What is a Bearded Dragon? Bearded Dragons originate in Australia

What is a Bearded Dragon?

What is a Bearded Dragon?By Drs. Foster & Smith Veterinary Staff

Bearded Dragons originate in Australia. The most common species in the pet industry is the Inland Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps, which was formerly called Amphibolurus vitticeps. The Inland Bearded Dragon is sometimes referred to as the Central, or Yellow-headed Bearded Dragon. Other members of the Pogona genus include:

● Pogona barbata - Common Bearded ● P. henrylawsoni - Rankin's ● P. minima - Western ● P. minor - Dwarf ● P. mitchelli - Northwest Bearded ● P. nullarbor - Nullarbor ● P. microlepitoda

Natural environmentThe Inland Bearded Dragon lives in the arid woodlands and deserts of central Australia. It spends much of its waking hours in bushes and trees, and is also found basking on rocks. When it is extremely hot, the bearded dragon will burrow underground. The bearded dragon is diurnal - active during the day. It is also an omnivore, meaning that it will eat plants and flesh. It forages for food such as insects, small lizards and mammals, fruit, flowers, and other plant material during the day time.

Physical characteristicsThe Bearded Dragon is tan to yellow in color. It is called "bearded" because of its ability to flare out the skin in the throat region when it is threatened or defending its territory. Its body has a flattened appearance, which becomes even more pronounced when the dragon is alarmed. There are spines on the throat, sides of the head, and sides of the body. The head is wedge-shaped, and the Bearded Dragon has a tail that is almost as long as its body.

It is difficult to distinguish males from females among hatchlings and juveniles. When they become adults, sexual differences become more apparent. The males generally have larger heads and larger, darker beards. The femoral pores of males also help to distinguish them from females.

Temperament and handlingBearded Dragons tend to be mellow and docile, even in the wild. Although hatchlings and juveniles may be skittish, the adults will often appear to enjoy human company, making Bearded Dragons one of the better reptilian pets. Bearded Dragons tend to be curious, and will enjoy exploring, so if you can, provide a safe, large enclosure.

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What is a Bearded Dragon?

To pick up a Bearded Dragon, place your hand under its abdomen and gently scoop it up. As the dragon lays on your palm, gently curve your fingers around its abdomen.

Behavior and body languageTo better relate to your Bearded Dragon, you need to understand what various behaviors and body positions mean. During breeding season, to display dominance, or if startled or threatened, a dragon may puff out its beard. Both males and females will display this behavior. To appear even more menacing, the Bearded Dragon may also "gape," or open his mouth very wide. This can certainly make him look more aggressive, since his mouth is quite large. Another way Dragons show dominance, is to bob their heads. To show submission, a dragon will hold up one front leg and may slowly wave it.

ReproductionBearded Dragons reach sexual maturity and start to breed between 8 and 18 months. The female will generally lay 20 eggs in a clutch. If fertile, the eggs will hatch in 55-75 days. Unmated females may also lay eggs. Bearded Dragons have a life expectancy of approximately 10 years.


The Growing Popularity of the Bearded Dragon


By Drs. Foster & Smith Veterinary Staff

Some lizards could be mistaken for plastic statues: brilliantly colored, attractive to look at, but with the personality of, well, a plastic statue. Not so the Bearded Dragon, a mid-size lizard, comprised of seven species, all native to arid regions of Australia.

The rich, earth-tone coloration of the Bearded Dragon is, by lizard standards, beautiful. Their namesake feature, the beard, is comprised of folds of flexible skin and scales. Though fearsome looking with beard puffed out, the Bearded Dragon is actually gentle-spirited. In addition to his unique and dramatic appearance, there are several more reasons he is a much sought after pet.

Social Skills - Unlike some lizards which prefer to be left alone, the Bearded Dragon adapts well to humans. He actually seems to enjoy human company. In fact, daily handling is recommended to maintain his trust and attention.

Bearded Dragons have many interesting social skills, for example:

● Beard display, puffing out of the beard, is thought to be a display of dominance. It is also used in courtship.

● Head bobbing is another display of dominance. Submissive Dragons are sometimes observed in a slow bow in response to the bobbing.

● Bearded Dragons will lift and wave their arms to acknowledge one another or in response to bobbing.

● A raised tail also signifies assertiveness.

