BEARDED DRAGON FACTS & INFORMATION SITE

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR THE CARE OF
BEARDED DRAGONS (Pogona vitticeps)
By Bill Mears

Although more prospective owners seem to be taking the time to find out what they need to know before buying their first Dragon, this website hopes to address the problem of information not being easy enough to access and to remind newcomers of their responsibilities to a living thing that is obviously quite capable of learning behavior and forming attachments to individuals. They can feel pain, they can feel hunger, they can get lonely, they can get bored, they can get cold, they can get sick and they can die- it's real easy! On the other hand they can lead long, happy, contended meaningful lives with knowledgeable owners who don't just see them as something of curiosity value but a wonderful opportunity to share a life and learn from it.

Unfortunately, a lot of stores and some dealers seem to be supplying people with no backup information or checking out what the new owner needs to get started as well as providing incorrect or harmful information concerning all aspects of care (substrate, cage size, diet etc.). So, if you are thinking of getting a Bearded Dragon, take the time to read this sheet and at the same time ask yourself whether your supplier is really knowledgeable enough to buy a dragon from.

It doesn't take much homework to get the facts before you get the animal. But if you have already purchased one and run into trouble, the answer will hopefully be here. This information is aimed at owners of Pogona vitticeps- The Inland Bearded Dragon. If you're a first time owner thinking of obtaining a different species, my advice would be ... DON'T! Do your research and then buy the easiest species: P. vitticeps.

RULE #1

BUY THE BOOKS! There are two excellent books available.

The first, by Philippe de Vosjoli and Robert Mailloux is called 'The General Care and Maintenance of Bearded Dragons'. Published by Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc., 10728 Prospect Av, Suite G, Santee, California 92071 (or ask your bookstore for ISBN 1-882770404). There may be others, but this is the one nearly everybody refers to. It can also be ordered online from http://www.avsbooks.com/.

The second one is a fairly recent addition, and as some of the information in Vosjoli/Mailloux is a little out of date, it's a good idea to get this one as well. Not only that, but it's a really good book and any serious Bearded Dragon owner should have BOTH books!

It's by Steve Grenard and called 'The Bearded Dragon'. Published by Howell Book House, it's part of their 'An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet' series. The ISBN is 1-58245-012-9 or 1-58245-010-2 in Canada. It can also be ordered online from the usual sources (Amazon etc) or from zoobooks@means.net

RULE #2

READ THE BOOKS! And then check out all the information available on the Internet. Get your Search Engines to look for 'vitticeps' 'pogona' and 'bearded dragon'. (Don't forget to check the 'Links' page at this site too).

RULE #3

BEFORE YOU BUY

Ask LOTS of questions. Get ALL the equipment. Set up the cage PROPERLY. Locate a RELIABLE source for crickets. Check which grocery stores sell the RIGHT VEGETABLES. And make sure to locate a good REPTILE VETERINARIAN (this will take you to my links page which has vet resources).

RULE #4

Read the rest of this Posting, PRINT IT OUT and start a binder of information you can always refer to.

RULE #5

Join the Bearded Dragon Mailing List at Yahoo! Groups. A host of friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people dispensing advice, support and occasional idiocy! To subscribe, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pogona/join.

QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, WARNINGS, USEFUL INFORMATION

HOW OFTEN AND WHAT DOES A BEARDED DRAGON EAT?

Bearded dragons are primarily insectivorous (about 70% of their diet should be crickets and other invertebrates). They will also eat vegetables, but stay away from those with high vitamin A or phosphorous contents. The dragon's food needs to be dusted periodically as shown below.

When feeding insects (crickets are the food of choice for starters) one method I have used is to provide as many as they will eat in a 5-10 minute period (other regimens are listed below). Remember that crickets should be no bigger than the distance between your dragon's eyes in order to help prevent the risk of impactions, hind leg paralysis or death from food that is too big. This can be a serious issue for very young dragons qhwn it is hard sometimes to find the right size feeders.

