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Bearded Dragon Care Sheet Information and Guides

In this section you will find everything you need to know on how to take care of a bearded dragon. On this page is a basic caresheet for you to download and print. However, more in depth information on Bearded Dragons is available using the links provided below.

Bearded Dragon Basics | Health | Sexing Guide | Vivarium/Housing | Heating/Lighting | Vivarium Setup Examples | Feeding/Food | New starter check list & basic setup example

 

Beginners Care Sheet

Information about Bearded Dragons...

Bearded Dragons are the most common lizards from Pogona genus and hold the latin name Pogona Vitticeps. They have broad triangular heads and flattened bodies. They reach a manageable average size of about 18-22 inches (46-56 cms). The average weight is about 283-510 gm (10-18 ounces)

The species of Bearded Dragons get their name from a distinctive series of lateral spikes radiating horizontally from the head and base of the tail. As juveniles, they are semi-arboreal. As adults, they are mostly terrestrial, but climb to bask and search for prey.

The most popular among the Pogona species belongs to the species Pogona Vitticeps aka Bearded Dragon. This Bearded Dragons Caresheet will try to provide the basic guidelines on caring the Pogona Vitticeps. However, caring the other genus is very similar.

Inland bearded dragons inhabit areas from open woodlands to arid scrub and arid regions located in Australia’s interior. They spend a lot of their time perched on logs, rocks or tree trunks, constantly on the look out for food. Bearded dragons are naturally accustomed to hot, dry conditions and need to be kept in an enclosure that supports/mimics this environment.

Bearded dragons are omnivorous, and feed on a variety of insects, flowers, greenery and fruits. They are accustomed to extremely harsh environment and thus can eat almost any food that is available. Besides, they can also store nutrients in their huge abdominal fat bodies, and dig into the ground and hibernate for long periods in hostile conditions like winter, which temperatures can even get to below minus.

The other species, all from the Australian continent, are:

• Pogona brevis - Rankin's Dragons
• Pogona barbata - Eastern Bearded Dragon, Jew Lizard and Frilly Lizard
  
• Pogona henrilawsoni - Lawson's dragon
• Pogona microlepidota - The small-scaled bearded dragon
• Pogona minima - The Western Bearded Dragon
• Pogona minor - Dwarf bearded dragon
• Pogona mitchelli - Mitchell's bearded dragon
• Pogona nullarbor - Nullabor bearded dragon
• Pogona Vitticeps - Inland Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragons can puff out the spiny beards under their chin beard when they feel threatened or angry, making the dragon look more intimidating and giving them the appearance of having a humanlike beard. They may bob their heads or wave either of their forearms as communication (usually during mating).

While the species of Bearded Dragon is native from Australia, they have been exported worldwide, and due to their convenient size, hardiness, and omnivorous diet, have become very popular reptile pets. They are now one of the most popular pet lizards in the UK.

Do Bearded Dragons Make Good Pets?

Bearded Dragons generally are very tame and very friendly. They are one of the most friendly, outgoing, and docile lizards. Bearded dragons have a four chamber stomach so you can handle them even just after they have eaten, unlike other reptiles such as snakes.

Bearded dragons make some of the best reptile pets. They are naturally tame, have the friendly personality of a iguana, but are only about one third of the length. They have a wide range of interesting and entertaining behaviour. If you take the time to get to know the personality of your bearded dragon you will not regret it.

There are several reasons why you should choose a Bearded Dragon as your pet:

• They are quite easy to take care of
• Bearded Dragons reach a manageable size of about 18-22 inches
• They are very gentle and loyal
• They are docile, hardy and naturally tame. One of the few reptiles that seem to enjoy this type of attention
• Bearded Dragons are easy to handle. The more often you hold your bearded dragon, in general the more calm and friendly he/she will become. However if your dragon seems agitated, it may be a good idea to put him down
• They are manageable, due to their small size
• It’s a very suitable pet for children
• Bearded dragons are easy to keep and handle, though it is recommended that a beginner owner start with a juvenile rather than a hatchling

How to Choose a Bearded Dragon?

When you decided to buy a Bearded Dragon, whether from a breeder or pet store, you need to look it over carefully. Some things you should notice right away is how alert and active the dragon is. Do not buy a Dragon which looks to be lethargic and is unable to lift its head. The animals should watch you with interest, as you walk up to the vivarium, alert to it's surroundings and should also have bright and alert eyes.