Animated Behaviors - In the wild, the Bearded Dragon is an adept climber. A diurnal animal, he is active morning and afternoon, frequently seen basking on rocks, or clinging to branches and fence posts in all positions - horizontal, vertical and in between. As a pet, he retains his innate curiosity about his surroundings and likes to explore. To warm himself, he will flatten his belly out on a flat rock or branch in the sun. To help remove loose skin, he may rub himself against any available surface.


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Easy Care and Feeding - The habitat of the Bearded Dragon is easy to set up and maintain. With the exception of droppings, he is odor free, and daily cleaning will keep the habitat pleasant. A hearty lizard, he will have few medical problems if provided the right diet and environment.

The Bearded Dragon will eat most any insect, but the insect should be proportional to the lizard's body size. Live crickets are a favorite, but use the pinhead crickets for juveniles. For Bearded Dragons, it is very important that the size of food be proportional to the size of the animal. Malnourishment, seizures, and intestinal blockages can occur if hatchlings and juveniles are fed insects that are too large for them to capture or digest. Under no circumstances can the Bearded Dragon be fed fireflies, which are fatally poisonous. Starting at 1-2 months of age, in addition to insects, his diet should included 20% fresh and frozen vegetables, including collard greens, mustard greens, red leaf lettuce, carrots, green squash, green peas, dandelions, blueberries, green beans, and more. He can be trained to hand feed.

Are You Ready to Pick Out Your Dragon?

You should set up the habitat before you bring your new Dragon home. See Habitat Checklist: Bearded Dragon for set-up tips. And check out Bearded Dragon: Stats and Facts at our PetEducation.com site.

When visiting a pet shop, look for a Dragon that is active. Don't pick a small lizard. Handle him. He should relax in your hand without digging in. Make sure he is well-proportioned and fully formed. Check for five toes on four feet, clear nostrils, and a full tail.

Hatchlings start at 4-5 inches in length, and grow to 12 inches in about 13 weeks. Full grown, they average 18-20 inches, and can grow to two feet. With good care, a healthy Dragon can live up to ten years. If you are ready for a long-term commitment, you will likely find the Bearded Dragon to be a wonderful pet.


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Creating the Ideal Bearded Dragon Habitat

Creating the Ideal Bearded Dragon HabitatBy Drs. Foster & Smith Veterinary Staff

Your Bearded Dragon has unique requirements to stay healthy and happy. The following tips can help you provide your pet with a proper, hospitable home.

Enclosure/CageAn appropriately sized aquarium with a tight-fitting lid will make a wonderful home for your Bearded Dragon. Hatchlings may be kept in a 10-15 gallon aquarium; adults require at least a 55-60 gallon aquarium. Wire cages are not ideal enclosures, because they do not retain heat and also can cause foot and nose trauma. If you must use a wire cage, make sure the wire is coated with plastic to lessen the possibility of injury.

Cages should be simple in design to facilitate easy, thorough cleaning. If you use a cage made of wood, seal it with polyurethane or a similar waterproofing agent, and caulk joints to enable cleaning and disinfection. Allow polyurethane or other sealant to dry several days, and air the cage out thoroughly prior to putting your pet in it to prevent toxicity.

SubstrateThe substrate lining the bottom of your Dragon's cage should be aesthetically pleasing, easy to clean, absorbent, and digestible if swallowed. Substrate can be flat newspaper, sheets of brown wrapping paper (the kind that comes in rolls), AstroTurf, or indoor/outdoor carpet. Do NOT use cedar shavings, gravel, crushed corn cob, kitty litter, wood shavings, or potting soil that contains vermiculite, pesticides, fertilizer, or wetting agents.

Landscaping, "Furniture," and PlantsYour Bearded Dragon will enjoy an assortment of branches for climbing and basking. Make sure branches are secure, of various sizes, and free of pitch and sap - oak works very well. The branches should be at least as wide as your Bearded Dragon to ensure your pet's comfort and safety. Boards covered with indoor/outdoor carpet also make good climbing posts. Flat-bottomed, smooth rocks are also a welcome addition to your Dragon's habitat, because they can help wear down toenails, which in captivity, must be clipped often. Your Dragon will also enjoy having a place to hide. Whether you use an empty cardboard box, cardboard tube, or flower pot, the hiding place should provide a snug fit and should be located high in the enclosure. If your Bearded Dragon does not use its hiding place, try a different one or move it to a different location within the enclosure.


