BEARDED DRAGON (pogona vitticeps)

Dragons can reach a size of about 26 inches in length for the males and around 18 inches for the females; babies are born at around three inches. The spines on a bearded dragon’s body are utilized for defense, making it very difficult to be swallowed by a predator. These lizards are very tame and will generally stand still allowing their owners to pet them or carry them around, they are very responsive and will learn to eat even when held. It is possible to keep one male and several females in the same enclosure. It is very interesting to observe a male bearded dragon bob its head up and down as a sign of dominance. The females in the group also exhibit a submissive behavior that comprises of a movement of both arms, one after the other that seems like she is waving. Sometimes when a male is exerting dominance over a female by running around her in circles and bobbing his head energetically she will slowly move her head up and down in a display of submission that looks like a bow. If this doesn’t convince him, he will grab her on the top of the head and get on top of her. After this he will either mate with her or let her go about her business. Never keep two males together or they will fight. If you decide to keep a group of bearded dragons make sure that you keep your dragons in a group from the beginning and at a very young age. It is also very important that you handle you lizard often and that it is positioned in an area where it can see people but there is not too much traffic. When purchasing a beardie it is wise to buy a baby of about six inches, it will adapt more readily to you and your household. It should be alert and wide eyed, do not buy a dragon if it has one or both eyes closed or seems to be squinting.

GENERAL CARE
The enclosure in which the dragon will live in is very important and should provide space to run around as well as space for it to climb. It should be tall and wide. Bearded dragons will usually spend the daylight hours on the ground hunting for food. As nighttime approaches they like to climb up trees for safety, so make sure you provide some branches so that your dragon can sleep comfortably. There should be a spot lamp, which heats up a basking area on top of a rock to about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The dragon will position itself on top of the rock and under the bulb, make sure the dragon cannot touch the hot bulb or lamp. When the lizard reaches a certain temperature it will move to a cooler area in its enclosure which should be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very important that your dragon have access to UVA and UVB light by way of special bulbs or unfiltered sunlight, this will help synthesize vitamin D3, which helps absorb calcium from the gut and prevents metabolic bone disease. At night you can safely let the temperature in your dragons enclosure drop to the sixties. Sand can be used as a substrate but make sure you use sand that is safe for lizards, this sand can usually be found at pet stores and contains calcium and other minerals, which are essential to a dragon’s health. Be careful not to use just any substrate because your lizard might eat it and die from intestinal damage or blockage!

FOOD
Dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they eat vegetable as well as animal matter. Beardeds will feed on anything they can overpower including mice, birds, snakes, other lizards and if given the chance, smaller dragons! Feed your dragons a daily staple of crickets and an occasional fuzzy mouse, at the same time feed them collared mustard and other leafy greens so that they can get some fiber plus vegetable proteins, vitamins and minerals. Dragons will virtually eat anything, so watch your dragons diet! Due to the fact that dragons inhabit areas that are arid and food scarce, they have adapted to eating almost anything and will gorge if given the chance. Do not over feed your dragon; obesity will shorten your dragons life span. Make sure you also add vitamin and mineral supplements to your dragon’s food, especially calcium that should be sprinkled on food daily. Limit vitamin supplements to once a week.

WATER
Dragons usually don’t drink from a water bowl but there are exceptions. Some dragons will learn to drink from a water bowl but remember the water bowl must be shallow about one inch deep, cafeteria trays work great but only if your enclosure is big enough. Do not let the water bowl take much space. Being that dragons are from desert regions means that they have not adapted very well to the presence of water and if the water bowl is placed in a way that the dragon will wet itself repeatedly, it can make the dragon susceptible to many fungal and bacterial infections. It is also recommended that you only offer water three times a week. The next step is to create some motion so that your dragon can recognize the bowl as a water source. The water must be in motion at first and this can be accomplished by way of a drip system. After a few months you can remove the drip system and just leave the tray full of water, it will already have associated the tray with a drink The best way to offer water to your bearded dragon is to let it drip on the tip of its snout. As the water drips the dragon will start lapping it up, keep letting water drip until the dragon stops drinking. Dragons get the majority of their water from their food so make sure you feed them those fresh vegetables! Baby bearded dragons have to be misted twice every day.