Bearded Dragon

Pogona vitticeps

Bearded Dragons or Central Dragons are a Semi-Arboreal lizard species native to Australia. In captivity they can live to 10 - 15 years and reach a size of of up to 20 inches for females and 20 inches for males. These lizards gained their popularity thanks to their fun personalities!

Temperament

Bearded Dragons are known for their social, friendly, and energenic personalities! It may take some time to build trust with your Bearded Dragon but it will be well worth it! In their encsloures they can be seen exploring, climbing and even digging around! This personality is what makes them great pets as they are more social than other reptilian pets!

Husbandry

  • Temperature

    108 - 113 degrees Fahrenheit Basking Spot

    90 - 93 degrees Fahrenheit Warm Side

    80 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit Cool Side

    65 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit Night Time

    Heat can be supplied via a light emiting basking bulb such as a halogen or incandescent bulb. Ceramic heaters can be used as supplemental heating at night if needed.

  • Humidity

    LOW - 30 - 40%

    No misting or fogging is needed for Bearded Dragons however water should be supplied in a large water bowl to soak in if they so choose. There is no need to monitor humidity as this is the average humidity in most homes.

  • Lighting

    10 - 12% UVB

    UVB is essential for proper devlopment for Bearded Dragons and will prevent metabolic bone disease (MBD). A light with a UV Index of 4 - 6 is ideal for Bearded Dragons.

  • Enclosure

    Bearded Dragons require large enclosures no smaller than 4x2x2 FT. The enclosure should be set up semi-arboreally with sturdy branches and ledges for Dragons to climb on and fit for an Arid environment. Fill the enclosure with clutter such as botanicals and hides and a deep substrate mixed with clay to allow for burrowing.

  • Handling

    It takes time to build trust at first but Bearded Dragons are fun to handle when done properly. Start slow and try hand feeding to build trust and for the Bearded Dragon to get used to you. Be sure to look for signs of stress while handling such as head bobbing or a dark beard. Bearded Dragons are fun to handle when the trust is strong and can make for some fun memories with your pet!

Feeding your Beardie

Insects and Greens Omnivores

Feeding Schedule

Bearded Dragons love a varied diet of Salads and Insects with the Salads making up the bulk of their diet. For Beardies of all ages Salads should be given daily and changed out 24 hours.

For Insects the feeding depends on the age and weight of the Dragon. Hatchlings under 30 grams should be fed insects daily, Juveniles over 30 grams should be fed every other day, and adults about 2 -3 times a week.

As always be sure to monitior your Beardies weight and adjust accordingly.

Supplement Schedule

On a proper diet of Salads you Bearded Dragon will not need additional multivitamin supplements but they will still need Calcium to help with growth.

All insects fed to your Beardie should be dusted in pure Calcium powder WITHOUT vitamin D as the UVB bulb supplies the Vitamin D instead.

Staple Feeders

As the name suggests, Beardies love to have a Salad of greens and vegetables and lots of variety.

Staple Greens and Veggies include, Collard Greens, Carrots, Mustard Greens, Squash, Alfalfa, Bell Peppers, and Watercress. You can also give/plant prickly pears to your beardie for them to snack on as well for a good source of Calcium.

Staple Insects include, Crickets, Dubia Roaches, Hornworms, Superworms, Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Silkworms. Remember all insects should be dusted in Caclium Powder.

Sources

All information has been gathered from the following:

Josh's Frogs

Reptifiles

Zilla

Internet Reptile

Swell Reptiles