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TemperaturePlants are a beneficial addition to your Dragon's home. In addition to providing humidity, shade, and a sense of security, they also beautify the enclosure. Be sure the plants you choose are nontoxic. Dracaena, Ficus benjamina, and hibiscus are all good choices. Be sure the plants have not been treated with pesticides and the potting soil does not contain vermiculite, pesticides, fertilizer, or wetting agents. Wash real plants with a water spray and water them thoroughly several times to the point where water runs out of the bottom of the pot to help remove any toxic chemicals that may be present. It's also a good idea to keep new live plants in a different part of your house for a while before putting them in your Dragon's enclosure.

Because your Bearded Dragon is a cold-blooded animal from arid woodland and desert environments, it requires supplemental heat for proper digestion. Keep your Dragon's enclosure at 78-88°F during the day and in the 70s at night. If your Dragon is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is increasingly prone to illness. Lizards like a temperature gradient, so if they are cold, they can move to a warmer part of the cage and vice versa. Place a good quality thermometer in the enclosure at the level at which your Bearded Dragon spends most of its time so you can monitor the enclosure temperature. Never use hot rocks as heat sources.

Secondary heat source: A secondary heat source creates additional heat in specific areas of the enclosure to provide your Dragon with an essential temperature gradient. To best supply this gradient, the secondary heat source should cover only 25-30% of the enclosure's surface. For adult Dragons, the secondary heat source could be a 30-75 watt incandescent bulb in a ceramic base, securely mounted where the animal cannot touch it. Special "basking lights" are also ideal. Either type of light should shine down on a particular basking area from outside the cage. The temperature under the light in the basking area should be 95-100°F. Hatchlings housed in smaller aquariums will require lights of lower wattage, or the aquarium temperature may become too warm very quickly.

Primary heat source: A primary heat source is necessary to keep the temperature of the entire enclosure within the proper range. A series of incandescent lights over the cage is one of the best heat sources. At night, these lights will need to be turned off and another heat source may be needed depending on the ambient temperature. A heating pad placed under the cage, ceramic infrared heat emitters or panels, or more expensive nocturnal reptile incandescent light bulbs which produce heat, but little visible light, can be used. For larger enclosures, a space heater or separate room thermostat can be used to keep the room at the appropriate temperature. Be sure to place smoke detectors/fire alarms in rooms with lights or other artificial heat sources.

LightYour Bearded Dragon requires different types of light to maintain good health.

Visible white light: In addition to heat, incandescent bulbs also provide visible white light. A




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combination of fluorescent and incandescent light fixtures can be used to provide visible light to all areas of the enclosure.

Glass enclosures, even those with a screen top, should NEVER be used when providing access to natural sunlight. Glass cages will trap heat and can cause fatally high temperatures.

Ultraviolet light: In addition to heat and white light, your Bearded Dragon must have access to natural sunlight for good health - it requires a certain spectrum of ultraviolet (UV) light called UVB. UVB is necessary for your Bearded Dragon to make Vitamin D. No artificial light is as good as natural sunlight when it comes to providing UVB, so when the outside temperature on a sunny day is over 70°F, place your Bearded Dragon outside in a secure screen or wire cage with a locking door. Provide some shade and a hiding place within the enclosure. UV rays do not penetrate window glass so Bearded Dragons placed in a sunny window will not receive UV light.

If you cannot provide your Bearded Dragon with easy access to bright sunlight, use a special black light to provide the necessary UVB light. (These black lights for reptiles are NOT the black light tubes used for lighting fluorescent minerals, posters, and psychedelic paraphernalia.) Fish/aquarium and plant "grow" lights, either incandescent or fluorescent, are also not sufficient, since they do NOT produce UVB. You will need a black light that emits light in the 290-320 nanometer range. Lights producing only UVB, and lights that produce a combination of UVB and white lights are available. Replace UVB light sources every 6 months.

Second to the sun, the best light source is a combination of visible light from flourescent or incandescent lights, and UVB light from special reptile black lights or combination lights.

