Bearded Dragons????

Hellrazer

Looking for some info on these Bearded Dragon lizards.
Firstly what are they like as pets???
What type of setup do they need????
Heat,Lighting conditions?????
Food????
Docility?????

And any other relevant info you think would be needed!!!!!


Reason Im asking is that Boardwalk pets have a clutch ready for sale next week and Im thinking of buying one.
Thanks
Richie.

Doodee

right, beardies are a tad on the more complicated lizard range, in relation to say leopard geckos....

their setup is as such:

2.5-4.5FT Tank for one, Heated rock ALWAYS ON!, hiding, branches of some sort to climb on (Optional) heat lamp that maintains a temp of about 70 F. you can uses chippings or sand.
they are daytime creatures so a U.V lamp is a must, but its ok, if u cant fit one into the set-up then Day time drops are ok.

As pets they are great, very active lizards, and fun nto keep, watch them when they are small cause they are extreamely fragile, I lost two within their first 4 months of having them, dont touch them for a couple of days after getting them, let them adjust to the tank, you may wanna hold off feeding them aswell for the first day or two, just ask the pet store to feed yours before u take it.

you can vary their diet aswell, which is great, they will eat fruit aswell as crickets,meal worms and what not. they will even eat pinkies, but thats not till they are much older.

if u have any questions dont hesitate to pm me, also, pm AngelWhore, he had one far longer than me.

Best of luck.

FAYESY

Hi Richie,

bearded Dragons are soooo cool!! I have 2 young beardies I got them in Feb this year they were little hatchlings, they are just great very friendly don't bite! love to be handled, eat anything! mine have a 4x2foot wooden vivarium with sliding glass doors, they have a 60watt bulb & a uv light, & they are doing great they are 4-5 times bigger than when I got them, they will grow to about 2ft their tails do not drop off!! I would recomend beardies to people who have kids they are just so laid back! they are very typical of Australian people all they want to do is eat & bask! my guys get crickets, & a salad with mealworms on everyday & we mist them daily & they also have a bowl of water.

I can't tell you how great beardies are! you just have to get some! they are fab! I love my Norbert & Spyro to bits they are adorable, the whole family loves the beardies, my dad is fascinated by them! beardies are very nosy & love to have a look around! do a search on beardies & everything you read will confirm what I have said!

Have fun

Faye:D
Very proud beardie owner!

FAYESY

Just aquick note,

Never ever use heat rocks! their internal thermomiter often fails & they get too hot & can burn even cook a little lizard! (sorry Doodee, I'm not being nasty I have read loads of horror stories ref hot rocks) My guys never stopped eating & I've had no problems! they do need to be sprayed with water a few times a day, this stimulates them to drink!, of all the lizards I've got beardies are the easiest. Monitor Lizards & Iguanas are hard work & very mean! beardies are perfect little gentlemen!

Faye:D

FAYESY

Just another quick note! (really should type up my damn care sheets! LOL ) for young beardies never use sand as a substrate! they may acciedntly ingest the sand & die from gut impactations! beardies should be nice & plump when you get them! mine were 5 weeks old small but tough! never had any probs with em!

Faye:D

Falkorre

I have also heard horror stories about those rocks, years ago i did use one for about two months, and it burned out! thankfully the cage was empty at the time!

They can EASILLY get too hot and literally cook the animal, and as with most reptiles, the pineal gland is located on the top of their head, which i think has an impact on their regulation of the heat they recieve from above *that* much targeted heat from below would probably at least cause digestive problems...

as far as sand goes as a substrate, i would recommend that NO herp keeper ever uses it, no matter what the animals native condition suggests. Aside from the aspect of it harbouring infections and insects, it can, as fay said, cause major problems if ingested. Corn cob substrate is ok, but i always felt it could *potentially* have the same effect,................ but i used to just use plain old green rubber bathmats, the kind u can get for €2,... they look like grass and are so easy to clean. plus they have suckers underneath so they can be removed easilly (wash them twice before first use in boiling water).... Some people swear by peat or sterilised soil, ....but i would be wary of those too.

Karl Hungus

I really must check this board more often...

Doodee is pretty much spot on.
Great pets.

Although, if anyone is interested, I have a 4-foot, fully heated enclosure for sale. Comes with Heat Rock, UV Light, and peice of wood for climbing. It's all fully heated from the bottom through heatpads underneath a glass tray filled with sand the full lenth of the enclosure. Lockable sliding glass door.

Make sure you feed the dragon a varied diet of fruit, and some Crickets. It's advised that you kill the crickets first though, as the can cause some problems. Dust the dead crickets in calcium powder, as the dragons really need all they can get, and tend to have very brittle bones otherwise. Get a clippers to keep their nails trimmed also, but be VERY carefull as there is a vien that goes partially down the nails that if you cut them too short, you can cause fatal bleeding.

As for the fruit, Cucumber and Kiwi are favorites. Mellon is also liked. Just dont feed it anything too acidey, like too much apple.

Their poo is pretty rancid also. You don't really need to be changing the sand too often though, just get a toilet roll, and scoop out the poo, and you should be fine.

Hope all that helps.

Hellrazer

Originally posted by AngelWhore




Although, if anyone is interested, I have a 4-foot, fully heated enclosure for sale. Comes with Heat Rock, UV Light, and peice of wood for climbing. It's all fully heated from the bottom through heatpads underneath a glass tray filled with sand the full lenth of the enclosure. Lockable sliding glass door.

Angelwhore
How much are you looking for for the enclosure????
Richie

FAYESY

Ok I just have to put my 2c in!

Hot rocks should NEVER EVER be used! they frequently short circuit & get too hot & often cook poor little lizards!!!!! check out http://www.anapsid.org Melissa kaplan has a very long article on the problems with hot rocks.

Sand can be very very bad for lizards! they ingest the sand which builds up in the gut & intestines & causes blockages! which results in a very sick reptile that needs costly surgery ASAP or a dead pet!!

I find it laughable that beardies need dead crickets!! I'm sure in the wild they only eat dead stuff!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes: my beardies came from a great breeder & I have never had ANY problems! they are housed on kitchen paper great for clean ups & very cheap.

Ok I'm gonna stop ranting now! but please do some research on the net & you will find articles that highlight the points I have raised.

Faye
Owner of 2 VERY healthy Beardies 2 VERY healthy Iguanas 1 Very healthy Bosc Monitor Lizard & 1 VERY healthy Royal Python!

Karl Hungus

Originally posted by Hellrazer
Angelwhore
How much are you looking for for the enclosure????
Richie

Dunno, it cost £300 back in the day.
Make me an offer if you're interested.

Originally posted by FAYESY
I find it laughable that beardies need dead crickets!! I'm sure in the wild they only eat dead stuff!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes: my beardies came from a great breeder & I have never had ANY problems! they are housed on kitchen paper great for clean ups & very cheap.

I'm sure in the wild they didn't get calcium or vitamin supliments, or a UV light, or such things. But I saw a pet program where a Bearded Dragon had to have a live cricket surgically removed from its shoulder, so you cant be too carefull.