hey congrats on your beardie! i too was confused when i first got mine, she was an impulse buy as i work at a popular chain petstore, no not petco, never! the other one...and i know how people feel about those but anyways, i was willing to do the research and she's healthy as ever, so i'm glad to see people actually care and research like you!
let's start. (i'll put estimated price ranges similar to what i paid to give you an idea!)
pogona vitticeps: originate from australia and can live anywhere from 10-15 years.
cage size: depending on size/age you can start off with a 20 gallon (40-80 dollars) but it won't last you very long, i learned the hard way. if it's over 10 inches i would go straight to a 40 gallon (80-120 dollars), however, although many people say 40 gallons are ideal, they're really not, which is why i'd advise you to invest in a 50+ gallon tank (100-250 dollars) to make an optimal environment. as for me, i custom built a 60 gallon tank out of my own wood, screens for the top and glass doors from home depot. (55 dollars!) i hope you don't mind about how much space the tank would take up, you should consider that.
many people say "i'll just upgrade later!" but fail to realize how fast babies grow, keep that in mind
substrate: do not keep your beardie on sand, ever, they can become impacted if ingested. i know some people do because it's "natural" but it's not! beardie's come from australian deserts/forests and have even been found on the shores of their beaches, all of which contain hard packed dirt and stone, not flowing sand like the saharas like many people think! the best substrate is tile because it's easy to clean and is fairly cheap (5-10 bucks a piece). another good cost effective substrate is paper towels! it doesn't provide the best look, but it works, just change dirty pieces out every day. another similar option is newspaper, works the same way. a good one is also repti carpet(5-20 dollars depending on size), although not the best. their claws can catch in the tiny loops of the carpet, but it's not that big of a problem as long as you don't let the nails grow too long. personally, i use pillow cases because they have no little loops for her to get caught in, easy to wash, i have multiple cheap ones, and it provides a nice aesthetic because of all the color options! and then i keep a long piece of tile on the side where she likes to poo. :lol: SUBSTRATE TO AVOID!: sand, any loose particle substrate!
heating/lighting: if you get a big cage like 40gallon+, get a 100w+bulb(10-20 dollars) (Never go over 150). if it is a 20 gallon, try a 75 watt heat bulb (10-15 dollars). personally, I use the zoo med basking bulbs at 100watts (18 dollars) in dome lamp fixtures (12-20 dollars). make sure the basking area is anywhere from 95-110 degrees F). the cool side should be about 80 degrees. keep a digital thermometer (10-25 bucks) or a thermometer gun (25-50 bucks) for accurate readings. the cheap ones don't really work. they don't really need a night heat light unless it drops below 60 in your house. then i'd recommend a ceramic heat emitter, which only emits heat, no light, because a beardie won't sleep well if it can see light because they have a parietal eye on top of their heads (you can see it), which senses heat/shadows.
UVB LIGHT: they NEED UVB lighting! many people think it's a luxury but without uvb, they can develop MBD, a bone disease that can kill them. please use a reptisun 10.0 in the tube format! do not use coils as many people have noticed it does not emmit the right amount of UVB. they have it in 2 sizes, 18" and 24". you can buy a cheap fixture from walmart or amazon. Many people mount these inside their cages, or on top if you have a screen lid.
decorations: they don't need much, they're not snakes. they don't really need a hide but you can put one in there if you want, i do, but be careful because they might spend most of their time in there and not get any heat, so regulate that privilege. a good piece of driftwood (10-30 dollars) is always nice for looks and for them to bask. they can use a slate basking rock too. hammocks are popular because beardies love them! be careful for the one from zoo med with the holes, they can get stuck, just be careful. they have some on beardeddragon.co for like 5 bucks i think. food/water dishes are always necessary. the water dish should be big enough for your beardie to at least fit in if they ever wanna soak :wink:
feeding: i use superworms (6 bucks for 50 at petsmart) as a staple feeder and feed her crickets 10-14 cents each depending where you go) every now and then as well as hornworms once or twice a month. please stay away from mealworms! many petstores will offer these to you but say no, the shells of those worms are too hard to digest and can cause impaction (constipation) and in serious cases, they can die. do not feed butterworms or waxworms as a staple, they're too high in fat and can be used as a treat every now and then. good staples are of course, crickets that are gutloaded which you can find at petsmart :wink: , petco :evil: , and even online in bulk. dubia roaches are good staples as well as hornworms (tomato worms) (15-20 bucks for 30) but they are pretty pricey. other good staples are calciworms, phoenix worms, and repti-worms (4-8 bucks). if it is a baby, feed them bugs that are about the size of the separation of their eyes. babies eat a lot! so let them eat! do not feed superworms until your beardie is about 16 inches+ because they are fairly big and harder to digest for smaller dragons. GREENS and FRUITS! there are too many, so here is a list of things they can eat
http://pogopogona.com/feeding-bearded-dragons/what-do-bearded-dragons-eat remember to dust your crickets and superworms with calcium dust which you can find at petstores or online! i recommend the repti-cal brand, it has a purple label. DO NOT ever feed your beardie human prepared food unless it's eggs only made with water, and unseasoned chicken! also, never let them eat wild bugs, they can carry parasites or be venomous to your baby. PELLETED food: some dragons will eat pelleted food when it's not feeding time. Mine eats the rep-cal juvenile bearded dragon pellets which are colored red, green and brownish ball-like pellets, she loves them! keep in mind these are only for when your beardie is hungry when you're not home etc. just always have a bowl of that in there. petsmart sells it for about 9 bucks. remember you can get all these foods besides the fruit and veggies online for a lot cheaper! also, please feed them during the day, not at night because the heat helps them digest.