Remember, since UV light cannot penetrate glass, the top of your Dragon's enclosure must be a relatively wide wire mesh (not so tightly woven that the mesh blocks light) when you use overhead UVB light sources. Ideally, place the UVB light source no more than 18 inches from the spot where your Dragon spends most of its time; 10"-12" is optimal.

The areas illuminated by the incandescent basking light and the UV light should overlap. If your Bearded Dragon spends almost all its time basking under the incandescent light, while the UV light is at the other end of the cage, the UV light will offer no benefits.

Although your Bearded Dragon will receive most of its water from its food, fresh drinking water should be available at all times in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over. Water in your Dragon's environment is also a requirement, since proper humidity is necessary for proper shedding. When humidity is low (especially during winter months), mist your Bearded Dragon with water several times a week. Your Dragon may also enjoy soaking in a tub of water; however, be sure the water tub allows easy entrance and exit. You will need to clean your Dragon's tub and replace the water regularly, since your Dragon may urinate or defecate in the water. In fact, water usually stimulates elimination, so immersing your Dragon in water is a part of the treatment for constipation.


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Clean your Dragon's cage, food bowl, and water bowl routinely with a specially formulated sanitation product or a solution of one part household bleach to 10 parts water. Rinse all items thoroughly after cleaning. Since your Dragon can harbor the bacteria Salmonella, wash and sanitize your hands thoroughly after handling your pet or its cage (this is a good idea even if you wear rubber gloves during cleaning).

Housing More Than One DragonReptiles are instinctively territorial and may fight when caged together. A male and female Bearded Dragon can generally be kept together; however, the male may become extremely aggressive during the breeding season and require removal. Also be aware that larger Bearded Dragons may keep smaller cage mates away from food and heat sources, and may even see them as an appetizer. If you plan to house Bearded Dragons together, use a larger cage to decrease the possibility of aggression and monitor your Dragons closely.




Habitat Checklist: Bearded Dragon

Habitat Checklist: Bearded DragonBy Drs. Foster & Smith Veterinary Staff

To provide a Bearded Dragon a comfortable and safe home, you need to first familiarize yourself with his personal habits. You must also understand how to reliably maintain a temperature-humidity controlled environment. The following checklist matches up the basic behaviors of the Bearded Dragon with the habitat requirements necessary to accommodate them.

Behavior Needs and Solutions

The Bearded Dragon, capable of growing to two feet in length, is fast on his feet, likes to climb, and has a territorial nature, especially around other males.

Shelter: The adult Bearded Dragon needs a large habitat, at least four feet long and as deep as reasonably possible to allow for a variety of distances from the heat source. A glass aquarium is recommended for security, ease of maintenance, and pet viewing. To avoid the expense of multiple habitats as your pet grows to adulthood, consider using a partition that can be easily adjusted. Thus, a single large aquarium, 55-70 gallons, can be used throughout the life of the pet. The aquarium should be situated on a stable stand or table, out of direct sunlight, and out of




reach of cats, dogs, or other pets

The Bearded Dragon needs fresh air. Ventilated Top: The air inside the aquarium should not become too hot or stagnant. The top must allow for ventilation. The heavy-mesh Tera-Top and the Tough-Top are both good choices.

The Bearded Dragon likes to climb. Climbing Branches: Branches from your yard can introduce disease and pests into the habitat unless thoroughly cleaned. Jungle Vines are a much better option. Made of synthetic materials, these look natural and can be bent to provide your pet the perfect perch or basking point. The Dragon does not require live plants. If you choose to introduce them, be sure to research and select suitable varieties. Because there is a good chance the Dragon will eat them, you might be better satisfied with silk plants which will add the texture of color you desire, but last much longer.

Most adult Bearded Dragons want a hiding spot and a secluded place to sleep.

Privacy: Your Dragon will want a secluded spot. A wooden box or clay flower pot on its side can provide a good retreat. A Safe Shelter is a good basking spot and retreat.

Bearded Dragons sometimes ingest substrate when eating. This can cause serious health problems, especially among young lizards.

Substrate: Substrate can be flat newspaper or sheets of brown wrapping paper (the kind that comes in rolls). Cage Carpet is another safe, substrate and is much more pleasing to look at.











It is very important that the size of the food be proportional to the size of the animal. Malnourishment, seizures, and intestinal blockages can occur if hatchlings and juveniles are fed insects that are too large for them to capture or digest. Juvenile Bearded Dragons should eat live pinhead crickets and a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Adults generally have a mixed diet of insects and mixed fruits and vegetables.