HATCHLINGS (up to 2 months)

• Young Insects - 2 or 3 times daily - Dust once every day
• Vegetables every day - DO NOT Dust - Remove by midday
• Spray twice or three times daily

JUVENILES (2 to 4 months)

• Insects - 2 times daily - Dust once every other day
• Vegetables in the morning every day - DO NOT Dust

ADULTS

• Insects - 2 or 3 times weekly (use the '5-10 minute period' method I mention above or see immediately below for the method I now use) - Dust once or twice monthly
• Vegetables - Every day - DO NOT Dust
• Lately I have been spreading the ration of crickets for my larger juveniles and adults over the entire week (an average of 5 large crickets every day per dragon) as well as their daily vegetable mix (as much as they want). If they start to lose their bulk (this can happen when juveniles go on a growth spurt) I simply increase the cricket ration a bit for a few days. The result of this is that their stool consistency is much better, and I know that I am lowering the risk of kidney and liver problems later on.
• Pinky mice can also be offered to adults periodically perhaps once a month or every six weeksm if there is a problem with health, but it is not necessary or advises as a regular item for an otherwise healthy dragon. I actually don't feed pinkies unless I have a female who has just laid or I have an adult who needs fattening up after an illness. They are high in fats and thought to contribute to liver problems later in life.

WHAT DO I USE FOR 'DUSTING' MY CRICKETS?

This is what I use:

• MINERALL 1. Multivitamin OR Herptivite Multivitamins by Rep-Cal
• Phosphorous-free Calcium Carbonate (Rep-Cal with D3 - NOT Vitamin A)
• Multi-Vitamin powders should be used instead of Calcium once or twice a week for hatchlings and juveniles and alternately for adults

WHAT OTHER INSECTS CAN I USE?

Before you feed any kind of wild-caught insect you should be absolutely sure that it's not toxic. I have heard from people who fed a perfectly ordinary beetle to their dragon, only to have the poor thing die in agony a few hours later. In their native Australia, Bearded Dragons eat things that North American animals would not be able to; evolution has designed them for their own environment and food prey.

Unless you really know you insects I would recommend that you stick with store-bought items like crickets, silkworms and superworms (if the draogn is old enough, do not feed to babies), but if you are confident in your entomological knowledge, the following can be used (although some might carry parasites - another reason to stick with store-bought)....

ROACHES, MEALWORMS, WAXWORMS, SILKWORMS, GRASSHOPPERS, MOTHS, FLIES, BUTTERFLIES, KATYDIDS, BEETLES, MAYFLIES (aka SHADFLIES).

Although you could use any of the above, you must be very careful. Roaches can be quite large and the Hissing Cockroaches are in my opinion, too tough for Beardies. Mealworms should only be used in emergencies and then only if they are white and freshly moulted, because they have very thick indigestible skins and could cause impaction. Superworms are a better choice as they have a greater meat to chitin shelling ratio. Waxworms are much too rich to be used for anything other than occasional treats- too many will lead to such complications as fatty liver disease or kidney failure in later years. Any wild caught insect might be carrying either parasites or pesticide, so be VERY CAREFUL with those!

Always make sure the insect being offered is small enough and for babies, not too tough. Adults will chew up almost anything, but as always; BE CAREFUL AND USE COMMON SENSE!

LIGHTNING BUGS ARE DEADLY!

Even one lightning bug (also known as Fireflies) will kill your dragon, so don't leave them out after dark.

AVOID WORMS : It's possible to collect worms by pouring various chemical solutions on the ground and there's a possibility of long-term harm to your Dragon- one of the solutions is dishwashing liquid and that can do severe damage to the delicate digestive tract. Also suppliers may be keeping them in pots with newspaper (ink), peat (acid), soil etc and you can't be sure that this 'medium' is free from other kinds of infection. There is also a parasite that affects birds and the host that transfers it from soil (droppings) to bird is the earthworm- it might do the same to your BD. Worms may be infected with Bacillus thuringienis and several yeasts and fungi. You could try raising Red Wigglers (Worm compost) using all kinds of greens etc. for them to eat and this might be healthier to use as food, but I really feel it's safer to avoid them altogether.