water: you may not see your beardie
drinking water from its bowl very often, that's okay, you're supposed to soak them about 3-4 times a week for 15 minutes+ in warm water to help them poop and to give good sheds. they will drink from there, you will see them put there heads under water and drink, and they get their water from their veggies and bugs. i recommend using reptisafe (10 bucks at a petstore) to make the water safe, at least i do because the water in orange county, california is pretty bad. my beardie will even drink straight from a running faucet! :lol: when you soak your beardie, make sure they can reach the ground, they should never be able to completely float the whole time. don't get spooked if your dragon closes its eyes and inflates its belly, they float sometimes and its super cute, just check on them if they do it for too long. don't leave them unsupervised in a
bath tub for too long. you can soak them in the sink or even containers big enough for them to fit in.
sexing: you can't really tell if you have a boy or girl unless it's big enough. they all look like girls in the beginning. when its big enough, about 10 inches+, lift up their tail, if you see 2 vertical, parallel bumps, it is a boy, if you see 1 horizontal bump, it's a girl. also, usually males have bigger heads/beards than females. males usually bob their heads and their beards get more black than females do. if you for sure want a male or female, order one online, petstores don't know for sure. at my store, we get whatever sex at about 4-5 months each although i wish they were a bit older.
vision: they have great vision, but bad depth perception, so be careful if you have them on tall surfaces, they may try to jump because they think it'll be safe.
hearing: they can hear, but not as well as we think. they're sensitive to vibrations though.
smell: their smell is so-so, not the best.
behavior: bobbing head- if they do this its because they feel like they need to dominate something, or they see another beardie (my beardie does this when i put her in front of a mirror :lol: )
arm waving- this is a sign of submission, it usually goes hand in hand with another beardie bobbing their head. it's their way of saying "hello i'm here and i don't wana fight! leave me alone!" but they will always be the submissive one which isn't so great. which leads me to say, do not keep beardies together! only one! because they can fight for food and basking spots, just don't, i know it's tempting but if you want another one, get another tank.
hissing- this is rare, they're probably scared or really pissed off, but they hardly hiss.
biting- they don't bite, i mean, they can but they hardly ever do and if they do, it doesn't hurt much. Nala has only bitten me twice in the year that i've had her and both times was because i scared her by accident. yours shouldn't bite
beard puffing: its stressed out or pissed off. this will often look like a gulping movement in their fatty area of their neck, which is the beard.
mouth gaping: it's their way of sweating, don't sweat it :lol: if they do this too often however, it could be a sign of respiratory infection, they need to see a vet at this point.
digging: they like to dig so you might hear this at night when they're trying to find a spot to sleep. for females, when they're older, it could mean they're gravid (has eggs inside her). this doesn't mean she's pregnant, all females will lay fertile/infertile eggs regardless of having a mate. at this point you will need to make her a lay box, which i can go over if you want me to, but it's not necessary at the moment.
glass surfing- self explanatory, it could mean they're bored, or it's way too hot or they wanna come out.
brumation: their way of hibernating. although they won't sleep the whole time, they're more timid, sensitive, and sleepy during the fall/winter season. they might lose their appetite. just make sure to keep them
hydrated with baths. don't stress out.
shedding: they're not like snakes and don't shed in one piece although it's rare they do. they'll shed in pieces and they usually turn dull during this time. baths help this process to provide a healthy shed. DO NOT take their shed off for them even if it's hanging, it can hurt them or damage the skin. just be patient
babies always seem to be shedding, they'll stop doing it so often at about 15 inches.
poop/pee: youngsters should poop every day to every 3 days depending on what they eat and how much. it should smell, but not that bad, if it smells really bad, take it to an exotic vet for a fecal sample. the white thing in their poop is the urate. older dragons might poop every 3-5 days. every now and then they might take longer, it could be cause of mild impaction, don't let that happen too often. like i said, warm baths help them poop and are good for when you don't want them to poop in their cage. runny stool/pinkish stool is a serious matter, take them to an exotic vet.
signs of sickness: sunken eyes, runny poop, super smelly poop, being able to see their bones, lethargy, refusing to eat after many weeks when it's not brumation season, inability to move hind legs. all these factors require a vet visit, please take them seriously.
affection/recognition: sadly, they do not show affection, but many beardie owners think they do anyways! which is alright
they sure do know their owners though. just think of this way, you feed them, take care of them, and don't hurt them, so they're going to associate you with safety and food, so they will be fond of you. they will recognize your voice, especially if you say its name in a high pitched tone, Nala always turns to me when i say her name. sometimes they'll come up to you.
having them out/petting them: they're not snakes so they can be out of their cage for a long time and they enjoy it. they'll remember that being out of the cage= freedom, so that's why they're always at the glass watching you because they want to come out! just remember that babies are faster than big ones so watch them. i let nala chill on my windowsill when i take naps, she naps with me on my bed sometimes, and i'll let her roam my bed when i do college work and play video games, basically she's only in her cage when i'm at work, class, or sleeping! they do like to find crevices, like your armpit or even your neck and wiggle their way in which is super cute, so they can sleep.they don't move much which is why so many people love them as pets that you can interact with. they love to watch you and observe around them, that's what they do in the wild.
i know that was long, sorry! i wish i had someone to show this to me when i got Nala, but i learned and here I am, helping someone out! Hope you take all these matters into consideration and I hope you think about the unexpected vet visits that may or may not come. beardies aren't the cheaper reptiles, but definitely the best type. hope you and your son enjoy your beardie, please update with pictures whenever you get it