Food: Many owners of Bearded Dragons keep live crickets for feeding. Other live favorites for adult Dragons include Mealworms. Feeder insects should be coated with calcium (no phosphorus) supplement 3-5 times per week for adults; every day for juveniles. The insects should also be "gut-loaded," which means the insects are fed nutritious and vitamin-rich foods such as JurassiQuench before they are given to the Dragon. All types of food should be provided in low bowls. If using freeze dried crickets, feeding can be stimulated with the use of the Jitterbug Vibrating Feeding Dish.

Though coming from extremely arid regions, the Bearded Dragon still needs water.

Water: Clean water should always be available for your Dragon. Always provide fresh water in a low dish, no taller than their shoulder. Their food may also be misted to add moisture. Proper humidity is necessary for proper shedding. Especially during the winter months when the humidity is low, mist the Bearded Dragon with water several times a week.

Like all Lizards, the cold-blooded Bearded Dragon seeks out heat to raise his body temperature. Proper maintenance of body temperature is important for digestion and helps ward off illness.

Heat: Dragons prefer 78-88°F during the day and temperatures in the 70's at night. If a reptile is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is more likely to become ill. Lizards like a temperature gradient so if they are cold, they can move to a warmer part of the cage and vice versa.

A primary heat source keeps the temperature of the entire cage within the proper range. Combinations of a heat mat under the cage, incandescent lights, a ceramic infrared heat emitter, and nocturnal reptile incandescent light bulb can be used. A thermometer/hygrometer kit will enable you to monitor conditions.

A secondary heat source creates more heat in













specific areas of the cage to provide a temperature gradient. To best supply this gradient, the secondary heat source should cover only 25-30% of the surface of the enclosure. The temperature under the light in the area in which the Bearded Dragon would be basking should be 95-100°F. Place a recessed, reflector, heat lamp like the Active UV Heat Bulb or the new Zoo Med Halogen bulb, on one end of the aquarium top. Provide a basking place so that you pet cannot come within ten inches of the heat source. Make sure that the heat bulb is in a fixture designed to handle the heat.

A diurnal animal, the Bearded Dragon prefers to eat, rest and explore on a schedule regulated by daylight which varies seasonally, from 8 to 14 hours. He needs a source of UVB light to naturally produce Vitamin D3 which also helps him absorb calcium.

Light: Incandescent heat lamps do not provide adequate light in the UVB range. You should also use fluorescent UVB bulbs. Though these can operate and provide light for years, they cease producing light in the UVB range after 6-10 months. Thus, you should replace the bulb every six months. The Desert 7% UVB Daylight Lamp is a good choice.

To extend your hours of enjoyment with your pet, use Moonshine Lamps, which simulate the natural glow of the moon.

To assure that you pet gets all of the light necessary on a regular basis, we highly recommend installing a timer.








What to Feed Your Bearded Dragon

What to Feed Your Bearded DragonBy Drs. Foster & Smith Veterinary Staff

Your Bearded Dragons is an omnivore, meaning that it needs a balanced diet of meat and vegetable matter. A hatchling Dragon will eat mostly small insects. As your Dragon grows, it will start to eat more vegetable matter. The diet of a juvenile Dragon (2-4 months of age) will consist of approximately 80% insects and 20% greens. Young dragons should be fed 2-3 times daily. If insufficient food is fed, young Dragons may nip at the tails and toes of their cage mates.

Meat Food Sources

Meat food sources for your Bearded Dragon can include pinky mice (for adults) and insects such as:

● Crickets; pinhead crickets for juveniles ● Mealworms ● Wax worms - high in fat, so feed sparingly ● King worms ● Earthworms ● Cockroaches

Did You Know?Fireflies are poisonous to bearded dragons, other reptiles, amphibians, and birds.

Freshly molted insects are easier for your Bearded Dragon to digest. You should coat feeder insects with calcium supplement (powdered calcium carbonate or calcium gluconate) 3-5 times per week for adults; every day for juveniles. Feeder insects should also be "gut-loaded," which means the insects are fed nutritious and vitamin-rich foods before they are given to the Dragon. Feed your feeder insects food such as: ground legumes, corn meal, carrots, sweet potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli, spinach, apples, oranges, cereals, and rolled oats. Several commercial products, formulated to be rich in calcium and vitamins, may also be used to gut-load feeder insects. Insects may be purchased or wild-caught (without the use of pesticides).

