Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps
Bearded Dragons are found only throughout Australia. They are a large species growing to a total length of 15-24 inches when adult.
What does the Bearded Dragon look like?
Bearded Dragons obtain their name due to puffing out their throat during defence and courtship displays. Both sexes do this, but males have a darker throat that turns jet black during a display. There are more morphs becoming available now, but the general colour of the Breaded Dragon is a mixture of brown shades. They have small spikes protruding from their throat, on top of their head and around their ears and running down the side of the body.
Bearded Dragons are a large species measuring a total length of 380-610mm (15-24”). Hatchlings are very small compared to the adults measuring 75-10mm (3-4”). Bearded Dragons are long lived and can live up to 10 years in captivity.
Where are Bearded Dragons from?
Bearded Dragons are found within Australia only. They are widely distributed throughout the Eastern states to the Eastern half of South Australia and South-eastern Northern territory.
Their habitat also varies from subtropical woodlands, scrublands, savannas, shore areas and deserts.
How do you keep Bearded Dragons?
Bearded Dragons are one of the easiest and hardiest species of lizards to keep as long as their requirements are met.
Large enclosures are best for Bearded Dragons so they can maintain their body temperature. Depending on the size of the Bearded Dragon you obtain, there is a high chance you will have to purchase a larger vivarium as the Bearded Dragon grows and matures.
As a rough guideline, we recommend the following sized vivariums for housing two Bearded Dragons together:
- x2/3 Babies: 10-20mm (3-5”) Use 24x15x15”
- x2/3 Juveniles: 180-255mm (7-10”) Use 36x24x24
- x2 Sub/Adults: 330-610mm (13-24”) Use 48x24x24
You should provide a basking area with a daytime temperature between 35-43C (95-110F) the cool end of the vivarium should be in the range of 26-30C (80-85F). During the night the temperature should drop no lower than 16C (60F), most house temperatures don’t drop below this, but if yours does, use a heat mat on the warm side of the vivarium. UV light must be used to help Bearded Dragons obtain the Vitamin D-3 they require. Do not use a UV light with a percentage any lower then 5%.
While young, it is best to keep your baby Bearded Dragons on kitchen towel to prevent compaction of the substrate, this can be fatal. When older you can use a Reptile Sand, there are many different products on the market. You should also place cork bark branches and rocks for your Bearded Dragon to climb on.
Bearded Dragons are “Omnivorous” which means they feed on both plant and animal matter. When feeding live insects, ensure that the food is no larger then the width of the Bearded Dragons eyes. If too large, this could cause impaction or they could choke on the food. It is also best to feed young Bearded Dragons three times a day instead of one large meal to prevent this.
Bearded Dragons will eat a number of live insects such as crickets, locusts, mealworms, wax worms and cockroaches. When feeding plant foods, wash and finely chop and place in a dish. Your Bearded Dragon should be fed on 40-60% of plant matter when it is adult, while young offer this along side the live foods every other day.
We have listed below all the plant foods Bearded Dragons will take:
- Escarole
- Fancy dark lettuces (not iceberg)
- Bok Choy
- Endive
- Carrots
- Peas
- Yellow Squash
- Zucchini
- Green Beans
- Mustard, Collard, Kale and Beet Greens
- Nasturtium, Hibiscus and Dandelion leaves and flowers
The below foods should be fed as treats only:
- Romaine
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Apples
- Bananas
- Squash
- Melon
- Mice Pinkies
Caution: If keeping more than one Bearded Dragon, ensure you only have one male in a group. Males will fight to the death to obtain territory! If you want to keep a breeding group, keep only one male with several females. Always ensure you have enough space for breeding groups.
Do Your Research: Before you commit to buying any pet, please do your own independent research.
Customers who bought the items above also bought:
- Lizard Beginner Kit
- Aquapac Vivariums
- Exo Terra Water Dish
- Ceramic Heater and Accessories
- Exo Terra UV Lighting Strips
Link to this page:
http://www.exotic-pets.co.uk/bearded-dragon.html
