Care Sheet - Bearded Dragon (Pogona Vitticeps)

This care sheet is only the basics and there is a lot of information out there for
these incredible animals, unfortunately some of it is out of date and not very
accurate.
Bearded dragons originate from Australia; as juveniles they are semi-arboreal. As
adults, they are more terrestrial, but will climb to bask and search for prey.
Bearded Dragons can occupy a large range of habitats from the desert to dry
forest and scrubland.
Dragons are not either the smallest or the largest of the lizard family and are
known to grow on average 18-24 inches from nose to tail.
Bearded dragons are amongst the tamest of all lizards, and their outgoing
personalities, activity level, appetites and interesting social behaviours make
them a very captivating lizard to observe. They have a very rapid growth rate, so
the 4" hatchlings can grow to their adult size within a year.
Most bearded dragons adapt easily to handling and are calm enough to perch on
their owners shoulder, or be placed on a countertop, or enjoy the view from a
windowsill.
Housing
The minimum size vivarium for up to 2 adult dragons should be 48" x 24" x 24"
but I would recommend something bigger. A basking site should be provided
under the hot spot and include UV lighting. Bearded Dragons need to bask and
they need high temperatures to help with the digestive process. A basking area
should be about 100Fahrenheit with an ambient temperature of 75F and then
dropping to about 65F at night-time.

Bearded Dragons need to have UV running for 10-14 hours a day. In the wild
they bask in the sun to help with the digestion and the production of vitamin D.
Obviously in a Vivarium they will not receive that much UV so a UV source is
essential. Bearded Dragons need a photoperiod (to tell the difference between
night and day), to do this you need to have your UV bulb on for 10-14 hours. The
UV must be within 10" of the bearded Dragon to enable the dragon to get the full
benefit of the UV tube. The UV source will need to be changed once a year as it
loses its efficiency. A ceramic heat emitter or a spot Basking bulb and a Pulse
Proportional thermostat for the ceramic or Dimming for the basking bulb, to
control the temperature of the vivarium. A thermometer inside the vivarium is a
good idea so that you can check they are being kept at the right temperature.
Some people use 2 thermometers, one at the cooler end and one at the hotter
end to monitor the temperature range. If you use only one thermometer then
place it in the middle of the tank towards the bottom.
A UV and Heat source that is becoming more popular is the Mercury vapour
lamps like the Exo Terra Sun Glo. These bulbs do not work with a thermostat so
to get the correct basking temperature you simply raise or lower the lamp above
the basking spot.
A substrate is known as the material to line the bottom of the vivarium and these
can range from newspaper, bark, and sand for reptiles.
Feeding
Their stomachs are large enough to accommodate large quantities of food.
Young Bearded Dragons do not eat as much vegetation as their adult
counterparts. As a Bearded Dragon ages it may be persuaded to eat less animal
matter and more plants, maybe levelling off at around an 80% plant and 20%
insect diet.
Popular feeder insects include crickets, cockroaches, locusts, silkworms, and
Locusts. The mealworms have a fairly hard chitin (exoskeleton) and is generally
low in the "meat to chitin" ratio, as well as having a poor calcium/phosphorus
ratio, making it far less nutritious than other feeder insects. Chitin is hard enough
that large amounts of it can cause impaction in the Bearded Dragons digestion
system, and can lead to death, especially in younger and smaller animals. But as
given As A treat are not a problem Waxworms and Morio worms can be given as
a treat also, but sparingly as in most cases as they are extremely fatty, and in
some cases very addictive. Although they can be useful in building-up an
undernourished individual. The rule of thumb on feeder insects is that the food
fed to the animal must not be larger than the space between the eyes; feeding
something larger could make it hard for the animal to swallow the food and can
lead to the aforementioned fatal impaction.
A significant portion of the Bearded Dragons diet may consist of leafy greens.
Dragons enjoy many types of readily available greens, including Water cress,
Kale, spring greens (occasionally), escarole, dandelion greens, & flowers,
parsley, and carrot tops. It is also recommended that this portion of the dragons
diet be supplemented with a variety of finely diced fruits and vegetables. Feeding
a mixture of these plants ensures a wider variety of nutrients, and variations in
texture to aid digestion.

