Bearded dragons are NOT beginner reptiles!

[dociledragons]

I have had dozens of reptiles throughout my life including the last 8 years I've had five dragons that I've successfully bread. All of my dragons eat almost anything I give them. The fact that they are naturally tame as they age and grow to less then two feet make them an excellent candidate for A first time reptile owner. As for the water I've always left a large water dish where I stick them in it a couple time a week. All my dragons have simply stayed in the dish until they climb out absorbing the water through there skin while some will drink. Although, some will disagree, lately I been drenching the Fruits and veggies with water before giving them to my dragons while in-turn not leaving a water dish in there cage. There excrement has visible fluid in it indicating they are hydrated. In my experiense I've always stuck to what work when it comes to UVB lighting. I have always used ReptiSun 10.0 Linear Fluoresent Tube. I chose not to use these new technology bulbs until there has been extensive testing. Anyway, just my thoughts

 

[ajkry2]

true! the climate/environment is easy to achieve. although they eat alot and the lighting info can be confusing at times -- once you're in the "groove of it" theres usually not big problems

 

[SuperNinjaMonkey]

I just mean, some info can be a little deceiving...i was doing research on a good beginners reptile i choose bearded dragon because they seem to be the coolest out of the beginner reptiles. I of course went with a little tike...who i love but, he has consumed my life. First he wouldn't eat....finally got him to eat. I went through 4 uvb bulbs and the one that has been working has been look down upon in these forums *solar glo ... after i got him to eat crickets i accidentally gave him some meal worms, now he will not eat anything but meal worms. You suppose to feed these guys 3x a day so if you work a full time job this might be tough on your schedule. I would call these herpes intermediate...or like one post said an introduction to the harder reptiles , a gateway of some sort. lets leave the beginner cat to reptiles like cresties, corn snakes, king snake, milk snakes, ball pythons, leopard geckos, and some other nocturnal lizard who don't eat as much, don't require as much attention, don't need special lighting.

This post might seem like i hating bearded dragons ahhah iam not! i love my little guy, he sleeps with me every night! But i would not recommended this reptile to someone with a full time job or who is just starting to get into reps, for the safety of the animal and the sanity of the human.

 

[ajkry2]

well said ninja monkey

nice name

 

[PaganDragons]

I have had to study hard to learn how to be a good slave to our bearded dragons. I have also spent a lot of money. since this is my first real foray into reptiles I can not give a real good opinion. If I this was my post I would title it "bearded dragons are not a CHILDES reptile".

 

[beardyjones37]

I can't say for sure how My initial experience would be when caring for a bearded dragon. I have previously owned 6 rats before and 8 Hedgeghogs. I have experience with giving live feeders (mealworms) so I can't forsee any problems feeding a bearded dragon crickets or perhaps any other type or live food. I did see a beardie consume a pinky mouse and it was a little bizarre and a tad bit disturbing perhaps because I owned 6 rats and have seen them born before so it may have been upsetting a little bit. Not to say I would have to feed them pinky mice but nonetheless it upset My Wife more than I.

Whether the beardie is suitable as a beginner pet...well I think that depends on the person who decides that one is good for them. If you have had experience in owning an exotic pet before then I can see them being relatively easy. If you are the type of person who is of the responsible type who gets into responsible pet ownership and takes it seiously then go for it. If you are the impulse pet purchaser then I see a short lived parentage.

Jones

 

[Valex]

I think it all just depends on what you have cared for in the past, etc. If you notice, almost everyone who says they're not for beginners say it is/was their first reptile, wheras almost everyone who said they were easy said they had raised other exotics, or inferred that they had.

In my opinion, yes, they have complex care(in a sense) but once it gets down to a schedule, I don't even notice it. It just like, wake up, turn on lights, brush teeth, make salad, ride my horse, feed crix, replenish salad, then give baths while I clean their vivs. There's a lot to do, bbut its easy things. I believe they are fairly simple to care for as long as you have good information. I for one think they are more componets to BD care than the ball python I had, the columbian red tail, lepeord gecko, and my crested gecko. But compared to some animals my friends have had my dragons seem like goldfish.

Its all just a matter of perception.

 

[beardyjones37]

I find the latest post to be very accurate. Sometimes it also depends on the relationship between beardy and human. There are some people out there that animals just don't gravitate towards and when that happens there is fear and tension and that can create a very powerful sense of anxiety. This combined with inexperience can really create an unstable environment and can lead to devastating results. Not eating, reduce activity levels, lethargic responses and so on. It sometimes can depend on the person caring for the animal but it can also be a two way street.

Jones

 

[Irenedsc]

I'm curious - I found this site, since my son has been hoping for a pet, and our most recent idea is a bearded dragon. However, I am not always home during the day (I work part to full-time, depending). I had been hoping to find an adult or sub-adult, since it sounds like they only need to be fed once a day. I'm not a very experienced pet owner - we had fish when I was growing up, but my parents did a lot of the work (my sister and I helped clean the tank and feed, however). I have at least found that there is a local vet who knows how to take care of bd's.

Anyhow, do you think an adult bd is a viable pet for someone with a full-time job???

 

[ajkry2]

i work 8-5 mon-fri and my lizard has come out fine. as long as you're willing to put up the extra cash (if necessary) and extra time and effort, a full-timer like us can end up with a healthy, happy beardie. i'll pm you with some general info

 

[Omnomnami]

My first reptile was a savannah monitor so beardies are like a breath of fresh air haha! This is the right place to get all of your info in line and to ask as many questions as you'd like!