BE CAUTIOUS WITH MEALWORMS, WAXWORMS AND PINKY MICE : Too many mealworms, waxworms or pinkies is not good : too fattening and too rich- BD's have hearts and blood vessels that can be damaged. Also anything too large (mice) is harder to digest and therefore of less nutritional value. Only use mealworms as treats- one at a time. That way they are always chewed before swallowing. For babies I would recommend only using 'white' newly skin-changed ones that are just finished skin changing as they are soft and break very easily. Mealworms have a very hard chitinous exoskeleton and very strong mandibles and there is always the remote possibility that gnashing mandibles might nip the delicate lining of your beardy's digestive system on the way down - be sure to use them wisely. Probably no more than 5-10 a week. For youngsters it's the calcium you need and supplement powders don't stick very well to mealworms.

About 1 pinky a month maximum would be my advice only if you really feel the need (I don't use them at all) and be really certain of the health of the mice and the store you acquire them from.

WILD CAUGHT INSECTS : Be sure that you don't collect insects near to a roadside (toxic emissions on plants and animals), from a field that has been sprayed with any kind of insecticide and whatever you do, if you find an insect dead - LEAVE IT - you don't know what killed it!

WHAT SORT OF VEGETABLES SHOULD I USE?

Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Bok Choy, Chickory Greens Zucchini, Clover, Bean Sprouts, Corn (cooked), Dandelion Greens, Beet Greens Sunflower Seedlings, Carrots (shredded), Peas, Red Tip Lettuce, Parsley, Beans, Purslane, Collards, Kale, Squash, Parsnip (shredded).

This information from Alta Brewer (of the Pogona Mailing List) explains in detail why spinach has been avoided as a foodstuff and variety is important :

Spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid, which binds with calcium, rendering the calcium unusuable by the animal. Over time, this causes metabolic bone disease, whith the body reabsorbing calcium from the bones to use for normal metabolic and cellular processes. Most of the dark greens contain oxalic acid but spinach contains the most. The high amount of oxalic acid may also cause gout over a period of time.........However, bok choy is a brassica, and can cause hypothyroidism, a thyroid deficiency, when fed in excess. Some is fine, but make sure they eat other greens as well.

WHAT ABOUT FLOWERS?

Hibiscus, Mustard Flowers, Dandelion, Carnations, Ice Plant, Squash, Clover, Nasturtium, Daisy. Dragons love their flowers and this is a main staple of them in the wild.

AND FRUIT?

Melon, Berries, Banana (only very occasionally as a treat - bananas are very high in Phosphorus), Grapes, Strawberry, Raspberry, Apple.

When feeding any vegetable or fruit, always cut or shred it into small enough pieces. I slice lettuce, collard greens etc. very thinly, shred carrot and chop up peas and cooked unsalted sweet corn- these are their favourite everyday foods- I also treat them with occasional banana, apple and rarely strawberries and raspberries.

Also, you should feed fruit sparingly as although they may love it it can cause very loose stools, which may aggravate the digestive system, cause stress and also may dehydrate them.

WHAT IF THEY WON'T EAT VEGETABLES?

See if they like 'white' mealworms or small waxworms. If they do, chop up some greens (collard greens, broccoli and other stuff recommended in the book) and mix it with finely grated carrot, put the whole lot in a 'stone' bowl with low sides and let a few white mealworms burrow into it. Put it in the cage, add a couple more mealworms (white of course) and the dragons will eat the ones on top and probably look for more- see the ones in the veg. and grab them, get a piece of veg. by mistake and discover that it's actually good to eat.

Always use the same bowl (clean each time of course) in the same place and they pick it up pretty fast. Make sure you clean the poop out daily- they seem to have a keen sense of spell and don't like to be in the same area as their poop- it will put them off their food if they're fussy eaters. They will get the hang of it quite quickly- mine feed trustingly on anything I give them from my fingers now.

