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The Bearded Dragon is a simiarboreal lizard originating from the outback of Australia, though now almost all Bearded
Dragons in the pet trade are captive bred. Though more difficult to care for than the Leopard Gecko, beardies remain a popular
pet.
Beardies require sizable housing, at least a 50 gallon terrerium for a single adult. juvinile animals can be
kept in smaller enclosures, but as they grow, they will need to be relocated. females can be kept together, but more than
one male in the same enclosure can cause problems, as they will fight each other.
as a substrate (bedding) for a Bearded
Dragon enclosure, cage carpet will work well, as long as the edges of the carpet fibers are melted down. Otherwise, the animal
may catch one of its claws in the loose fiber, and, in effort to pull it free, cause severe damage to its foot. Sand will
work for adult beardies, but juveniles can become impacted if they swallow it in an attempt to catch their food.
Bearded
Dragons should be fed crickets as a staple, but leafy greens such as turnip or dandelion leaves should also be made available.
chop the leaves into pieces relative to the animal's size. Greens for a juvenile beardie should be finely chopped. Premade
dragon food works well if your beardie will eat it, but getting them to do so can be difficult. One way to encourage your
animal to eat such food is by soaking the pellets in fruit juice instead of water before serving them.
As far as lighting and
heat go, a full-spectrum floodlight is reccomended for beardies. I use a 120-watt T-Rex Active UV-Heat flood bulb. These cost
around $70.00, and provide UV-A, UV-B, and heat in one lamp. Almost any fixture will work well for one of these, as long as
it can handle120 watts. The light may be placed on one side of the enclosure, either on top of the screen top, or clamped
to the side pointing down. A basking perch should be placed on the side of the enclosure with the light. A piece of driftwood
works well if propped up on a rock. Heat rocks are not reccomended and definitely should be avoided, as they can overheat
and burn your reptile. All objects placed in the enclosure should be baked beforehand in order to sanitize them.No objects
should be placed in any position that would enable the animal to touch the heat lamp or get extremely close to it. Bearded
Dragons are diurnal (active during the daytime,) and thusly go to a dark area during the night. Such an area should be provided.
(hide box, cave, etc.) This should be placed on the side of the the enclosure opposite the light.
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