How to Care for Bearded Dragon

Pets are very important part of our daily lives. They are like a family member and hence there care should be of prime importance. We are familiar with dogs, cats, and birds as pets, however if you have or you wish have some exquisite rare creature as pet, then a bearded dragon can a fine choice. They are the most attractive kinds of pets one can own. One may not be very fond of lizards, yet a bearded dragon is quite an interesting, calm and distinct creature due to which you may wish to have one as pet.

Dragons are actually wonderful pets but special care is required for their healthy living. They are one of the excellent choices for the hobbyists. They usually do not require high maintenance, but there are certain things they need and which the owner should give. If proper care is provided, a bearded dragon can live up to fifteen years. Their care included a correct enclosure, food, water, substrate, lighting and environment. Here are the few guidelines for the beginners for the Bearded Dragon Care:

The Food for Bearded Dragon

The need of correct diet is quite important. Dragons eat fruits, insects and vegetables which imply that they are omnivorous. One can purchase the diet of insects for their pet from a local pet store but ensure that they are not exposed to poisonous stuff. If so then catching some insects for your dragon pet yourself is not at all a bad idea. The dragons usually like to have earth worms, king worms, wax worms, meal worms and cockroaches etc. They are also fond of crickets. They should be given plenty of food they can eat in ten minutes thrice a day. There should also be a meal of fresh vegetable in a day.

To make the diet more effective one can dust a pinch of calcium on the food which in essential for the growth. Water should be given to them in a fixed quantity as too much water is as dangerous as giving no water at all. This is because they actually come from desert. The dragons generally are not able to make out standing water. So for the purpose one may have to haze the food and the water in the right amount.

The right kind of living space for the Dragon

The bearded dragon usually requires a lot of space. A terrarium of 10-15 gallons is of right size for the young hatchlings where as adults may require 50 to 55 gallons size of terrarium. Also there living space should be rectangular as they are semi-arboreal in nature which implies that they require more length than height.

The required Lighting

Another important factor in Bearded Dragon Care is the amount of light they are exposed to. In day time, you may need to provide a UVB bulb for your pet along with the natural light as it is essential for the production of vitamin D3 which helps in the calcium metabolism. In addition to this 14 hours of bright light is required for appropriate care and rest of the day should be spent in darkness.

Different types of bearded dragons

Australia is a place well known for possessing a variety of animals. Many nature lovers get fascinated by the various forms of nature when they visit this place. One class of animals that is present in Australia in a huge variety is the reptiles, precisely the lizards. These reptiles exist in a wide range of sizes and forms. Their mysterious nature and activities attract many animal lovers towards them. Different types of lizards are also kept as pets by many people.

One such variety of lizards which is often kept as a pet is the bearded dragon. All the species of bearded dragons are very attractive and people love to keep them as pets due to their beautiful looks, easy handling and small size. These reptiles require very small places to live and can be easily handled. Here are a few species that are found commonly in Australia and are kept as pets:

·         Pogona minor minima or Western bearded dragon – This species of bearded dragon is found in the south- west coast and the interior areas of the continent. It loves to stay in the deep forests and in coastal banks. These are also found in deserts. These generally have a small size with a streamlined body and a long tail.

·         Pogona vitticeps or Inland bearded dragons – This type of dragons is the largest in size from all other existing forms. These can be as long as 20cm and are found in very attractive colors like yellow, green, black and brown with scales. These are found in all parts of Australia except the western part. It is the most popular as pet.

·         Pogona minor mitchelli dragon – These are commonly found in the interior of northern territory and in the great Sandy desserts of Australia. These are the smallest dragons with a long and thin body. Their maximum length can be 14cm. Their most unique feature is their cone like head spikes that makes it very attractive.

·          Pogona minor dragon – The Pogona minor or the dwarf dragon is the one with the most unique body shape of all the lizards. They have a small head with a bulging belly, a short tail and small legs. These are very small in size. Most of the cartoon characters of dragon are an animated version of this species.

·          Lawson bearded lizard – This sort of dragons are the second most popular pets. These are found in the northern part and the Queensland. These have a huge widened out belly and a scaled body which makes them different. These have a small beard with spikes on the neck.   

·         Small scaled bearded lizard – These are found in the North West Australian region. As their name suggests, these have small scales and spikes as compared to other lizard species but these are quite long. They can achieve lengths up to 18cm.

Though there are many more species of these creatures, the ones discussed above are more popular as pets. Before you get your bearded dragon, you should get a thorough knowledge about the eating and breeding habits of these creatures.

Bearded Dragon Care