Pogona vitticeps - The Bearded Dragon
Published by Steve on 2007/7/4 (1232 reads)
Bearded Dragons are popular exotic pets in many places, notably Pogona vitticeps the Inland or Central Bearded dragon.
Adult size: 45-60cm (18-24 inch)
Longevity: 7 to 10 years
Housing: A well ventilated vivarium measuring 120cm (48 inches) in length by 60cm (24 inches) deep by 45cm (18 inches) high(more height may be required depending on your chosen UV light set up) is sufficient for a single adult dragon. Groups (with only one male as they will fight) may live together in larger enclosures. Hatchlings up to 4-5 months old may be kept in a smaller vivarium.
Substrate: Kitchen paper towel, reptile carpet and even newspaper can all make suitable substrates along with a host of purpose made, substrates currently available. Always check when buying substrate that it is suitable for use with Bearded Dragons. Remove all droppings and clean vivariums on a regular basis to prevent disease.
Vivarium furnishings: Hides & shelters are essential. They prevent stress and allow your pet a safe
haven from the outside world. Dragons do climb and as long as they are fixed securely, logs and rocks make good basking shelves.
Heating: A daytime basking area minimum of 35°C (95°F) and maximum of 40°C (104°F) is essential, as are cool areas ranging from 20-29°C (68 -84°F). No extra night heat is needed for adult dragons if the room stays above 16°C (60°F). A basking lamp is the best heat source as dragons are attracted to light; household (spot) light bulbs are suitable, set on a timer to give 12 hours light and heat per day. Select the wattage according to the heat needed at the basking spot. Larger enclosures may need ceramic heaters as well. Wire mesh guards should be fitted over all heat sources used in order to prevent thermal burns. A thermostat is essential, to control the heat source within the vivarium and prevent your pet from becoming too hot or too cold. A dimming thermostat should be used with a basking lamp, and the sensor placed so as to prevent the cooler areas of the vivarium rising above about 28°C (82°F). Digital thermometers should be placed regularly on the basking spot and at the cool end of the vivarium to check the temperatures. In the autumn and winter, as daylight hours shorten, some adult Bearded Dragons seek cooler areas and become dormant (brumation) for weeks or even months. Feeding will cease and once they have begun to sleep all day, background temperatures may be safely reduced to 16 - 21°C (60-70°F) and basking lamps turned down until the dragons awaken and start basking and feeding again in early spring.
Lighting: As well as needing good bright lighting, dragons need ultraviolet light (UVA for normal vision and activity levels and UVB for normal calcium metabolism), which must be supplied by specialist reptile UV lamps or tubes. High-UVB (5-10% UVB) fluorescent tubes, ideally fitted with reflectors, should be placed above the basking spot to supplement the lighting, and replaced at least every year. In larger, well ventilated enclosures, new mercury vapour UVB lamps may be suitable as combined heat and light sources; some brands produce much more UV light than tubes, but cannot be thermostatically controlled.
Water: Shallow bowls of clean water must always be provided. Dragons can take time to learn to drink from a dish. As they are attracted to water movement, a dripper system may work, or they can be regularly offered a syringe filled with water, dripped on the lizard’s head or in front of its nose; they learn to lap from the nozzle. Babies can be gently sprayed and will drink the droplets.
Diet and Feeding: Bearded dragons are omnivorous. A balanced diet must include green leaves (eg. spring greens, kale, dandelion, watercress) vegetables (eg. chopped beans, peas, grated butternut squash, carrot) and insects (eg. crickets, locusts, morioworms, feeder roaches). Feed juveniles twice daily; offer adults fresh green food daily and insects every 1-2 days. Baby dragons can be seriously impacted (gut blockage) by large insects and should be fed only small crickets no bigger than the distance between the dragon’s eyes; they should not be fed mealworms. All insects should be well cared for and well fed. Once or twice a week, before offering them to the lizards, insects may be dusted with good quality reptile mineral/vitamin supplement powder. Dragons will benefit from a small dish of calcium (calcium carbonate powder; “limestone flour”; grated cuttlefish bone) available in the vivarium at all times.
Temperament: Bearded dragons seem naturally tame though babies are instinctively skittish. Gentle, regular handling is beneficial, as a dragon will learn to recognize its keeper. An aggressive dragon is unusual.
Suitability as pet: Bearded dragons make excellent & engaging companions if cared for properly. They are social creatures with both physical & psychological needs. The responsibility of anyone keeping one is to meet those needs; but the effort is not great when compared to the rewards this small relationship can offer
Things to consider:
Who will look after your new pet if you are away?
Can you get food easily from your local pet shop?
Can you deal with feeding live bugs to your pet?
Can you handle the crickets to feed your pet?
Are you prepared to take on an animal that could be with you in ten years’ time?
Is the rest of the family happy to live with a lizard?
Salmonella: Like all living things reptiles can carry the naturally occurring bacteria Salmonella, which can be acquired by ingestion (via the mouth). Good hygiene is therefore very important when keeping any animal. Remember, you are just as likely to acquire Salmonella from raw chicken meat, a stale cream cake or a dog so don't automatically assume that your reptile is the only suspect! Always wash your hands after handling ALL animals.
There are some excellent books on keeping Bearded Dragons and you should purchase one or more of these to read before you buy your pet.You should also consider joining your local reptile society who will be happy to offer help and advice.
