Bearded dragons are medium sized lizards (growing up to 2ft in length from nose to tail) native to Africa. They get their name from the spines that adorn their throat and their ability to change the color of their throat when threatened. They can live 7-10 years in captivity.
Bearded dragons are omnivores. Their diet should consist of mostly dark greens (romaine, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, etc), with a small amount of fruit and veggies (grapes, berries, apples, carrots, cucumber, tomato, green beans, etc), and occasional insects (wax worms, super worms, crickets, roaches, etc). As they grow larger “pinkies” (newborn mice/rats) can be given occasionally as a treat. There are also commercial pelleted foods that can be fed as part of their diet. They should be supplemented with a calcium powder on their vegetables or dusted on their insects.
Adult Bearded dragons need a 40 gallon aquarium (or larger) with a secure screen lid. Substrates can range from newspaper to reptibark and aspen pellets (NO SAND, sand can cause impactions if ingested). Cage furniture should include tree limbs and rocks for basking and assisting in the shedding process. Hide boxes should be accessible for a sense of security. They need water dishes large enough to submerge themselves in, which assists with shedding and defecation.
Lighting and Temperature:
Light from a bulb with UVB should be provided, UVB bulbs must be changed every 6 months, even if the light source is still working. Heat lamps are also necessary. Bearded dragons need a very warm environment with a daytime gradient ranging from 90-100oF at the basking end and 80-85oF at the other end. At night the temperatures can be lowered to 65-75oF.
Bearded dragons are known for having friendly personalities. They can be trained to walk on a harness and even come when they are called. When holding a beardie, it is important to support their whole body and legs so they feel secure.
While Bearded dragons are fairly healthy and low maintenance reptiles, there are some common illnesses they can suffer from: upper respiratory infections, obesity, fatty liver disease, yellow fungus, and dysecdysis are all common. We recommend yearly physical from your veterinarian to ensure the health of your beardie.