Bearded Dragon care sheet In Progress

If you do not yet have a bearded dragon this should be your first question. Bearded dragons are an amazing Beginner reptile however They do take a lot of care and money. Before You get a Dragon do a lot of research don't just look at 1 site or 1 book look at many and don't always be-leave what the pet store tells you. Its not that they all want to give you bad info or just sell you something but i a lot of cases they just don't know there are a lot of pet stores that will give you the right info but there are also stores that have employees  that may be new or miss informed or may not even like reptiles but its part of there job to help you. we have also had many years of experience in the reptile world and have found out a lot of people have different opinions about proper care so you must collect all the info you can and then chose how you feel to best care for your new best friend. Yep Reptiles can be your best friend just like your dog. 

After you have done your research and you are positive a bearded dragon is for you. Cost is the next big thing to consider.  Just like any pet, they come along with the known and unknown cost.  Keep in mind you can have an idea of the cost but there will be unexpected those may be a vet visit or a new cage item you have to have. also keep in mind cot can change you may get say a cage for free or may have a custom $1,000 cage built so do research on cost also.

1. Cage  this will depend on the size of dragon you get.  if you get a baby you will need to upgrade the cage size a few times as baby's require a smaller cage. too big of a cage can be harmful as baby's can get stressed out or have a hard time hunting food.  so we recommend a 20g long tank for young dragons  and a 40gal breeder tank for juvenile and adult dragons.  if you have the room we really recommend a custom built wood cage  cage that is 2 ft tall 2 ft deep and 4 to 6 ft long expect to spend $50-500  on your first cage. depending on size and style once you have the cage you need the proper Lighting. this is one of the most expensive parts of keeping a dragon after there food why is that?  Bearded dragons require a special UVB light and they need to be replaced every 6 months to 1 year  even if the light has not burnt out depending on what type you get they do have a meter you can buy to see if the light is still putting out good levels of uvb. after you have a uvb light you need a day/night  heat source  and fixtures for them.  expect to pay $60-200 for this and at least  $60 a year in replacement bulbs/fixtures  we recommend keeping an eye on the fixtures and replacing them every few years or if they start to look worn. 
2. decor - there are some must haves you will need a Food/water dish a hide, a basking spot, something for the bottom of the cage and a background we also recommend covering the sides as dragons can not see glass and may rub against it trying to get out.

So you have done all of your research Its time to get your setup.

You can get full starter setups at many pet stores that include most of what you need for $150-$400 however some of these will need stuff added to them a lot of times they will come with a light fixture but not a light bulb this is because everyone needs are different in your front room you may need a 100 watt basking heat light but in your basement bedroom you may need a 150 watt light.  you will also need to chose a night light  WE reccomend a  ceramic Heat Emmiter  (CHE)  OR an Arcadia  Deep Heat Emmiter these produce heat and no light. you may go threw different lights as you try to find the right one. we recommend you not only use a cage thermometer but also get a infrared temp gun so you can check multiple areas of the cage. Before you get your dragon you should set the cage up and make sure temperatures are  correct for at least a week. this will make sure you do not cook or freeze your new best friend. it allows you to move items around and know how you want the cage set up. When it is time to bring your new dragon home you do not want to handle him/her for a few days let your new dragon settle in. i also suggest taping a paper towel around the lower half of the glass this is so the dragon can feel secure and also not see out unless it climbs a branch over the years i have found this to he a helpful trick to help new reptiles settle in better. Do not try to feed your new buddy live food the first day just give it some greens. some dragons may eat the second you get home but many are stressed out and will not eat the first few days on day 2 or 3 try a couple live feeders but make sure its a couple so you can monitor what they eat and so you don't have any live feeders loose in the cage. You should ask Who ever you buy it from what they are currently eating this way you can offer it the same food  if it eats you can add a few more. If he/she is eating OK you can start to add new food items and  start to hold it once a day after a week or 2 you can start to hold it more this allows it to slowly get comfortable with you.

• Common name : Bearded Dragon
• Scientific name: Pogona Vitticeps 

(most common species to have as a pet

• also known as : Central inland bearded dragon
• Semi-arboreal spends  significant time on Brances,rocks and other structures .
• From: Australia 
• habitats found in : Deserts,shrublands and Eucalyptus woodlands.
• Family: Agamidae
• class:Reptilia

• Arid
• woodlands
• subtropical
• savannas
• desert
•  range exstends throughout the Interior of the eastern states to the eastern half of south australia and southeastern northern territory 
• House males alone 

• How big do adults get? 16-24 inches head to tail
• how long  do they live? about 10-12 years average but have been known to live 14-18 years in some cases.
• 
  

.

• younger dragons diet mainly consist of Insects with some greens/vegetables (babys/juviniles 70-80% insects 20-30% greens)
• They should eat more amounts of plant based foods and less insects as they get older (adults 80% greens 20% insects)
• foods that are safe to eat consist of.
• Black Soldier fly larva (BSFL high in calcium do not need dusted)
• Dubia Roaches
• Silk Worms
• Goliath Worms aka Horn worms
• Crickets
• superworms (older dragons due to hard exoskeliton)
• Mealworms (older dragons babys may have a hard time digesting)
• wax worms
• figs
• melon
• mango
• Papaya
• peaches
• apricots
• kiwi
• strawberries
• apricots
• peas
• green beans
• sweet potato
• cabbage
• parsnip
• yellow squash
• okra
• redworms
• earthworms
• Spring Greens 
• Butternut squash
• mustard greens
• seedless watermelon
• bell peppers
• Dandelion leafs
• Kale 
• ParsleyCoriander
• 
  

• -------------------------
• Never feed them the following
•  iceberg/lettuce
• tomato
• avocados
• Rhubarb
• Beet tops/beet roots
• Spinach*
• any insect that glows
• any insect marked for bait
• broccoli
• Romaine*
• The foods marked with * can be fed in small amounts on occasion but can harm youre draon if ate too often

.

• Bearded dragons Need UVB to enable Vitamin D3 Synthesis to prevent MBD and other Illnesses. without a proper UVB ;ightling. it is a great idea to Have an outdoor summer cage so youre dragon can Get natural uvb rays.
• They also require UVA to stimulate feeding breeding and basking 
• Go with a quality brand like Zoomed or Arcadia and chose the right one for youre setup do reserch.  Arcadia Has a T5 14% Desert light that is great for taller cages and if the light is outside the cage on a screen (screen will block some uvb rays T5 are the newest on the market and are better than t8 but both will work if you have a big cage and distance a HID or Mercury Vapor may be right for you Something like the Mega Ray  these lights provide heat as well as uvb and uva
• 
  
• Vitamin A
• if you use a Vitamin a supliment make sure it contains Beta Carotene . Beta Carotene is in many Vegetables and when consumed is converted to vitamin A. if a bearded dragon consumes to much Beta carotene the bearded dragons body will  excrete it however if you use a Vitamin A supliment with artificial or synthetic  vitamin A  the bearded dragon will absorb it and it can cause vitamin a toxicity
• 
  
• Calcium & vitamin D3
• B earded dragons can not absorbe Calcium without vitamin D3 , most suplements will contain both calcium and vitamin D3 Both are very Important to for growth and development They promote Healthy bones and help prevent Metabolic bone disease (MBD)  
• Gennerally baby dearded dragons will need a daily dose of calcium with D3 Juviniles will need it 3-4 times a week and adults once a week.  Black Soldier fly Larvae are high in calcium and  do not need to be dusted however you should dust the other Insects  and feed a varried diet.