For further information check out the following websites:
FBH: www.f-b-h.co.uk
Proteus Reptile Trust: www.proteus.uk.net
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Proteus Reptile Trust in the preparation of this guide.
Adult size: 45-60cm (18-24 inch)
Longevity: 7 to 10 years
Housing: A well ventilated vivarium measuring 120cm (48 inches) in length by 60cm (24 inches) deep by 45cm (18 inches) high(more height may be required depending on your chosen UV light set up) is sufficient for a single adult dragon. Groups (with only one male as they will fight) may live together in larger enclosures. Hatchlings up to 4-5 months old may be kept in a smaller vivarium.
Substrate: Kitchen paper towel, reptile carpet and even newspaper can all make suitable substrates along with a host of purpose made, substrates currently available. Always check when buying substrate that it is suitable for use with Bearded Dragons. Remove all droppings and clean vivariums on a regular basis to prevent disease.
Vivarium furnishings: Hides & shelters are essential. They prevent stress and allow your pet a safe
haven from the outside world. Dragons do climb and as long as they are fixed securely, logs and rocks make good basking shelves.
Heating: A daytime basking area minimum of 35°C (95°F) and maximum of 40°C (104°F) is essential, as are cool areas ranging from 20-29°C (68 -84°F). No extra night heat is needed for adult dragons if the room stays above 16°C (60°F). A basking lamp is the best heat source as dragons are attracted to light; household (spot) light bulbs are suitable, set on a timer to give 12 hours light and heat per day. Select the wattage according to the heat needed at the basking spot. Larger enclosures may need ceramic heaters as well. Wire mesh guards should be fitted over all heat sources used in order to prevent thermal burns. A thermostat is essential, to control the heat source within the vivarium and prevent your pet from becoming too hot or too cold. A dimming thermostat should be used with a basking lamp, and the sensor placed so as to prevent the cooler areas of the vivarium rising above about 28°C (82°F). Digital thermometers should be placed regularly on the basking spot and at the cool end of the vivarium to check the temperatures. In the autumn and winter, as daylight hours shorten, some adult Bearded Dragons seek cooler areas and become dormant (brumation) for weeks or even months. Feeding will cease and once they have begun to sleep all day, background temperatures may be safely reduced to 16 - 21°C (60-70°F) and basking lamps turned down until the dragons awaken and start basking and feeding again in early spring.
Lighting: As well as needing good bright lighting, dragons need ultraviolet light (UVA for normal vision and activity levels and UVB for normal calcium metabolism), which must be supplied by specialist reptile UV lamps or tubes. High-UVB (5-10% UVB) fluorescent tubes, ideally fitted with reflectors, should be placed above the basking spot to supplement the lighting, and replaced at least every year. In larger, well ventilated enclosures, new mercury vapour UVB lamps may be suitable as combined heat and light sources; some brands produce much more UV light than tubes, but cannot be thermostatically controlled.
Water: Shallow bowls of clean water must always be provided. Dragons can take time to learn to drink from a dish. As they are attracted to water movement, a dripper system may work, or they can be regularly offered a syringe filled with water, dripped on the lizard’s head or in front of its nose; they learn to lap from the nozzle. Babies can be gently sprayed and will drink the droplets.
Diet and Feeding: Bearded dragons are omnivorous. A balanced diet must include green leaves (eg. spring greens, kale, dandelion, watercress) vegetables (eg. chopped beans, peas, grated butternut squash, carrot) and insects (eg. crickets, locusts, morioworms, feeder roaches). Feed juveniles twice daily; offer adults fresh green food daily and insects every 1-2 days. Baby dragons can be seriously impacted (gut blockage) by large insects and should be fed only small crickets no bigger than the distance between the dragon’s eyes; they should not be fed mealworms. All insects should be well cared for and well fed. Once or twice a week, before offering them to the lizards, insects may be dusted with good quality reptile mineral/vitamin supplement powder. Dragons will benefit from a small dish of calcium (calcium carbonate powder; “limestone flour”; grated cuttlefish bone) available in the vivarium at all times.
Temperament: Bearded dragons seem naturally tame though babies are instinctively skittish. Gentle, regular handling is beneficial, as a dragon will learn to recognize its keeper. An aggressive dragon is unusual.
Suitability as pet: Bearded dragons make excellent & engaging companions if cared for properly. They are social creatures with both physical & psychological needs. The responsibility of anyone keeping one is to meet those needs; but the effort is not great when compared to the rewards this small relationship can offer
Things to consider:
Who will look after your new pet if you are away?
Can you get food easily from your local pet shop?
Can you deal with feeding live bugs to your pet?
Can you handle the crickets to feed your pet?
Are you prepared to take on an animal that could be with you in ten years’ time?
Is the rest of the family happy to live with a lizard?
Salmonella: Like all living things reptiles can carry the naturally occurring bacteria Salmonella, which can be acquired by ingestion (via the mouth). Good hygiene is therefore very important when keeping any animal. Remember, you are just as likely to acquire Salmonella from raw chicken meat, a stale cream cake or a dog so don't automatically assume that your reptile is the only suspect! Always wash your hands after handling ALL animals.
There are some excellent books on keeping Bearded Dragons and you should purchase one or more of these to read before you buy your pet.You should also consider joining your local reptile society who will be happy to offer help and advice.
For further information check out the following websites:
FBH: www.f-b-h.co.uk
Proteus Reptile Trust: www.proteus.uk.net
We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Proteus Reptile Trust in the preparation of this guide.
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