Bearded Dragons (Pogona Vitticeps)

created by Dragon-Seekers.com 

So you want a Bearded Dragon?  How much do you know about them?  Do you know what it takes to keep one of these little guys happy and healthy? 

Our objective to this care sheet is that you be as prepared as possible when you get your new baby.  We take painstaking care of our babies from the beginning
of their lives and expect them to go to a good home and caring family, where
they will receive the same care for the rest of their lives. Does any living thing deserve anything less?

Animals are not toys to be thrown away when you get tired of them.  They are a responsibility for many years to come.  Bearded dragons can live up to 12+ years.


Enclosure:

For a baby beardie you will be able to get by with a 20 gallon tank, but to save money in the long run, we recommend purchasing or building a tank that will fit for his entire life.

Once your baby reaches 12 inches it will be time to get him a bigger tank.  A
40 gallon breeder (36x18x18) is the minimum recommended, however, the
bigger the tank, the better.

Bearded dragons are terrestrial, not tree climbers, therefore they need the floor space.

They do like to sit on fat branches and flat rocks, so think Australia, and
decorate accordingly. It is hard packed clay, not sand, and a very arid/dry environment. Offer a place to bask, a few things to climb on, and somewhere
that they can hide, like a cave or half log.

Try not to fill your cage with furniture so they can move freely. We have green reptile hammocks for our adults, they really enjoy these also, you can find them at PetSmart for around $7.

Lighting and Temperatures:

Lighting schedules should be 12 hours on, 12 hours off.  They need to have night time, just like we do, with all lights and heat turned off for at least 8-10 hours each day.  As long as your house temperature doesn’t get below 60 degrees, you will not need any type of heating source for the night.

It is very important that you choose the correct equipment to measure your temperatures.  You should buy either a digital thermometer with a probe or an infrared temperature gun.  The stick-on thermometers that they sell at pet store can be as much as 20 degrees wrong, and very unreliable, so it is in your beardie's best interests that you stay away from these.

There are three temperatures you will need to measure, a basking spot, a warm end of the tank, and a cool end.

For a baby:

The basking temperature is the surface closest to the heat lamp, where your beardie will sit to get warm.  This spot needs to be between 110 and 115 degrees.

The hot end of your tank is the air temperature around the basking spot.  This should be between 90 and 100 degrees.

The cool end of your tank is where your beardie will go when he wants to cool down.  This should be between 80 and 85 degrees.

For an adult:

The hot end and cool end of your tank should be the same as for a baby, but
you will need to lower your basking spot temperature to between 90 and 100 degrees.

To achieve the correct temperatures you can use regular household light bulbs.  They are inexpensive, so it will make it easier for you to experiment to get the correct temperature.

Beardies LOVE bright sunlight, so a dull, yellowish lighting will make your beardie lethargic and depressed. The brighter you can make the cage, the better your beardie will feel and act.

Your new beardie will also need a UVB light.  This is VERY important for
your new little guy to metabolize and absorb the calcium he or she is going to be ingesting, by producing vitamin D3.

Without a UVB light, your new pet can develop metabolic bone disease, which will twist and warp the body, paralyze it, make it have seizures, and then die from lack of vitamin absorption. This is an extremely painful and horrible death for them, so we would like to stress the importance of having the correct UVB Light.

Change the UV bulb EVERY six months.

We recommend always having a spare bulb, for accidents and emergencies. It is vital that your beardie never go more than a day without a UVB. If your UVB burns out, and you don't have a backup, you will need to take your beardie OUTSIDE for real sunlight for at least 15 to 20 minutes every other day until you can buy a replacement bulb.

A Reptisun 10.0 is recommended.  Again, remember to replae it every six months.

Your beardie should be able to get within 8 inches of the light.  You can place
the light low, or have branches or other furniture that will bring him closer to
the bulb. 

Another option is to use a MVB, Mercury Vapor Bulb.  This emits both the
heat and the UV rays.  Your beardie, in this case, should be between 8 to 12 inches from the light, because it is more powerful.

This type of bulb you will need to replace once a year.

Make sure that you place the bulb facing down, it cannot lean or tilt AT ALL or it will burn out quickly. Also always have an extra bulb on hand for emergencies. This type of bulb will shut off occasionally, and does not come back on until it has cooled off.  It is VERY hot, and you MUST use a ceramic based clamp light, due to risk of melting, resulting in a fire.

Substrate:

The best substrate (bedding/flooring) will be something that cannot be ingested by your beardie.  Ceramic tile, paper towels, newspaper (use black and white newspaper print, unless you confirm with your newspaper that the color ink is non toxic.), non-adhesive shelf liner or repti-carpet are the best substrate options. We personally use rock-like ceramic tile, and our babies are raised on paper towel from the time they hatch.

Anything loose that can be ingested by your beardie can cause impaction
(blockage of the intestines) and eventually death.

