bearded Dragon may also gape or open his mouth very wide. Another way of showing dominance is to bob their heads. Both males and females will behave in the ways listed above. To demonstrate submission, a bearded dragon will hold up one front leg and may slowly wave it.
Many reptiles, including the Bearded Dragon, meet most of their water requirements directly from the food they eat. However, it’s still important to leave fresh drinking water, in a shallow bowl at all times. Be sure to change the water with some frequency. You must also ensure that proper humidity Is available for proper shedding. During the winter months, be sure to spray a mist of water on your bearded dragon, at least a few times a week.
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Our beloved Bearded Dragon is a essentially a type of lizard. Originally from Australia, they can now be found in almost any
pet shop across our nation and is one of the most popular reptiles. Their natural habitat includes deserts, arid and rocky areas,
dry forests and scrublands. It is located primarily in the eastern and central parts of Australia.
We’ve compiled a great list of Bearded Dragon facts for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
The average bearded dragon can reach anywhere from sixteen to twenty-two inches in length. Males are proportionally larger than females. Tail is usually half of the body length.
Body color is typically a tan yellow. It has spines on the throat and on both sides of the head and along both sides of the abdomen. Its head is triangular shaped. Body is muscular and supported with very strong legs.
The name “Bearded Dragon” was derived from the fact that it can enlarge its throat, resembling a beard, when threatened or defending its territory.
You can easily distinguish between males and females. Males have wider heads and darker beards and they are longer than females. Females typically have thinner and more slender tails than males.
You can find bearded dragons often basking on rocks or in bushes and trees, in their natural habitat.
Bearded dragons are omnivore’s, which means that it consumes both plant-and-animal-based diet. It usually eats insects, leafy plants, small rodents and lizards.
Bearded dragons meet other members of the group in an unusual way. To show submission, it will stand on three legs while rotating a remaining leg in the air.
Bearded dragons gain "scary appearance" when they are threatened. They are able to enlarge their throats and flatten their body.
The Bearded Dragon has a self-regulating, body temperature control mechanism by which it changes shades of the color of skin from light to dark and vice-versa.
Bearded dragon’s typically reach sexual maturity at one to two years age. They will also bread during the warmer months, during the summer, and September through toe March. Male dragons will climb up on a female and gently bites into the side of her neck. The male dragon will then reach with his hind legs for the females tail and presses his cloacal region against hers. The female bearded dragon will then dig a borrow and lay up to twenty four eggs in a single clutch and to up nine clutches per year. Female bearded dragons also store sperm and area able to lay many clutches of fertile eggs from on mate. Incubation periods can last as long as fifty to seventy days.
Bearded Dragons require a well-controlled environment. Originally from arid woodland and desert environments, they will require supplement heat for comfort and digestion. The preferred range would be seventy-eight to eighty-eight degrees Fahrenheit during the day and nights at approximately the seventies. If your pet is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is more likely to become ill. The bearded dragon will also require a temperature gradient so they may choose between a warmer or cooler environment to keep comfortable. Use a good quality thermometer in the cage at the level of the bearded dragon spends most of its time so you can monitor the temperature easily. As a matter of fact, we suggest two thermometers to easily decipher between temperature points at each end of the gradient.
Primarily, a series of incandescent lights over the cage is one of the best heat sources. During the night, these lights will need to be powered down and another heat source may needed depending on the ambient temperature. Heating pads are an excellent source of heat, ceramic infrared heat emitters or panels and more expensive nocturnal reptile incandescent light bulbs which provide heat, but little light, can also be used. For larger enclosures, a space heater or a separate thermostat can used to keep the room at the appropriate temperature.
We highly suggesting a secondary heat source in specific areas of the cage to help provide a natural temperature gradient. The secondary heat source should cover only twenty-five to thirty percent of the surface of your enclosure. For adults, a thirty to seventy-five watt incandescent bulb in a ceramic base, where the bearded dragon cannot touch it would be ideal. Also, and more specifically, Petware House carries a variety of basking lights for your convenience, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions. The temperature under the light in the area in which the Bearded Dragon would be basking should be ninety five to one hundred degrees fahrenheit. Hatchlings housed in smaller aquariums will require lights of lower wattage, or the aquarium temperature may become too warm very quickly.
Bearded Dragon Pet Care Sheet
Bearded Dragons need a healthy, balanced diet of meat and vegetables. Although omnivores by nature, hatchlings will require some meat and small insects. As they continue to grow, they will start eating more vegetables. The diet of a juvenile dragon, typically between two and four months, will consist of approximately eighty percent insects and twenty percent greens. As a general rule of thumb dragons should be feed two to three times per day. You will know if they are still hungry by observing the your young dragons. If they nip at the tails and toes, this is a good sign of being hungry.
Meat items can include cockroaches, earthworms, king wors, wax worms, mealworms, crickets, and pink mice.
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