So, you want to own a bearded dragon: here’s what you need to know

Bearded dragons are intriguing creatures, covered with spikes and spines and they come in different colors. They can grow to be over two feet long and live up to 15 years old in captivity.

Although they are captivating and seem fun to own, they require daily care and interaction and even vet visits.

Bearded dragons and their set-up, including the tanks, lights, and fixtures can run a potential owner nearly $500 dollars, and that is on the low end. It is around $200 dollars every four-to-six months for upkeep of lights, clean sand and food.

Not only do you need to be financially prepared and have stable income to adequately care for your bearded dragon, but you also need to be prepared for any form of personality, helping to get boogers, cleaning up their poop, handling them and a 15-year commitment to these creatures.

Tank Set-Up

Environment

At minimum, beardies need a 40-gallon enclosure and anything bigger is even better. This tank size and larger allows your beardie to have space to move and stretch.

The next thing is recreating their natural environment. Bearded dragons originate from desert climates in Australia. You will need to use sand and have it at least 4 inches deep to allow your beardie to ‘pancake’ and properly shed.

In their natural environment, beardies have rocks and natural fixtures to lounge on or under, so you need to imitate this by adding fixtures to their enclosure. These fixtures can be rocks, logs or man-made fixtures like trees and caves.

A few things to add to your tank to improve your beardies quality of life would be a reptile hammock, a cling-wrap for the outside of the tank to avoid glass-surfing.

You can also add artificial plants, or real plants. Using real plants requires immense research to avoid anything that could be toxic or hazardous to your dragon’s health, so do research prior to adding real plants to the enclosure.

Lighting

Bearded dragons require three different kinds of lights and heat sources: U.V.B. (ultraviolet light), a strong heat lamp, and, or, a day lamp to imitate sunlight.

The U.V.B. light gives bearded dragons vitamins they would receive from the sun in their natural habitats. Another alternative could be setting your enclosure in front of a window that gets direct sun light, but this will only work if you live somewhere that has majority sunny days than not.

A heat lamp will allow them to stay at the temperature their body is built for. Typically, during the day, bearded dragons’ natural environments will range from 95 degrees to 110 degrees, Fahrenheit. You can choose a heat lamp that also emits light, imitating the sun, or you can buy a ceramic heater that only emits heat.

Bearded dragons are not nocturnal and do not require any lighting for nighttime or heat. Desert environments drop in temperature, so as long as the enclosure does not drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night, it is okay.

On top of the bulbs, you will need light-domes to hold the bulbs safely above your bearded dragon’s enclosure.

Food, Water and Vitamins

Food

Bearded dragons can eat an array of insects, fruits and vegetables. Mealworms and Dubai roaches are the most common diet for beardies, and lettuce and small servings of fruits are other good sources of protein.

To feed your beardie, you should start by handfeeding. And no, I don’t mean picking up insects with your hands! The term handfeeding in regard to reptiles means feeding your reptile one-by-one with tweezers (or hand if you’re not squeamish!) and letting your beardie get the food from you. This helps develop a relationship and trust with your dragon.

Once you have established this trust, you can transition to loading a food bowl with insects or produce (or both!) and putting it in the tank, allowing your beardie to eat at their discretion.

It is important to establish a feeding schedule for your beardie and stick to it! It is also important to be aware of your bearded dragons age, because until they are full-grown, they will need to eat every day. Once they reach adult size, it will be every other day. This is because of the slowing of their metabolism- you want to avoid your beardie becoming obese and unhealthy.

Water

Since they come from desert environments, bearded dragons do not require excessive amounts of water. They still need clean water available in their tank daily so if they get thirsty, it is there. You may not see your beardie drink straight from the water because their skin is developed to absorb water. You will most likely see your beardie sitting in their bowl or putting their arms in it.

Vitamins 

Bearded dragons that are in captivity are limited to a lot of things they would receive in their natural environments, and one of those things are vitamins. Just as it is important for humans to get our vitamins to be healthy, bearded dragons need the same. They require calcium and D3. The vitamin D3 comes from the U.V.B. bulb and allows for beardies to metabolize their food correctly.

Calcium is found naturally in sand and in certain produce but can be given to your beardie in a few ways. You can buy calcium powder to periodically sprinkle on their food. You can also buy calcium sand that allows your beardie to absorb it through their skin.

General Care

Cleanliness and Body Care

Bearded dragons kept in captivity will need to be bathed at least once a month. They are kept in a tank all day, defecating and eating and running around in one small enclosure. To keep them in best health, you should be giving them short baths and allowing them to soak and remove any dirt.

Another important part of their cleanliness is weekly tank cleanings. You can buy scoops to sift through the sand. But if you avoid cleaning their enclosure, it could attract bugs and lead to poor health for your bearded dragon, not to mention it will get stinky.

Bearded dragons grow to be nearly 2-feet-long and in order to do this, they shed. You will see skin peeling off of your bearded dragon- do NOT pull it! It is natural, and it is a natural process for it to peel and for your beardie to remove it themselves. The only time you should ever aid in the removal of their shed is if it is stuck in their nose or covering their eyes. Otherwise, they will figure it out and do not require assistance.

Personalities 

Bearded dragons are all different. Different colors, shapes and sizes and even personalities. Some beardies love people, love to be taken on walks and in-public with their owners, while others can be more docile and not appreciate a lot of attention or contact. This is why daily interaction with your beardie is important to developing a relationship and learning the best ways to care for them.

For more information on bearded dragon care, Ryan, the creator of the Youtube Channel, Wickens Wicked Reptiles, has a complete care guide. Watch below!

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyt7o-jmPNM