SPECIAL CARE FOR BABIES

My babies all feed within 24 hours of hatching, but that doesn't mean they all will. Baby Beardies like to be kept at higher temperatures than adult Beardies. They also require a very warm "basking point" area where the temp will reach over 100 degrees to warm up for digestion. ambient air temps in the enclosure of 85-90 degrees during the day with temp drop to 80 degrees at night. The BD babies seem to need the 'high' basking temperatures to get going (a metabolism thing) and to properly digest their food. When they start eating make sure that they can bask for at least 1 hour after feeding (the food can sour in their stomach if they go to sleep before properly digesting their dinner). Feed 2 week old crickets (some call them 1/4 size). Be careful that the crickets are not overly large - over-large food items can cause nerve problems and death. While they are not feeding be sure to keep them misted so they don't dehydrate and encourage the 'sleepy' ones (the ones that seem to just lay around in the corners and sleep) to bask. If need be place them on the basking area. After about a week the babies should be alert, active and skittery. Be sure to feed enough crickets during each feeding that they do not need to look for them. For substrate use kitchen paper towel. Do not use any of the barks or shredded wood pulps.

WHAT SHOULD I PUT THE FOOD IN?

I have two of the fake stone bowls/dishes. If I put the veg. in first thing after the heat lamps go on in the morning and remove it at noon, it is either empty or whatever is left is easy to wash off under the tap and scrub if necessary. I also clean it in the dishwasher (and none of us gets sick!). By using two bowls, I have one in the cage and the other is cleaning. Combination water and food bowls are always a problem as the food gets in the water and makes it undrinkable. You're far better off using one container for one thing. I don't even have water and food in the cage at the same time.

WHAT ABOUT PET FOOD OR THE NEW PACKAGED DIETS?

I know that Cane Toads (Bufo marinus) will steal dog food off the back step in Australia, but I wouldn't recommend cat food or any artificial diet for BD's full time. If it's too much of an effort for someone to get fresh veg. and bugs they might as well sell their BD's and get a dog (or maybe a cat).

Many owners have found that Rep_Cal Pellets are a favorite for the dragons and use them as a garnish on the top of the salads, these come in both a juvie and adult formula.

Feed greens/vegetables first thing in the morning and use a clean bowl each time, and they should be removed by midday- that way they have plenty of time to be digested before the cooler night. If you've got a lot of gooey fruit left over, you're using too much and leaving it in too long. For the most part, dragons are not big fruit eaters.

If you like the idea of something being there all day, when you take the bowl out, hang up a couple of collard green leaves or something they can rip at.

If you're letting them eat vegetables close to bedtime, make sure the cage is warm enough at night for them to digest their vegetables properly- otherwise they may ferment in their stomach overnight.

Remember - enough is plenty - too much is risky.

HOW MUCH SPACE DOES A BEARDED DRAGON NEED?

When they're small, they can be comfortably housed in a 12" x 12" x 24" aquarium (10 to 15 gallon terrarium) with a mesh top, but when they're fully grown- which can happen in just a few months if you look after them properly, they will need the biggest cage you can afford. Adults need at least the equal of a 60 gallon terrarium. I built a 10' x 12' addition to the house which has become a walk-in cage, so that now I can step through a door from the living room and be in there with them! What to put inside the cage is up to you, but they like variety, so some climbing branches and maybe a rock or two. The bottom can be lined with sand, paper or outdoor carpet, but if you choose sand, make sure that it's WASHED PLAY SAND. Regular sand is just silica, which is the same as saying ground up glass. Also, for hatchlings I would recommend paper, as at that age, they tend to try eating almost anything to start with and can end up with sand compacted in their intestines.Originally I recommended carpet as a substrate, but as 'Drayco' pointed out recently, Astroturf is green and some of the pieces come loose and might be eaten by mistake. Also, if it gets threadbare, the black threads might be ingested. Even store-bought carpet is not a good idea unless it's specifically designed for reptiles, as domestic carpets have various chemical treatments. The reptile-suitable stuff is sold as indoor/outdoor carpet and is available from hardware stores.

WHAT ELSE DOES A BEARDED DRAGON NEED APART FROM A CAGE?

Bearded Dragons need SPECIAL LIGHTING, especially UVB. TWo kinds of UVB are available on the market and the dragons have to have one of these to be healthy. IF you can not afford the light, you should not get the dragona as you will end up paying more in vet bills.