Diet

A baby bearded dragon should be fed crickets or another staple bug two to
three times a day, all he can eat in a 15 minute period.  Offer vegetables
and greens at all times.

To avoid choking and/or impaction, he should not be fed anything bigger than the space between his eyes. 

 Make sure there are NO crickets left in his cage when he stops eating.  They can and will chew on your beardie while he is sleeping, causing infections, missing limbs, or expensive vet bills for amputations.

A baby’s diet should consist of 80% protein and 20% vegetables.  The protein will help your baby grow.

As your dragon reaches adulthood, which is around 18 months of age, his diet should consist of 20% protein and 80% vegetables.  Too much protein at this stage in life can cause liver and/or kidney problems.

At about 10-12 months old, slowly start lowering the protein intake, so that
he will be eating protein only twice a week by the time he is 18 months old. 

Your dragon will also need calcium and vitamins. We buy Rep-Cal Calcium without D-3, (it has a green label) and just a standard multivitamin powder designed specifically for bearded dragons.  Most vitamins do have D3 in them.

Between the ages of 2-4 months:

Dust their prey with plain calcium powder twice a day.
Dust their prey with vitamin powder twice a week.

Between the ages of 4-8 months:

Dust their prey with plain calcium powder once a day.
Dust their prey with vitamin powder once a week.

Between the ages of 8 months on:

Dust their prey with plain calcium powder two times a week.
Dust their prey with vitamin powder once a week.

Staple Prey Items: (Can be fed every day)

Crickets

Silk Worms

Discoid, Lobster or Lateralis Roaches

Prey to be Used as a Treat Only: (only a few of
these 1-2 times each week)
Wax Worms

Horn Worms

Butter Worms

Super Worms (not until beardie reaches 6 months of age)

Staple Veggies to be fed Every Day:

Mustard Greens        Turnip Greens        Dandelion Greens

Collard Greens         Endive                    Cactus Pad

Escarole                   Green Beans           Acorn Squash 

Butternut Squash      Hubbard Squash     Scallop Squash

Spaghetti Squash      Summer Squash

Fruits and Vegetables to be used as treats only:

Apples                   Cucumbers                    Guava

Papaya (favorite)    Grapes                           Figs

Watermelon           Okra                               Raisins

Bell Pepper            Leeks                             Green Peas, fresh

Sweet Potato         Apricots                         Blueberries (favorite)

Arugula                  Bok Choi                       Parsnips

Cantaloupe             Strawberries (favorite)    Mango

Radishes                Chayote                         Sweet Potato

Chicory                 Asparagus                      Peach                            

Pear                      Garbanzo Beans              Raspberries(favorite)

Water:

It is best to keep a shallow water dish in your enclosure.  Our beardies have water dishes from the time they hatch, and know what it is, and use it.

Although it is said that the bearded dragon cannot see standing water, the water dish will be used by your beardie.  If he feels that he needs to hydrate he will bathe in his dish, though usually they will poop in it too, so check it often.

Most bearded dragons will drink out of a bowl.  Although they do not drink often and a lot, leave the water dish in the tank for when your beardie needs it.  We use dishes large enough for them to be able to lay in it, and it is shallow and looks like a rock.

It is best if you place your water dish in a place where he can see the water
from above.  To help you do this, you can place some rocks or bricks around the dish.  Make sure the rocks and bricks are placed in a way so not to fall
and crush your dragon if and when he moves around them.

Bathe your dragon twice a week in luke-warm water up to his shoulders.  Bathe for about 15 to 20 minutes, warming the water as needed. Just like people, some beardies like to swim, and some don’t, so they may enjoy it, they may just tolerate it, or they may fight you every minute you’re doing it. 

You can use baby shampoo if he is stinky from running through his own poop, but do not get it in their eyes, or use it on their head.  Rinse thoroughly. 
You can use a soft toothbrush and rub, with the scales, lightly to help them during shedding, the dead skin is very itchy to them, and the baths help it come off.

Make sure you are always with your dragon during bath time. 

Gently mist your dragon twice a day with a spray bottle.  A lot will lick their noses, or lower their heads to drink the water on the ground.  Keep spraying until they quit licking. Sometimes it takes them 10-15 seconds to realize that you are spraying water, and not attacking them, so give him a moment before you decide he’s not thirsty, and skip his drink.

Hold your dragon often, and he will become your best friend in no time.  It will take him a few days to get to know you, and even longer to trust you enough to sit on your shoulder or go outside.  But don't give up on him!  They all have different personalities and some take longer than others to build that trust.  Be calm and tolerant, he will come around.  

We are available to help you at all times! Don't hesitate to call or write!!

You can reach us at:

Pam --- 801-644-7814

Edel (pronounced Adelle)--- 801-556-6992

For questions, returns, or help, don’t hesitate to call or E-mail.

Our personal email addresses: 

Pam --- pkhales@comcast.net

Edel --- dragonsang@comcast.net

Good Luck with your new Baby, and thank you for purchasing our Dragon!!!