F1D0's Bearded Dragon Guide

[..:: F1D0 ::..]

I thought i would put a little guide together for future beardie owners so all info needed is in one place. I will put as much info in here as possible. I hope that future beardie owners will find this useful. There are alot of conflicting info on the web, so i thought i would put some basics down in once place which is respected by reptile keepers around the world.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Sub Order: Sauria
Family: Agamidiae
Sub Family: Agaminae
Genus: Pogana

General Info

The bearded Dragon is from the genus Pogana, within this gene pool there are several species of "Dragon" which are agamids, the Bearded Dragon's latin Name is Pogana Viticeps. Pogana Viticeps has become one of the most commonly kept reptiles around the world due to thier nature and sometimes comical behaviour, but also due to the fact they are relatively easy to keep and care for. They originate from central Australia, and are usually found in clay type desert areas. Adults of this species usually grow to be about 2 feet in length, with the tail accounting for over half of the total body length. Females are typically smaller than the males, have smaller heads, and thinner legs and tails (however this is not a guaranteed way to sex your beardie). Beardies come now a days in various morphs.

Diet

Beardies are omnivourous, by this they eat both meat and plant life. There are various insects which can be offered to beardies ranging from crickets, locusts (a.ka hoppers) and dubia roaches. There are pros and cons to each feeder insect you can provide your beardie, at this point it comes down to personal prefference. The plant life they should be offered, should be fresh, dark leafy greens daily. Leafy greens such as kale, rocket, romaine lettuce etc. Avoid iceberg lettuce as this could give your beardie the runs.

When feeding insects to your beardie they must be dusted with a calcium and multi vitamin powder. Alot of keepers such as myself feed pure calcium 5 times a week and use a multi vitamin called Nutrobal at weekends which should be used only one feed a day. While young, beardies should be fed live prey 2-3 times a day and offered frsh salad daily, as they get older they tend to become more salad eaters. The breakdown is usually 80% meat and 20% plant while young and as they become adults this is reversed to 20% meat and 80% plant.

Behaviour

Beardies very rarely make sound to communicate, this is usually done by gestures such as arm waving, head bobbing, black bearding and beard puffing. Each gesture has its own meaning and both males and females can show this type of behaviour.
Arm waving is used mainly by young dragons and seems to be a signal to recognize the presence of another dragon. This action is not often used by adults, Basking position is used to signal dominance. The dominant animal will choose the best basking spot, often climbing over other Bearded Dragons to get there. There are several different kinds of head bob gesture. These are: Slow bowing motion - often used by adult females to signal submission to a male. Fast bob - often used by males as well as a black beard to signal dominance. Violent bob - used by males just before mating. Often this action will shift the lizard's entire body.
A baby bearded is very fragile and great care must be exercised when handling them, they are frequently skittish at this age and there skin is easily torn, handling should be kept to a minimum until they are approximate 6 months old. Adult bearded can be gently handled and can be taught to sit in your hands or on your shoulder, they seem to enjoy the interaction with us humans, and are easily tamed.


Habitat


A Bearded dragon can live a happy life in captivity, providing it is cared for and loved for. As a baby bearded dragon upto 9" in length should be housed in a 3ft long vivarium. Anything larger this could "spook" your lizard. I know this sounds a little strange seeing as they are found in vast areas, however those lizards in the vast areas were not born in captivity. The following is a list of equipment you will need to house a bearded dragon:-

• 3ft vivarium for babies 4ft for juveniles & adults (this can be glass or wood, i have found however that wood keeps the heat more so will not need to be insulated)
• UVB bulb - There are various forms of bulb on the market. Tubes & compacts. If having a tube, it should span the length of the vivarium. If you decide to go for a compact, go with a MVB bulb (mercury vapour) The UVB must be a 10% bulb as a minimum.
• Basking bulb - Beardies bask by absorbing heat though the top of thier bodies and know where to find the heat by seeing the light. There are keepers who use a ceramic as a heat source which just emits heat which is thier own preference, personally i prefer bulbs.
• Dimmerstat/pulse stat - The stat is THE most important piece of equipment you will need. This is what will allow you to maintain the temperatures thoughout the viv. The probe can be placed in numerous positions, from in the cool end of the viv to the hot end.
• Substrate - This is basically what you beardie will have as their floor. For babies avoid any loose substrate, stick to kitchen roll, lino floor tiles, ceramic floor tiles etc. For adults, they can eventually be placed onto a snad substarte, this has its ups & downs. Ups are, looks pleasing to the eye, your beardie will LOVE to dig in it the downs, when your beardie poops it stinks, and i mean it stinks, when the sand gets into the runners of the glass it is one of the most annoying sounds you will hear.
• Thermometers - A minimum of 2 are required, one in the hot end of the viv and one in the cool end (i use 3, hot end, cool end and in the middle soi i can monitor the gradient better)
• Decor - basically, makes your viv look nice. Avoid hides for babies as they tend to use these too much and are not going to be getting the UV they need.