Feed insects by placing them in a small bowl. After feeding, check that none of the insects escaped and fouled the water supply in the cage. You can also use a specially designed feeder rock, which allows insects to feed, but not escape until you're ready to feed your Dragon. To improve hygiene, some owners prefer to have a separate cage for feeding the meat-based portion of their Dragon's diet.

Be sure the size of food you feed is proportional to your Dragon's size. Malnourishment, seizures, and







What to Feed Your Bearded Dragon

intestinal blockages can occur if hatchlings and juveniles are fed insects too large for them to capture or digest.

Plant food sources

Plant matter should make up approximately 20% of your Dragon's diet and should consist mainly of green leafy vegetables. You may also include other vegetables. Fruit should make up the smallest portion of the diet. Shred or tear vegetables and fruits into small pieces and mix them together to encourage your Dragon to eat all that is offered, and not just pick out his favorite foods. Following is a list of some popular plant-based Dragon foods.

Greens Vegetables Fruit

● escarole● kale

● collards

● bok choy

● Swiss chard

● parsley

● clover

● alfalfa pellets

● dandelion greens

● turnip greens

● mustard greens

● beet greens-only occasionally

● spinach-only occasionally

● NEVER iceberg lettuce

● broccoli

● okra

● peas

● green beans

● zucchini

● squash

● grated carrots

● sweet potato

● bell pepper

● frozen mixed vegetables

● figs

● kiwi

● papaya

● melon

● apple

● grapes

● dates

● peaches

● apricots

● strawberries

● plums

● tomatoes

● bananas (with skin)

Prepared Diets

Prepared diets are fortified with optimal levels of vitamins and minerals so no other food supplements are required.



Bearded Dragon Care

Bearded Dragon Care & Breeding

(Pogona vitticeps)

By Terry McGleish

The "Inland Bearded Dragon" rightfully earns it's name by the very pronounced beard sometimes shown in defensive displays as well as during mating behavior. By puffing out their throat area, both males and

females can display a beard, although the male's is usually a much darker almost pitch black beard. Adult bearded dragons average 15 to 24 inches in length, while hatchlings are between 3 to 4 inches at birth. Young dragons grow fast and are sexually mature by one year of age. Juvenile beardeds usually

start showing their coloration by two months of age.

Housing

Bearded dragons can be housed in a variety of enclosures as long as their basic requirements are met. All glass aquaria with wire tops are commonly used and are inexpensive to obtain. Custom built enclosures

are also very popular and can be sized appropriately. The enclosure should have a basking spot with temperatures ranging from 90 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be provided by an overhead light in a reflective hood. Under tank heating can be used for night time use, supplied by a heating pad or tape.

The enclosure should be large enough to allow the lizard to retreat to a cooler area (known as thermoregulation) as needed. A tree branch or log should be supplied for climbing and basking. Good substrates are newspaper, sand, pea rock or aquarium gravel. Substrates such as mulch, shredded tree

bark, or corn cob should not be used as they can hold moisture and promote bacterial growth.

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Bearded Dragon Care

Feeding

Vitamin/mineral supplementation can be offered by "dusting" the food items a couple times per week.

Bearded dragons should be offered a varied diet consisting of crickets, mealworms, pink or fuzzy mice and a variety of greens and vegetables. Juvenile animals can be raised on small crickets and greens until

large enough to eat mealworms and mice. It is very important to regulate the size cricket given to juvenile dragons. Large meals have been associated with partial paralysis and hind leg extension. A

general rule is to use crickets no larger than the distance between the dragons eyes to the tip of his nose, and should be offered in several small meals per day rather than one large one. Crickets should be dusted

with a vitamin/mineral supplement every other day for up to three months, then reducing supplementation to twice a week. Fresh greens, such as collards, kale, and mustard greens should be

finely chopped and offered every other day along with vegetables such as yellow squash, zucchini and shredded carrots. Be sure to thoroughly wash all greens and vegetables before offering them to your

dragon.

