Hello! Our family is so appreciative of your articles pertaining to bearded dragons. We just recently acquired a 10-month-old, male, hypo leatherback rescue. He seems in decent health, albeit living in subpar conditions mostly due to a small enclosure and unbalanced lighting. We are trying to upgrade, well everything… It has become quite involved, more than we thought possible; however, we are in this for the long-haul and want to do the best we can for the new addition to our family.
The enclosure of a Bearded Dragon should be glass with a screen top. Their tank should measure anywhere from four to six feet long, two feet wide, and two to three feet high. To better replicate their natural environment, there should be rocks and branches in the tank to give them places to hide and shade to cool off after basking.
Bearded dragon tank setup Bearded dragons require a dry and clean environment. Keep your beardie happy by placing the tank in a cool, dry area. Ideal is a room with a door. A dehumidifier should not be kept in the same space as your beardie. This could disturb your beardie's sleep.
If handled incorrectly, the skin of a bearded Dragon is rough. This reptile will become more docile once it is accustomed to being handled. Handling the beardie with light gloves or long sleeves will prevent any minor cuts and scrapes. Keep in mind, however, that all reptiles are susceptible to Salmonella bacteria and can get severe illness if they are not treated.
Bearded dragons can display a variety of morphs. These morphs are mainly based on body types, but can also be derived from selective breeding.
When you’re looking for a bearded dragon, it’s important to understand the different morphs. A morph is a genetic mutation that results in certain traits. The most common are color variations. You can see a wide range of colors in beardies, including beiges, browns, and muted tans.
There are other morphs that result from genetics, such as visual morphs. These are inherited traits that are passed down from parents. They’re often the most unique beardie varieties. Some of them are translucent, meaning they have a transparent appearance. Others, such as hypomelanistic, lack melanin, which makes their skin lighter.
Bearded dragons like many other reptiles have specific lighting requirements that can be really confusing, especially for new owners that don’t have previous experience.
Because of that reason, having a good understanding when it comes to lighting the space of your bearded dragon is very important.
You should know there are plenty of options when it comes to lighting for bearded dragons and choosing the wrong setup can be harmful to your pet. However, if you carefully read our guide you will get plenty of information about setting up proper lighting for your pet.
Bearded Dragons eat mealworms and crickets as their live food. A mature bearded Dragon should consume approximately twenty insects daily, depending on its age. The chitin found in mealworms can slow down the growth of juvenile bearded Dragons. Superworms are better.
Do not disrupt his sleep, and try to recreate his natural cycle of day and night. Last but not least, keep an eye out for good and bad signals, when they’re relaxed Bearded Dragons can be very playful animals: you will notice when he’s getting more relaxed and when he’s getting tense, so act in response to these signals. Anyway, most of the times it is just a matter of time, but these things can go a long way making the transition quicker. Hope this helps!
Bearded Dragons can eat live food such as mealworms or crickets. A grown bearded dragon should consume about 20 insects per day, depending on their age. For juvenile bearded dragons, mealworms are not recommended as they can cause stunted growth. Superworms are a better option.
If not properly handled, the skin of a bearded-dragon is very rough. Once the reptile is more comfortable and docile, it will be easier to handle. Minor cuts and scrapes can be prevented by using light gloves or long sleeves when handling the beardie. Also, keep in mind that all reptiles could be exposed to Salmonella bacteria.
Are you sure they are whole worms and not a partially digested shell? Also, are both Beardies doing this? Finally, how long do they bask for after eating? I hope you’re not keeping them together in one enclosure. Eventually one will kill the other. They need to be kept separately.
You no longer need to guess if what you are feeding is beneficial to your bearded dragon or not. This list gives you the information on what to feed your bearded dragon, and also what you should avoid.
If you hold them flat (instead of cradling them) they will feel safer. When you get a new dragon, give them three to four days to adjust before attempting to handle for short periods of time.
Bearded Dragon Tank Setup Bearded dragons need a clean and dry environment. To help keep your beardie happy and healthy, place the tank in a room that is cooled and not too humid. A room that has a door is also ideal. Also, try not to keep a dehumidifier running in the same room as your beardie. This can disturb the beardie's sleep.
Male bearded dragons are territorial and should be housed separately. Males and females housed together will likely breed, and females should not be housed with males until they are at least 2 years old or they may have difficulty laying eggs. Do not house different reptile species together.
Beardies shed their skin in large pieces. There's no rule as to how often it happens, but younger dragons do shed more than older dragons. Shedding problems can usually be corrected by improving their environment, but always ask the advice of a specialist reptile vet if you have any problems.
Bearded Dragons – 12 Fun Facts
Turtles, tortoises, bearded dragons, iguanas, and chameleons are some common examples of reptiles that need UVB light. This helps prevent animals from developing hypocalcemia (or lack of calcium). UVB lights should be kept on during the day and turned off at night and should be used along with calcium supplements.
Since bearded dragons are naturally solitary creatures, they do not get lonely if placed alone in a cage or left for some time away from their keeper. They much prefer having their food and heat to themselves rather than sharing it with another bearded dragon.
Many reptiles do cry, including bearded dragons, but they do this because the flow of tears helps to clean out and protect their eyes, not because they are unhappy.