Bearded Dragon Care Sheet

By Scott Solar



Generally Accepted Care: Bearded Dragons are some of the easiest reptiles to care for. Daily care is to turn on the lights, provide fresh water, feed and clean.



Housing: Bearded Dragons should be housed in a terrarium with a locking lid. Similar to a fish tank; reptile terrariums usually have a sliding screen with a locking pin mechanism. Babies may be started in a small tank such as a ten gallon. For a single adult forty gallon tank is required. Up to three adults may be kept in a sixty gallon enclosure. Bearded Dragons are diurnal basking lizards. They wake up in the morning and absorb the suns’ rays every day. We must provide an indoor equivalent to sunlight. To do this it is essential we provide both true UVB and heat lamps. Heat aids in digestion and UVB makes Vitamin D in the skin. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption. The hot spot provided by the heat lamp should be approximately 110F. The tank must not have a glass lid. Glass absorbs UVB and would defeat our purpose. The recommended bedding is either Gentle Touch kitty litter or rabbit pellets. A wooden branch is provided for basking. This branch is removed for feeding. Crickets may hide in it emerging at night to crawl on your lizard while it is sleeping.



Feeding: For youngsters, the food we provide is mostly insects. We start with two week old crickets, as the animal grows we increase the food size accordingly and add vegetables to the diet. As adults 50-90% of the diet is vegetarian. Greens, fruits, squash, carrots, edible flowers should all be included. Provide a powdered calcium supplement daily. Calcium is especially important for rapidly growing juveniles and reproductive females. Provide fresh water daily in a clean water bowl.



Cleaning: Bearded Dragons eat every day and they also defecate daily. The feces should be removed completely every day. Bedding is replaced as needed. You should clean the entire cage occasionally. Glass cleanser is used to clean the glass and a wipe with a damp cloth will remove cleaner residue. The cage is then set up with fresh bedding and the furniture replaced.



Handling:
Bearded Dragons thrive on human interaction. They live naturally in families. As youngsters, Bearded Dragons should be handled sparingly until they are feeding aggressively and regularly. As they grow Bearded Dragons may be handled almost freely. Always pay attention to your lizards’ demeanor. If they seem nervous, scared or flighty, then they are getting tired from handling. This will tell you when it is time to put them back into their enclosure.



Environment: Bearded Dragons originate in the deserts of south/central Australia. However, having been bred in captivity for many generations bearded dragons are very tolerant to many different environments. They thrive in the conditions provided in our homes. That is, in which we humans are comfortable. The lighting will satisfy the needs not provided in our homes. If you keep your home very cold, then an increase in wattage of the heat lamp may be necessary during the winter months. That said, as long as water bowls are filled, appropriate types and sizes of food are provided, and the cage is kept very clean, your lizard will thrive. Enjoy your new pet.



Necessary Reading: The Bearded Dragon Manual, DeVosjoli et al, ISBN 1-882770-59-5