BEARDED DRAGON

     Bearded Dragons are considered one of the best lizard pets. It is well known for being alert, hardy, and tame. Bearded Dragon owners love watching their beardies, whether during a feeding frenzy while chasing crickets or simply interacting with each other. Bearded Dragons exhibit interesting behaviors such as "arm-waving", in which a female may lift her front leg in the air and "wave" it as a submissive gestures. The "beard" from which they get their name may also be extended, though it is uncommon for tame captive lizards to do this. They typically do this when they are alarmed.

FUN FACTS:
     *   The deserts and semi-arid scrub lands of Australia are home to the bearded dragon outside of captivity.
     *   Bearded Dragon refers to the species known as Pogona vitticeps and belongs to the family Agamidea.
     *   Beardies can live 10 to 12 years when they are properly cared for.
     *   Adult males average 16 to 24 inches in length while females are usually smaller.
     *   To prevent overheating, a Beardie can make its skin a very light color that deflects heat.
     *   Bearded Dragons are omnivores which means they eat life insects like crickets and also some vegetables.
     *   Beardies generally will learn to enjoy interacting with people.

CHOOSING A BEARDED DRAGON
     When choosing your beardie, be sure you look at it carefully. The first thing you should notice is how alert and active the dragon is. You don't want a beardie that can't lift its head or that looks lethargic. When you walk up to the cage the beardies should be watching you with interest and should have bright and alert eyes that are not sunken in.
     Look closely at the beardies legs, tail, and toes. Be sure to check them for sores, burns, external parasites or any deformities. Make sure there is no pus or other gunk built up in the eyes, nose or mouth area as well. Many beardies will be missing toes or bits of their tail. This will not cause them any discomfort as long as the wound looks healed and shows no sign of infection.
     Look for fullness in the limbs and tail especially at the base. Make sure you cannot see the tail or hip bones. Lizards store fat in their tails. Watch the beardie run around and make sure he is using all of his limbs and not limping or stumbling.
     Baby beardies are very fragile and more apt to become ill or overly stressed. For this reason, you may want to choose a beardie that is at least 6 inches long.

HOUSING
     To house a Bearded Dragon you should choose a well ventilated aquarium that is at least 40 gallons. 55 gallons are actually preferred for adult dragons because it gives them more room to run. A 75 gallon is ok for up to two adult dragons. You should also use a screen lid for the top of your aquarium. Do not use glass, plexiglass or wood to cover your cage because it will not allow enough air circulation and will also trap humidity inside the cage. The screen top will allow air flow, and allow your lighting and heat sources to work properly and allow humidity to excape.

BASKING SPOT
     Be sure to provide a basking spot close to your heat source. Use smooth, flat rocks, natural or artificial logs , or branches to create a basking area for your beardie. The idea is to bring your beardie closer to the basking lamp for warmth.
     You also want to add a wood or rock hiding spot in the cool area of the habitat. This will help your beardie feel safe and secure.
     Basking temperatures should be around 90 to 115 degrees F (32-46 C).

HUMIDITY
     Be sure to keep the humidity in your enclosure between 20 and 30%. Purchase a hygrometer to help keep you on track.

TEMPERATURE
     To produce heat and a basking spot in your you can use any type of bright white light or just a plain household lightbulb that will give the proper basking temperature mentioned above. The best fixture to use is a porcelain dome light fixture.
     Daytime temperatures should be maintained at around 75 to 85 degrees F. Nighttime temperatures should be maintained around 65 to 75 degrees F. Do not use colored heat lights because they will interrupt your beardies sleep patterns. Also, do not use heat rocks because they can burn the underside of your beardie.
     Maintaining the proper basking and cool areas inside your enclosure plays a key role in helping your Beardie with optimal growth and digestion.  It is best to place a thermometer at both ends of the aquarium to monitor temperatures.

LIGHTING
    Your Bearded Dragon requires approximately 12 hours of daylight per day to help it process calcium. Be sure to use a UVA/UVB fluorescent bulb such as the Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12% tubes. It is important that you use the correct type of UVB light to help your beardies bones develop strong and healthy.

SUBSTRATE
     For the bottom of your cage it is best to line it with newspaper or reptile carpet. They make your enclosure easy to clean and hold no health risks for your beardie. Do not use sand or wood shavings in your enclosure because loose substrate can be ingested and will cause serious health risks such as impaction, or blocking the intestines of your Bearded Dragon. Be sure to clean out waste at least weekly, and change the beeding at least once per month.

FEEDING
     The rule of thumb to use for the size of the food you feed your beardie is that it should be no bigger than the space between their eyes. Bearded Dragons will eat live insects such as crickets, mealworms, or wax worms. Juveniles should be fed once a day as many insects as they can eat in about 5 to 10 minutes. Adults can be fed daily or every other day. Be sure you remove insects that are left over because they can bite and cause harm to your beardie. Baby beardies should be offered insects two or three times a day. Young bearded dragons can eat anywhere from 20 to 60 small crickets a day.
     Do not feed your beardie insects that you catch in your backyard. These bugs can carry parasites or they can have pesticides on them that can be harmful or even kill your beardie.
     When it comes to vegetables, they should consist of 25% of a juveniles diet and at least 50% of an adult Bearded Dragons' diet. Choose from kale, collard greens, zucchini, and shredded carrots. You can also offer fruits occasionally. Try chopped peaches, mango, papaya, kiwi, banana, pear, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, grapes, and apples. Too much fruit can cause watery poop, so give them in moderation.

WATER
     Bearded Dragons will drink water from a shallow dish and will lick moisture from their skin. Mist your pet at least every other day.

SUPPLEMENTS
     Be sure to dust your insects with a calcium/vitamin D3 supplement once a day for baby and juvenile dragons at least 5 times a week. Also, dust with a multivitamin once every 2 weeks. For adults, reduce calcium to 3 times a week and the vitamin/mineral once every two weeks.

AGE/SIZE RELATIONSHIP
     *   BABY: 0-2 months. Hatchlings are normally around 3 to 4 inches in length.
     *   JUVENILE: 2-4 months- After 2 months bearded dragons should be at least 6 to 7 inches and could be as large as 9 inches. Young beardies grow quickly!
     *   SUB-ADULT: 4 months to maturity- Bearded Dragons reach maturity usually around 18 months of age.
     *   ADULT: 18 months +- Adults are typically 18 to 20 inches in length and even reach up to 24 inches.

GENDER

     It is fairly easy to determine the gender of an adult Bearded Dragon. Gently lift up the tail and look at the base of his tail and thighs. Males have dominant femoral pores on their thighs and have bulges on the sides of the base of their tail. Females have much smaller femoral pores and have one small bulge in the middle of the base of their tail. It can be difficult to determine the gender of baby dragons, since males have not yet developed femoral pores and any bulges may be difficult to see and distinguish.