Hatchlings should have a thermal gradient of 34° - 41°C in the daytime and 16° - 22°C at night. Adults require a daytime temperature of 31° - 37°C and a night time drop of 16° - 22°C. If your house drops below 22°C, it is worth getting a ceramic to reheat the viv.

One of the biggest debates regarding beardies is the inclusion of a water bowl. Bearded dragons usually obtain water from leaves dripping with it. It is very rare that you will see a bearded dragon drink from a still water source, plus this could raise the humidity inside the viv and cause resperitory infection. Peronsally i dont use a bowl, i place Helio's salad in a bowl and rinse in water this way she will be getting the water she needs

A babies basking spot should range between 110 and 115 degrees farenheit, an adult should be between 95-105 degrees farenheit.

Dont use a heat mat and Dont use calci sand

Heat mats for beardies are pointless, they do not absorb heat through their abdomen like leopard geckos. Calci sand is said to be injestible by the manufacturer, this may be the case - but if your beardie likes the tatse of this, they will eat it in the drones. This will harden and expand in the beardies gut, turning cement like which can cause impaction (intestinal blockage)

I hope i have covered all the basics for pottential new owners to such a wonderfull creature, if i have not covered anything which you require, please dont hesitate to contact me via private message, email and if i can not answer your question post on the boards and i can gaurantee somebody will be able to help.

Thanks for reading.

[imginy]

Heat mat pointless? Are you serius?

I can think of a point how about keeping the viv at the right temperature?

[andy007]

Originally Posted by imginy

Heat mat pointless? Are you serius?
I can think of a point how about keeping the viv at the right temperature?

By using the Basking lamp!

One thing i noticed F1D0, calling the likes of red, gold dragons the pedigree may lead people to think the natural looking Beardie isn't "pedigree". Designer morphs are no more "pedigree" than normal coloured beardies

[stevenw]

Originally Posted by imginy

Heat mat pointless? Are you serius?

I can think of a point how about keeping the viv at the right temperature?

heat mats are not needed unless you live in the north pole the beardie gets no benefit from heat mats infact they are dangerous as beardies dont pick up heat from underneath ...good advice id say

a basking lamp and stat does the job !!

[imginy]

Originally Posted by andy007

By using the Basking lamp!

One thing i noticed F1D0, calling the likes of red, gold dragons the pedigree may lead people to think the natural looking Beardie isn't "pedigree". Designer morphs are no more "pedigree" than normal coloured beardies

But surely then your basking lamp would go off every time every time it gets to hot if you have it on the the stat.

[..:: F1D0 ::..]

Originally Posted by imginy

But surely then your basking lamp would go off every time every time it gets to hot if you have it on the the stat.

No, once it has reach desired temp on the stat, it maintains this heat. Now obviously room temp will ned to be accounted for. As for heat mat issue, the same could be said for that, what happens with a heat mat when it reches its desired temp? it stays at that temp.

Thats why its best (in my opinion) to place probe in cool end, plus the light would only dim but the heat is maintained.

[howieherp]

Originally Posted by andy007

By using the Basking lamp!

One thing i noticed F1D0, calling the likes of red, gold dragons the pedigree may lead people to think the natural looking Beardie isn't "pedigree". Designer morphs are no more "pedigree" than normal coloured beardies

Completely true in my opinion too!

[Juzza12]

Heatmats don't raise the ambient air temp in a viv.

One thing you could add to the guide is advising to get a reflector for a uv tube.

[imginy]

But if you have your basking lamp on a stat if you get a hot day or have a hot house your light would not be coming on for them to bask under. Also then you would have to use one of then night lights. Isn't it easier and better for the dragons if they can have then basking light on the whole time and control the temperate with a heatmat. Also a have a really big viv and in winter I cant see the basking lamp being enough to keep the temperature up over the whole viv.

[Juzza12]

Originally Posted by imginy

But if you have your basking lamp on a stat if you get a hot day or have a hot house your light would not be coming on for them to bask under. Also then you would have to use one of then night lights. Isn't it easier and better for the dragons if they can have then basking light on the whole time and control the temperate with a heatmat. Also a have a really big viv and in winter I cant see the basking lamp being enough to keep the temperature up over the whole viv.

What if you have a hot day and don't have a stat? Cooked beardie. Unless room temperature drops below 60 at night then they don't need extra heat and if they do then it's best the heat is provided by a ceramic. As already said heatmats are useless for beardies and won't raise th temperature in a big viv anyway.