Guest Author - Christina Borders

Written by previous editor: Christina Borders

Bearded dragons are some of the most common lizards found in the pet trade today. Their willingness to breed in captivity as well as their relative ease of care are both contributing factors in their popularity.

Beardies are indigenous to Australia. They spend time on the ground as well as climbing. The shape of their bodies is ideal for basking and their neck pouch that resembles a beard when inflated is a deterrent to would be predators.

While many other reptiles are ‘specialized’ eaters, consuming only mammals, insects, or vegetation- bearded dragons are omnivores. Their diet consists of insects, vegetation, and even small vertebrates. (NOTE: While catching insects from your yard to feed your beardie may seem like fun, it’s not always the best idea. Feeding your lizard or other reptiles food that has been specially made or bred for them is ideal. Some insects can cause great harm or even be fatal to your bearded dragon, for example: fire flies. Fire flies, or lightning bugs as some know them, can kill your beardie overnight.)

You will also find that within the bearded dragon world certain color morphs have been exploited and are being bred into some beautiful colored and patterned dragons. Genetic science allows breeders to determine what crossing one color with another will produce and even to develop new colors. Citrus and sunfire dragons are examples of some beautiful color morphs. Usually the more brightly colored and newer the morph is, the more you can expect to pay.

Housing for beardies is relatively simple to arrange, as a 15-gallon aquarium will house a juvenile to start. As the dragon grows his cage needs to grow with him or her. No less than a 55 gallon aquarium will do for up to two adult dragons. (NOTE: There are also other great alternatives to aquariums out there and you can find reviews on them right here on the Reptiles site.) Substrate should be smaller than the prey that your dragon is going to be hunting. This helps prevent accidental ingestion of bedding, which can make your lizard rather sick[terminal ingestion]and can be fatal. Play or reptile sand can be used and there is even a ‘reptile carpet’ on the market. Some people don’t recommend the use of reptile bark because the crickets can hide in it and potentially evade being eaten, meaning your dragon doesn’t eat, as well as annoying your dragon at night. I have no personal opinion either way; sometimes it’s a trial and error thing to see what works best for you and your pet. Everyone is different. I will, however, suggest that you not use anything other than reptile sand or carpet when housing baby and juvenile dragons.

A few reptile branches and river rocks make wonderful additions to your dragons’ home. If you chose to use anything that you find in your yard or at the beach, such as drift wood be SURE to rid them of parasites and bugs BEFORE putting them in your herps habitat. You can do this by soaking the items in a 10:90 solution of bleach and water or simply bake them in your oven at 300 degrees for 15 minutes. Hiding spots are not really needed for dragons as they are baskers and young dragons especially may choose to hide rather than eat and bask. This can cause problems because well, your dragon needs to eat and he also needs the heat to help digest food and absorb nutrients.

In Part Two of Bearded Dragons you will find more information on the care and feeding requirements of beardies as well as a bit of behavioral background.

Bearded Dragons Part 2