Do your research and you can't go wrong!

Remember when choosing your beardy not to compromise the quality of a dragon over price. Saving money by buying the cheapest dragon, could end up costing you a lot of money in the long run, especially in vet bills, as well as being frustrating for you. Take your time and look around at all the options instead of deciding on price alone. The cost of a bearded dragon generally falls in the range of £25 for a standard morph to as much as £800 for the high quality newer multi morphs.

Enclosure set-up, including heating lamps, UV lights, thermostats, thermometers, ornaments and surface material can cost between £150 - £300. The type of breed or morph, as well as seller (breeder, independent or pet store) can all dictate price.

When buying a dragon, look for these Good signs:

• No missing toes or tail nip
• A tail curled up towards the head
• An active animal or basking - attentive to its environment
• The eyes are clear and open. There should be no mucus or crust
• Overall alertness. When you pick it up, it should show some movement and alertness. Especially around hip bones and spine
• Fat tail base
• Head is up and dragon is perky
• There is only one species to a terrarium
• Perched under basking light with head up and body raised with good posture
• No bones showing
• Rounded body contours
• It is a good sign if there are only a few lizards in a terrarium

If the dragon can claim some of the above signs, then you might have found your new pet.

Also, check for these bad signs Bad signs:

• Lethargy
• Any form of excretions around the eyes
• Missing toes, tail nip
• No movement
• Depressions in back of head
• Head and body not raised
• Eyes closed or half closed. Also check for dark circles under the eyes? If so, it’s possible that the dragon is becoming dehydrated
• Hip bones showing, spine prominent
• Faecal smearing around vent
• Open wounds, scabbing
• External parasites
• The conditions of the place where the dragon live: is it a dirty place, Parasites, improper lighting and/or heating, faeces left in cage, too many dragons crowded in small cage?
• Protruding bones at the base of the tail
• Make sure the Dragon is able to walk normally. If it is dragging its back legs it could be indicative of a skeletal weakness (MBD)
• Look for signs of dehydration. Just pull upwards the skin of the dragon and if it doesn't go back into place, it is dehydrated

Housing a bearded dragons

Bearded dragons can be housed in a variety of enclosures as long as their basic requirements are met. Wooden vivariums with glass fronts are commonly used and are inexpensive to obtain. Custom built enclosures are also very popular and can be sized appropriately.

The enclosure should have a basking spot with temperatures ranging from 85°F (29.5°C) at the cool end to 115°F (46°C) at the basking end. The heat can be provided by an overhead basking light. The enclosure should be large enough to allow the lizard to retreat to a cooler area (known as thermo regulation) as needed. A tree branch or log should be supplied for climbing and basking. Temperatures at night (at the basking end) shouldn't fall below 64°F (18°C). Having trouble with temperature conversions? Click here for help.

The first days in his new habitat can cause a lot of stress to the Dragon, sometimes they could refuse to eat for some days and appear dark in colour with black stripes along it's underbelly. Its usually best to leave them be during this period. To help them accommodate:

• Use the first weeks to only watch the dragon, learn the behaviours and feeding habits. Read books on Beardies! Research research research! You should really do this before buying a beardie.... you are already reading this article so doing the right thing. Your children will want to play with their new friend. Try not to allow anybody to pick up the dragon at this moment
• For a while you can cover the cage with some milky white panes which won't let the Dragon see to many things outside

Bearded Dragons Substrates

Reptile Carpeting, non-stick padded shelf liner, floor tiles, newspaper and paper towels are all good substrates to begin with.

Be careful if you use any type of loose substrate when decorating, as many dragons will try to dig under their cage furnishings and can become trapped or crushed if furnishings are not well placed. Good substrate should be clean and safe. Be careful of substrates that could cause harm to your dragon.

Materials to Avoid as Substrates:
The following are bad for one main reason - impaction. A lot of stores may try and tell you that they are suitable, they may even be using them themselves, but they are wrong and it's your own pets risk should you decide to use any of the listed substrates below.