Calcium should be added (a light sprinkling) to the food every day and added
vitamins every two or three days. This is to boost the calcium for good bones and
to add to top up the missing vitamins that is lacking in their diet.
Light & Heat
Bearded Dragons bask most of the day, absorbing the heat they need to digest
their food. It is important that there are at least one or two good basking spots in
the Dragons habitat. Rocks are preferable to logs as they hold heat better,
though logs can also provide stimulation for the animal as they will climb up and
down it any item taken from the outside must first be boiled or baked, however, to
remove contaminants. A habitat should also include something the Dragon can
hide under.
Bearded Dragons also need correct lighting. A UVB light is needed, with two
options being available, Fluorescent strip bulbs, bulbs or mercury vapour lamps.
These bulbs have variable ranges of UVB output; owners must ensure proper
distance from bulb to the basking spot so the lizard can properly absorb the rays.
Bulbs are typically replaced every 6 months. Without adequate UVB the Dragon
will develop Metabolic Bone Disease and not eat as much. A Dragon needs
between 12 and 14 hours of daylight; much less or more causes problems with
their circadian rhythms and makes them lethargic and sick.
For heating, Bearded Dragons need bright white light during the day. Some
owners use a red Infra red light at night for heating; this provides heat and you
will be able to see it. It is unknown if this red light is visible to bearded dragons.
Another option for maintaining temperatures at night is a Ceramic heat emitter or
heat mat.
Temperature is one of the most important health factors. A bearded dragon needs
the correct temperature to digest, so a good thermometer is essential. Analogue,
Round, stick-on, and other non-digital thermometers do not measure basking
temperature properly as they do not measure the actual basking spot, just the
temperature of the air or glass. A digital thermometer with a probe or a Dial
thermometer. Temps need to be 40C-43C (105F-110F) [basking spot] during day
and 15C-26C (60F-80F) at night (the higher end of this range for babies, the
lower portion of the range for adult Dragons). If the dragons do not receive the
proper heat they will become lethargic, and they will eat less. Eventually the lack
of proper heating will become fatal.
Substrate
This is another very important factor in keeping a healthy Dragon. Babies and
juveniles are particularly at risk of impaction and are often kept on paper towels
or newspaper, as they are easy to dispose of and clean up after, and there is no
risk of the baby ingesting substrate. Tile is another popular choice, as is reptile
carpet and also non adhesive shelf liner. As the Dragon gets older (about 8-12
months) it can be put on finely sifted playpen sand. Calcium sand is often used,
but is also reported to be a cause of impaction due to clumping in the gut if
ingested, while play sand will pass straight through a well fed individual. Rabbit
food pellets, made of alfalfa also Bran are both recommended choices by most
breeders as they are indigestible and also easy to clean. Walnut Shells should
never be used; though they are natural they cannot be digested and are highly

likely to cause impaction. Wood chips, and anything else of that sort are never to
be used. They are large, with sharp edges, and can be swallowed. They are not
digestible, however, and will swell and clog the gut, causing a very painful and
potentially fatal impaction.
Also places for shade might be useful.
General Information
Natural sunlight is very beneficial and should be provided if possible. Bearded
dragons should never be placed outside in a glass enclosure. The animal could
easily overheat and die.
Bearded Dragons live for an average of 4-10 years depending on their quality of
lives, if they have had good lighting and temperatures maintained as well as a
good balanced diet then you could expect your dragon to live longer than a
dragon that has not. But if you have a female that has been repeatedly bred then
her life span can be expected to be quite short.
Bearded Dragons will keep you amused for a long time. Just observing and
interacting with them is fascinating. There are 2 things that the Beardy does; one
is to nod its head (which is a sign of dominance) and the other is the arm waving
(this is a sign of submissive behaviour). When they sit with open mouths this is
their way of cooling down their body temperature
It is not advisable to keep two males together as they will fight; more so if a
female is present. If you would like to keep more than one Beardy then make
sure that there is only one male in the cage.
Do not mix other reptiles with Bearded Dragons, as it is an accident/fatality
waiting to happen.