A Rhode Island Non-Profit Organization Bearded Dragon Care

Transcription

1 A Rhode Island Non-Profit Organization Bearded Dragon Care

2 Bearded dragons are solitary lizards of the Agama family who originate from the grasslands of Australia and spend most of their time basking in the sun. When handled often, they are very calm and docile. In captivity, bearded dragons can live up to 15 years. They can make great companions for any age with proper care and handling.

3 Habitat & Substrate Bearded dragons require a glass terrarium with a screen top (minimum 40g breeder). Bearded dragons are solitary creatures and should always be housed alone to avoid risk of injury. Your dragon will also require something on the bottom of the tank called substrate. You can use something simple like paper towels or you may also use reptile carpet or tiles. Loose substrate such as sand is not recommended for new owners due to the increased risk of ingestion and impaction. Bearded dragons should have at least two hides, one on the warm side of the tank and the other on the cool side. Bearded dragons should also have some logs and branches to climb and bask on. Many bearded dragons enjoy hammocks as well.

4 Temperature & Lighting Bearded dragons require a heat light and a UVB light. Do not use a heat rock as these tend to burn reptiles. The UVB light should be a strip light, not a coil bulb which can cause blindness in reptiles. These need to be replaced every 6-12 months depending on the brand for optimal exposure and nutrient absorption. You will also need a digital thermometer and humidity gauge to monitor temperatures and humidity levels. Bearded dragons should have a basking area of 100, an ambient temperature of and a cool side of 80. Humidity can vary provided it is not over 60% for a prolonged period of time. Heating is not required at night unless your house temperature drops below 65. In that case, you will want to use a ceramic heat emitter to keep the enclosure around 70. Bearded dragons require a cool off period at night, so you do not want the tank to be too warm. Do not use any kind of light bulb, colored or otherwise, for your bearded dragon for nighttime heat. Lights at night will disrupt their day/night cycle and they will not be able to rest properly.

5 Diet & Supplements Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they eat both insects and vegetables. Insects should be fed three times daily for dragons under 6 months, twice daily for dragons 6-9 months, once daily for 9-12 months and three times weekly for adult dragons over one year. Before feeding any insect to your dragon, you should make sure to gut-load them first by feeding pre-made gel cubes found at pet stores or nutritious vegetables. Feed as many insects as your dragon will consume in about 10 minutes and always have fresh salad available. For juvenile dragons, their diet should consist of 80% protein (insects) and 20% vegetables. For adult bearded dragons age 1+ their diet should consist of 20% protein (insects) and 80% vegetables. Bearded dragons do not generally drink from standing water, however some may. Bearded dragons are biologically designed to retain water from all food sources, therefore soaking or bathing is not needed to keep them hydrated. Supplements are also a very important part of your bearded dragon s diet to ensure they are receiving sufficient vitamins and minerals. You should use calcium with d3 as well as a multivitamin and calcium without d3 to either dust their greens or coat insects. You should only use a small amount, just a pinch, to have a light dusting on salad or about ½ tsp. in a bag to shake feeders in. You should alternate supplements on a schedule to avoid giving too much calcium.

6 Supply List Enclosure: 40g breeder or larger. If you wish to go larger, a 75g tank will be the next best option as a 55g is too narrow (only 16 compared to 18 in 40g and 75g). Bearded dragons require more floor space than height so keep that in mind when selecting your tank. Substrate: Loose substrate is not recommended unless you are an advanced keeper and plan to start a bio-active enclosure. Otherwise paper towels, newspaper, reptile carpet or tiles are the best choice for substrate. UVB light and fixture: Reptisun and Arcadia are the top two brands. Avoid spiral coiled bulbs. Fluorescent tubes are best. Use desert strength (Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12%) Basking light and fixture: Dome with dimmer attached. 100w basking bulb. Make sure fixture can support bulb wattage. Supplements: Calcium with d3, calcium without d3, multivitamin Accessories: Basking log, two hides, salad dish, ceramic insect dish, water dish (optional), harness with leash (optional), hammock (optional)