Each of the following has been proven to cause impaction and death to Bearded Dragons (as well as other reptiles) and should be avoided:

• Wood Chips: Hard, large and indigestible for Beardies. Any of the wood shaving like cedar or pine should also be avoided - cedar had dangerous aromatic oils and pine can get impacted if ingested
• Calcisand Calci-sand: The problem with this product is twofold. First, they like the flavour of it and may eat it if they are lacking adequate calcium in their diet. Second, it can clump and form an indigestible bolus in their digestive tract
• Repti Bark: very fibrous and could easily end up causing impaction and has been known to end up lodged in the vent

You should be also be very cautious using bleach on Dragon's enclosure, the heat from their lights can cause toxic fumes from the bleach if not cleaned properly.

Substrates to use:
There are several good/acceptable substrates. The use of one or another depends of several factors - like the age of the dragon(s)

• Newspaper
• Paper towels
• ReptiCarpets - Repti Carpet
• Tiles or floor tiles
• Sand - Should be avoided for hatching and babies. Acceptable when the dragon is over 14inches.

 

Diet - Feeding a Bearded Dragon

Normally, bearded dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they eat both animal and plant matter. Any food items that your bearded dragons eat should respect clear conditions, to avoid impaction and/or leg paralysis. There are also some foods you shouldn't feed your reptile and shouldn't prey no larger than the size of the space between your bearded dragons eyes.

Live food

Insects and worms: You can use cockroaches, grasshoppers(locusts), crickets, silkworms, phoenix worms, butter worms, mealworms, wax worms and morio/superworms. Mealworms for young dragons should only be used if they are white and freshly molted because they have very thick indigestible chitin skins and could cause impaction. They are also not very nutritious. Superworms/morio are a better choice as they have a greater meat to chitin shelling ratio. Waxworms are much too rich in fat to be used for anything other than occasional treats and too many will lead to such complications as fatty liver disease or kidney failure in later years.

Salads & Greens

Recommended Salads/greens: Dandelion Greens inc flower, Bok Choy, Lambs lettuce, Roccet, Parsley, Water crest, Collard Greens, Escarole, Kale, Mustard Greens, Swiss Chard, Chicory, Clover and Turnip Greens.

Vegetables: Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Grated Carrots, Green Beans, Okra, Parsnips, Peas, Snow Peas, Sweet Potato and Zucchini

Edible fruits: Apple, Apricots, Bananas (With Skin), Dates, Figs, Grapes, Kiwi, Melon, Papaya, Peaches, Plums, Raspberry and Strawberries.

How to make a bearded dragon eat more salad and vegetables?
A common problem many bearded dragons have is when the dragon refuse to eat veggies. Here are a few tips you can try to convince the pet to eat them: 

• Put the crickets in his/her greens. I would also try some mealworms over their greens. It usually work with most dragons. You can also shred something your dragon likes and gradually mix with a lot of greens and vegetables
• Make sure the dragon sees the greens by placing them in a shallow dish-which it can easily see. Pay attention also that the greens are bite-sized
• Try to attach a big leaf, using a clip. Let the dragon have the fun of tearing it into pieces.
• Start feeding greens from the very first week. Then, it will begin to relish them
• Set your light timers to turn on the lights an hour before you get out of bed in the morning. When you get up, give your beardie salad. After having basked for an hour, the dragons will be hungry enough to eat the greens.
• I find dragons like thing in large quantities, try throwing a bunch of salad on the basking spot and see if the dragon takes the food.

What not to feed your Beardie

• Do not feed wild insects or insects found around the house to your Bearded Dragon. They may carry diseases that could be deadly to your pet
• Avoid also spinach as calcium binds to it and will not be digested by your animal
• Avoid feed citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruits)
• Do not feed dog or cat food to your Dragon
• Carrots should only be used as a treat though due to the high amounts of vitamin A. Any food with high amounts of vitamin A should be avoided, as reptiles do not absorb much of this vitamin
• Never iceberg lettuce they carry little or no nutrition

Supplementation
There are many different and often contradictory opinions/views on supplementation. Calcium, D3, and vitamin supplementation are necessary for your dragons. However, supplementation will depend on what you feed your dragons, the bulbs you use, and how much natural sun they receive. Many sources recommend supplementing small dragons daily and decreasing to once or twice per week for adult dragons. But both too little and too much supplementation can lead to problems. Therefore, we recommend going over this with your vet to find a schedule that suits the specific needs of your dragon. We suggest you supplement your young dragons daily with a ratio of calcium powder with Vitamin D3(Nutrobal) for one day and pure calcium powder for three days and so forth.

Bearded Dragon Basics