Bearded dragons in the wild get their water from the morning dew on plants and afternoon rains. In captivity, they seem to have a difficult time recognizing standing water. A simple means of offering water is to spray them at least once or twice a day with a spray mist bottle. They will lap up the water off of their noses and lower their head to standing puddles if some type of movement is detected.

Lighting

Bearded dragons (if kept indoors) will require full spectrum lighting with UV-B and UV-A, which helps in synthesizing vitamin D-3 which is required for calcium absorption. These bulbs can be purchased


Bearded Dragon Care

from Zoo-med (Reptisun 5.0) and are relatively inexpensive. Vitamin/mineral supplements which contain vitamin D-3 should be used to dust crickets and/or greens to ensure proper calcium absorption for bone development in growing dragons. Bearded dragons which are kept outdoors or are allowed at least 30 minutes of natural sunlight every other day will not require any special lighting as long as a

basking spot with an incandescent bulb is supplied.

Handling

Their gentle disposition makes them an excellent reptilian pet, even for young enthusiasts.

Newly acquired bearded dragons should be allowed to get acclimated to their new enclosures and feeding schedules before attempting to handle them. Once acclimated, short periods of handling and

hand feeding will quickly tame most dragons. They will be content to sit on a shoulder or lap for hours while watching TV or using the computer. Young children should be supervised and instructed on

careful handling techniques. Be sure to wash your hands before eating or smoking after handling any reptile.

Sexing:


Bearded Dragon Care

The male (left) clearly shows the hemipenal bulges, which causes an indentation in the center of the tail. Females (right) will have a slight protrusion due to the lack of hemipenes.

Sexing very young bearded dragons in somewhat difficult, but determining sex in juveniles over the age of three months is relatively easy. By holding the dragon in the palm of your hand with its tail facing you, carefully fold the tail up over the back and examine the area just above the ventral opening. In

males, hemipenal bulges can be seen on each side of the tail. The hemipenes will also cause and indentation in the center of the tail between the two hemipenes. On females, the hemipenal bulges are

absent, thus causing the area above the vent to protrude slightly.

Breeding:


Bearded Dragon Care

A pair of bearded dragons during copulation.

One of the most prolific agamas, breeding Pogona vitticeps is relatively simple. All that is needed is an adult pair of dragons in good health, a large enough enclosure to allow for breeding activity, and a suitable place for the female to lay her eggs. Successful breeding usually follow a short rest period (known as brumation), where the temperatures and daylight hours are reduced for a period of two to three months. Although most bearded dragons will breed without any type of brumation period, low

fertility rates have been reported in both males and females which were not allowed a rest period.

The abdomen of a gravid female clearly showing egg bulges. This female laid 32 eggs four hours after the photo was taken.


Bearded Dragon Care

Sexually mature males will darken there beards, bob their heads and stamp their front feet during the courtship of the female. He will chase her around the enclosure and attempt to mount the female. Males often bite the fleshy skin at the base of the females neck when attempting to position her for breeding.

A young female laying a clutch of eggs in a shallow nest. Clutch sizes range from 12 to 30 eggs for most females.

Egg laying generally occurs anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks after a successful breeding. Females will dig a burrow approximately 12" - 16" deep to deposit her eggs. The eggs are carefully excavated and placed in

a moist perilite/vermiculite medium for incubation.

All eggs in a single clutch usually hatch within 24 hours of each other. The hatchlings may remain in the egg after the initial slitting for several hours before emerging.

The eggs are incubated at 82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of 65-75 days, at which time the eggs will begin to collapse, and usually hatch within 24 hours. Newly hatched dragons are left in the

incubator for a period of 24 hours to allow the yolksac to be absorbed. Young bearded dragons will


Bearded Dragon Care

usually start to feed within 72 hours of hatching.

A two week old "Sandfire" dragon placed on its mothers back for size comparison.

Bearded Dragon Morphs

There are several different color and pattern phases of bearded dragons today. Breeders continually selectively breed their animals to produce "enhanced" color and patterns. The "Sandfire" morph is probably the most popular morph available today, along with the Red phase and Red/Gold phase. Albino bearded dragons are not yet available to the public, although we have seen photos of young albino hatchlings. We can not verify the source of the photos, so can not validate that albinos even

exist. It will be interesting to see future morphs produced by introducing albinism, if in fact, they do exist.

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What is a Bearded Dragon? Bearded Dragons originate in Australia