Bearded Dragon
- Thread starter mushiking
- Start date
Hey there!
Bearded dragons get big and will require a bigger enclosure. I suggest you get a leopard gecko first. You can use the same feeders that you give to your scorps. Enclosure is fairly simple, since we are in the tropics, heating can be optional. They are easy to keep and are fairly docile. I currently keep 2, a Bell albino and a Hypo tangerine carrot-tail.
Bearded dragons get big and will require a bigger enclosure. I suggest you get a leopard gecko first. You can use the same feeders that you give to your scorps. Enclosure is fairly simple, since we are in the tropics, heating can be optional. They are easy to keep and are fairly docile. I currently keep 2, a Bell albino and a Hypo tangerine carrot-tail.
Yes bearded dragons are good for beginners. They do get kinda big, around 20 inches or so. They also NEED a calcium supliment and UVA/UVB light. An appropriate size enclosure also (may be up to 55 gallon when full grown). My friends just took a bearie to the vet thinking it had broken front legs, turns out they had the incorrect lighting resulting in sickness. They just had a "basking bulb" on them.
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They are great pets to own, I have a male and female in seperate enclosures( if you end up getting two, you will probably have to seperate them at some point in their life) One can become dominant and not allow the other to eat,or bask. For a supplament i just dust the crickets or roaches,,,sometimes I just dust the greens (salad,spring mix)
They are really docile,easy to care for and if you handle on a regular basis are like a scaled chihuahua.
very rewarding pet to have....I would start out with a juvi,,,,and only one...first...Good luck...:clap:
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Excellent for beginners. They do require a large cage as adults. Remember to get the proper lighting, dust your feeders and give them greens. They are VERY, VERY fun to watch
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They're fine for beginners...if you do tons of research beforehand and know what you're doing. Others have mentioned the cage size, supplements, and lighting - you also need to learn about their diet. You can't just feed them crickets all their life, they'll need more veggies as they grow. And it's not as easy as just giving them lettuce, they need a variety - and only certain plants have any nutritional value to a beardie, otherwise it's like you're just feeding them cardboard. (In particular, do not feed them lettuce or spinach.)
http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/?page=1 here's a very good multi-page caresheet, includes sections on safe substrate and diet.
Don't trust anyone at your local pet store to have any idea what they're talking about, and don't trust the packaging on any pet product just because it claims it's safe/healthy/wonderful/amazing. Calci-sand and hot rocks still get marketed like they're great but they kill quite a few pets.
Just avoid getting misled by things like that and you should be fine.
http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/caresheet/?page=1 here's a very good multi-page caresheet, includes sections on safe substrate and diet.
Don't trust anyone at your local pet store to have any idea what they're talking about, and don't trust the packaging on any pet product just because it claims it's safe/healthy/wonderful/amazing. Calci-sand and hot rocks still get marketed like they're great but they kill quite a few pets.
Just avoid getting misled by things like that and you should be fine.
Don't let the requirements scare you off from keeping a beardie. They have very definite lighting, heating, enclosure and dietary requirements but they aren't too complicated. Initial expense can be a little high but is usually a one time thing for the dragon and its accessories. If you keep them correctly they are pretty hardy animals and they do demonstrate some cool behaviors. They are the most human-friendly lizards I've ever had. One of ours will run up to meet anyone (even the dogs) coming into the room during his free-range time and strike a dominating pose to show it is HIS room. Then he will permit the visitor to enter. He loves to be carried around and if you sit down he will run onto your lap, up on your shoulders and get comfy until you put him back in his tank. If you get one I wish you luck with it.
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There are many different opinions about enclosures. Personally, I think 55 gallon is a little small depending on the measurements. I think an enclosure that is 4'x2'x2' is closer to ideal for an adult. I have a 55 gallon tank (not a breeder) for my fish and it is a lot smaller than my beardie enclosure.
A beginner is more than capable of caring for them. However, it is not a pet that you can really just "set and forget." I have found the environment to need constant monitoring. If anything should happen it isn't cheap to get them treatment. I have paid 200-300 dollars for labs/meds/xrays/office visits etc. twice to treat a persistent infection.
Like others have said DO NOT trust your pet store. They only plan care needs based on a very short term. Many of the "kits" they sell are crap. Here is a link to a good food chart.
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html
The averge life span of a bearded dragon is 7-14 years IMO
My Eastern african tailed lizards live for 25 years.
I didn't know that you could let them walk around the house. Do you watch it when it roams around the room? Do you know what kind of vegetables I can give to a bearded dragon that are available in the Philippines?
They should not be allowed to walk loose around the house. We have a pet-safe room that has nothing in it for a small pet to get hurt on. It allows them to get more exercise and some natural sunlight through the window. If you let them loose in the house there is risk of them being stepped on or injured by a closing door or stuck under some major appliance or any number of other hazards.
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I would just like to add: they are reptiles, So if you have them out of their enclosure for too long they may get lathargic and slow due to the drop in temp outside the tank. Also "Natural sunlight" is cool and all but they get no benificial UVB from it if its through a window.
What's the longest time I can handle a Bearded Dragon?
I saw a video on Youtube called bearded dragons can drive too. 1 guy put his bearded dragon on a remote controlled car then he gave it a ride. He said that the Bearded Dragon liked it. I'm going to try it also when I get a Bearded Dragon when it's used to handling. I can give an adult a ride using my giant R/C Nissan Skyline. He put some tape to make sure it doesn't fall.