their basic needs are. Bearded Dragons thrive in captivity as long as
they have the right lighting, heating conditions, proper sized cage and
their nutritional needs are met. Please read over this section and make
sure you have prepared properly for your new addition.
CARE REQUIREMENTS
We recommend a cage size of at least 4 square feet. A 40 breeder
tank is 36 inches by 18 inches and is the smallest cage recommended
for an adult dragon, of course bigger is always better. For the babies
we like to use a smaller tank to make it easier for the little guys to find
food. A tank of 30 inches will work nice . We use 20 gallon long tanks
until they are 8 inches or so. (In tanks smaller than this, it is hard to
maintain the proper temperature because you don't have enough room
for a dragon to properly thermo-regulate it's body temperature and the
cage can become much too hot.) Bearded Dragons are very active and
like to run around and climb on branches and rocks.
LIGHTING
Dragons require a very good UVB/UVA light source as well as a good
basking light that can provide a basking area of between 100 - 110
degrees for babies and 100 - 105 degrees for adults. There are many
different lights out there so we will tell you a little about them and the
ones that we use for our dragons.
Fluorescent Bulbs - Fluorescent bulbs are used by many people, you
just have to understand a little about them. They are good for use on
smaller tanks but they only put off a good light source for about 6 -10
inches - so, if you have a larger tank, they would not be your best
choice. We use and recommend Reptisun 10.0 by Zoo Med on smaller
tanks. If using a fluorescent bulb make sure your dragon can get about
six inches away from the bulb at the basking site.
Mercury Vapor Bulbs - We use self-ballasted mercury vapor bulbs on
all of our larger dragons and our breeders. They also make combo
bulbs that put off proper lighting and a basking site. These bulbs are
great for larger cages and can put off a UVB/UVA much farther than
any other bulb. Some bulbs are good for up to 6 feet and are used by
many zoos and breeders. They fit into standard ceramic fixtures and
can't be beat. We use and recommend Powersun UV bulbs by Zoo
Med. They come in two different sizes 100 watt and 160 watt for
different size set-ups.
Natural Sunlight - Nothing is better than natural sunlight. We put our
dragons outside as much as the temperature allows. The amount of
beneficial light a dragon can get from natural sunlight can not be beat.
Just remember to use care if exposing your dragons to natural sunlight.
Never put your dragons outside in a glass container or dark tote-type
container because they could get too hot and may cause death.
Always provide shelter for your dragons if they are outside. Watch out
for ants and bugs (like fireflies) because they could be fatal to dragons.
We always supervise our dragons when they are outside to make sure
they are safe from escape and predators. We like to use tan totes with
screen tops or mesh cages to provide good air flow and protection from
predators. As good as natural sunlight is it is by no means a
replacement for a high quality UVB bulb in their tank at all times.
HEATING AND TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS
Bearded Dragons are desert lizards that require a daytime temperature
of between 75 - 85 degrees and a basking temperature of 100 - 110
degrees. We use and recommend Zoo Med under the tank heater. We
have used them for years and never had problems. A basking site at
one end of the cage works well. During the night the temperature
should be between 65 - 75 degrees. A ceramic heat emitter can be
used if night time temperatures drop below that.
We also use an under-the-tank heater in the winter time because it
gets a little cool here. These are mats that stick to the underside of the
cage. These heat pads provide warmth at night but are not used
unless temps drop below 60 degree's at night. We do not recommend
using heat rocks. They can get way too hot and burn dragons not to
mention the bacteria that can grow on them. With any tank heating
system we use and recommend a rheostat or temperature controller to
make sure your pet is safe from burns.
Keep a humidity level of between 20 - 30% in your dragons home.
FEEDING AND WATER
Bearded Dragons are omnivores eating both insects and vegetables.
They will eat just about any insect you can find. We use crickets,
silkworms, roaches, and, on occasion, wax worms and super worms as
treats. We gut-load all of our insects prior to feeding. Gut-loading is a
process of feeding your insects a vitamin and protein rich food source
to pass the good stuff on to your dragons.
Fresh vegetables are also a very important part of the dragons diet. A
baby dragon's diet should be at least 25% vegetables ; an adult's diet
should be 80% vegetables. We use a variety of vegetables including
collard, mustard and/or turnip greens, squash, zucchini, green beans
and other fresh veggies. Dragons get a lot of their moisture from the
vegetables that they eat.
There is a lot of confusion on whether or not Bearded Dragons require
a water source - some say yes and some say no. We chose to offer
water by giving them baths a few times a week. Not only will they drink
from it but they can also absorb water through their vents. It also helps
with shedding and to keep you r dragons clean. We use water that is 90
- 95 degrees and soak them for 10 - 15 minutes in water no higher than
their shoulders. Always supervise your dragon with they are in a bath.
VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS
We use a calcium power daily to dust our insects prior to feeding. We
also use a multi-vitamin powder once a week. Make sure if you are
using a Mercury Vapor bulb not to provide calcium with vitamin D3 as
they don't need it. If you are using a tube style bulb you still need to
use a calcium with vitamin D3. This ensures your pets are getting all the
vitamins they need to be healthy and happy.
SUBSTRATE AND DECORATIONS
Baby dragons that are 8 inches or less are best kept on newspaper or
paper towels. It makes cleaning easier and you don't have to worry
about sand impaction. We used sand with all of our sub-adult and adult
dragons for years with no problems but switched to newspaper and
found it easier and cleaner . We used regular play sand when we
used sand- we have heard of a lot of problems with the calcium sand
mixes. Use a scoop to clean up after your dragons daily and replace it
monthly.
Dragons love climbing and enjoy basking branches and rocks. We also
supply all of our dragons with a hiding cave for security. Some people
like to use live plants in their cages. Just remember dragons will eat
anything, so make sure it is dragon safe.
HANDLING
Bearded Dragons should be handled every few days to keep them
used to human interaction. We try to handle our babies every day or
two to keep them used to human hands.