One kind is a special fluorescent bulbs available (such as ZooMed's 5.0, 10.0 or Exo-Terra 8.0) that deliver the strongest amount of UVB and UVA you can get in a tube. AN ORDINARY FLUORESCENT BULB IS USELESS. Position your UV Bulb so that the BD can bask within 6-12" of it, depending on the type. And replace the bulb every six (6)nonths as they wear out without actually looking any different. Remember, you will still need a heat source for them with this light

The other type is an all in one heat-UVB light,(such as MegaRay, Active UV Heat or PowerSun) these cost more initially, but less in the long run as they can last longer and you only need one bulb and fixture for heat and UVB. These you have to adjust so the proper temps reach the dragon on the basking point (they can be suspended or arms piurchased for them) and they also come in 60, 100 and 160 Watts.

Bearded Dragons need to be kept warm. The ideal temperatures are as follows :- Basking daytime 88 - 100:F. General Daytime 80 - 85:F. Normal Night 60 - 70:F. Pre-Breeding Day 75 - 80:F. Pre-Breeding Night 55 -65:F

WHAT KIND OF SUBSTRATE SHOULD I USE?

There are substrates that are good to use and some that should be avoided at all costs. I don't care what the pet store has told you is OK for your beardie - the bad ones I mention below are BAD and MUST be avoided. Even if you've been using one with no problems so far, that just means you've been lucky. I get letters all the time from people who have followed the wrong advice from a pet store and have a baby dying from impaction etc. It's very heartbreaking so try to avoid this. If you have sand of any kind or chips in with a baby, remove it now and use paper towels. Follow this link to my substrate information page.

AVOID HOT ROCKS! Your Dragons won't be able to tell if they're on or off and could get burnt. Use the special heat bulbs that quality pet stores sell for reptiles and make sure your dragons can't touch them. If you have already bought a hot rock, either return it to the store for a refund or cut the cord off and use it as a paperweight.

WHAT ABOUT TURNING THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF?

Animals need a 'diurnal' system that simulates night and day, just as we require the circadian rhythm to maintain good health and sleep patterns. Disrupting the cycle of simpler life forms can do all kinds of weird things to the way they develop, so with a higher life form (and by this I include all vertebrates so therefore BD's) the effects may be more subtle and difficult to actually see. But think about the effect of a screwed up day/night on you- it's one of the methods used in brainwashing/torture! Now your BD's can't complain to a Human Right Commission, but it can mess with their minds and will affect their feeding, growth, breeding:- in fact all aspects of their normal development. So it's a good idea to have definite day and night times for light in the cage- I change mine throughout the year to reflect the changing daylight hours, usually weekly. I use a 'Noma' outdoor timer, when the lights go off, so does the heat and they get by at room temperature.

The other question of heat at night is a bit trickier. If you are feeding them (especially young ones) close to 'lights out' a warm spot for them to sleep on will keep the digestive process going. My heat lamps are directed at a large boulder and this soaks up a fair bit of heat which they lie on after a big meal. It also stores heat and radiates it off at night. Most authorities on this subject recommend feeding earlier in the day. If you put veggies in the morning and remove them by midday they'll eat what they want and have digested it by bedtime, and the same goes for any insects you're using. In the wild, P.vitticeps occurs in some areas which get downright cold at night- even frost. Now while I don't think allowing icy conditions is a good idea, if it's comfortable enough in your house for you, it's probably plenty warm enough for your dragon. I've always kept mine that way along with a lot of other 'not completely tropical' species.

By simulating as natural an environment as possible where climatic conditions are concerned and by feeding a quality diet you should have your dragon around for a long time- at least as long if not longer than in the wild. Of course if you are really efficient, you can use an almanac that tells you the hours of daylight for a particular part of Australia! But considering how large the country is I don't see the point. I use the daylight times from my local newspaper and adjust the season to make the most of the hot weather (yes, even in Canada!).This involves either adding or subtracting an hour at each end of the day depending on what I'm trying to achieve. Make the changes gradual- not down to minutes a day, but a weekly change is OK. Of course, if you're super duper efficient you'll do it ever day, but I really don't think they'll notice!

WHAT IS BRUMATION?

To quote Kathryn Tosney...

"a normal period of semi-dormancy called 'Brumation' (this name distinguishes it scientifically from hibernation, in which an animal undergoes more extreme physiological changes). Brumation always scares new BD owners...."

But you're far better off reading about it at these two locations :

• Brumating Dragons
  (and make sure to read the rest of Kathryn's excellent site while you're at it!)
• Here there be Sleeping Dragons

HOW LARGE DOES A BEARDED DRAGON GET?

Bearded dragons can grow to approximately 15 to 24 inches in length within 18 to 24 months, depending on the strain you are raising, whether you feed them adequately and if their cage is large and warm enough.

HOW FRIENDLY ARE BEARDED DRAGONS?

Bearded dragons can become extremely tame. It's important that you handle your Dragon as often as possible. How often and for how long do you handle him? Often and short is the idea- get him to enjoy it and return him before he acts up- even if it's only for 10 seconds. Are you rough, firm, scared, overcautious? - they can pick it up you know. Always support their belly from below; they hate to be grabbed from above. Some adults in the wild will even allow themselves to be picked up without a fight. Reptiles are actually quite smart and I've found BD's to be exceptionally so. Mine have learned all kinds of routines and behave differently for each situation- and they're still learning. The important thing is patience and allowing things to develop slowly. An improvement is an improvement no matter how small- you can build on it, which is more than you can say for failure!

IF I GET MORE THAN ONE, WILL THEY BREED?

If they're a pair, probably. But ask yourself what you will do with all the babies? One baby is a huge eater, think what 25 or more babies need to fill up. How will you feed them until you can find really good homes for them? There are lots of breeders out there, so you won't be able to 'go into business'. You're far better of with one male (females can sometimes become eggbound) who will become a trusted companion.

HOW CAN I TELL IF MINE IS MALE OR FEMALE?

When they're young, it can be almost impossible to tell the difference between males and females: even 'experienced' breeders have been known to make mistakes. By the time they're around 5 months old, the differences become more apparent; certainly it is easier to spot males by this time, although the ocasional ' female' may turn out to be a male later on after the hemipenes drop. The pictures you see here were provided by ReptileRooms.com. It's the method I use. On sub-adults I have had 100% success using it. You should look for two bulges that are the hemipenes in a male. If you see these you can be almost certain that yours is a boy. Although the absence of the hemipenes (and only a large bulge in the centre) usually means you have a female, some males are later to develop than others so it's not so reliable when selecting a female. Female also have small femoral pores, about the size of a pinhead that go from the vent area down the upper thighs, males have larger ones and as they mature more, they have a waxy plug that is rasied up above the surface of the skin.

Male Dragon - showing enlarged hemipenal bulges on the tailbase.

Female Dragon - Just a single bump in the center of the tailbase.

SHOULD I PROVIDE WATER?

You can provide water 3 times a week in a shallow dish, but remember that dragons rarely drink from pools of water in the wild, instead getting water from drops of dew on the leaves of plants or from moisture contained within leaves or other food sources, so provide plenty of vegetable matter and consider misting the cage lightly each morning; your dragons will either lick the water droplets off the sides of the cage, the plants or as it settles on their lips. Also, a lot of dragons like to poop in their water, so I don't bother with it- perhaps that's why mine all enjoy their veggies so much!

HOW LONG WILL MY BEARDED DRAGON LIVE?

If you decide to refrain from breeding your dragons too young and too often, their life span could be anything from 4 to 10 years, maybe even longer (I recently heard from someone in Australia who's Bearded Dragon passed away after over 20 years). The difference lies in how well you care for them. Breeding from them in the first year might sound like fun, but it WILL shorten their lifespan- especially if they are bred from repeatedly. Diet, quality of light, psychological stresses- in fact anything that might affect you or I can also effect your BD's. Also, a small dragon may not necessarily produce small offspring- it may be the result of poor husbandry by the breeder/supplier- large eggs in a small female can cause problems.

Do your homework- research the origins of your dragons and find out how long they live for at the breeders- this will give you an indication of the quality of the supplier too. Check out the breeders on the Bearded Dragon Breeders & Suppliers Network when you are ready to buy one. These are breeders that make a committment to giving babies the best possible start in life and care about the animals first/foremost, not the sell. That network is self regulated by the breeders and if someone is not living up to the standards, they are removed or not allowed to be a part of the network. They make sure they only breed from healthy stock with traits desired to reproduce in this species, that the babies are big and old enough to change homes and that the lines are genetically diverse to avoid inbreeding problems.