Questions

[GFdragon]

Okay, so I'm pretty new here. I have a female bearded dragon. She is almost four, and kind of small about 15 - 16 inches (just measured her and she wouldn't stand still). I had plans to breed leos this summer, but those plans aren't going to work out. So, I have a bunch of questions about the breeding of beardies. First of all, I have a 40 breeder for this girl, assuming I would end up breeding beardies, what tank size (I don't want to skimp, but I'm hoping for something less then a 70) could I get away with for the mating pair? Also, from what I've read it sounded as though many people kept the male and female together all year round, except for brumation in the winter. Is this necessary? Can the female just go into the males tank to breed a few times, then done? If so, does this minimize the tank size? For the juveniles, is a couple of twenty gallons best, or is there an alternative way of housing? Plus, I go to the pet store to purchase feeders often, and I see little baby beardies who have tails, toes, even a whole foot bitten off! Is there a way to avoid this? Or, there a way to house the baby dragons individually? What age is it okay to begin selling them at? Is there a weight/size/age requirement to breed (especially for females)? All I've read is 2 years minimum, wanted more input. To my knowledge, number of eggs normally depends on the females size. As this beardie is smaller, and a first time breeder, can I expect less eggs then more? Would anyone possibly have a safe guesstimate? For the lay box, is a large storage container best? Any suggestions? Juveniles get fed a few pinheads crickets every day, dusted, starting 72 hours after their hatching, and then a salad (finely chopped) filled with the same fruits/veggies you'd feed adults, is this information correct? Does the females temperament change while she is pregnant? Does the male's change if he is breeding/getting ready to breed/watching or close to a female? Bye temperament I mean directed towards you (more aggressive especially). I know calcium for the female especially every day during the whole breeding process, but how much calcium is too much calcium, as I have heard lizards can get sick from both too much or too little. Lastly, if this is possible, what does EVERYTHING cost in the end, and lastly, how long is this process drawn out for, from mating down to selling the last baby. Thank you so much in advance. Sorry for all the questions, but I want to get the right info, and this seemed like the best place to come for that.

 

[jharris08]

hey good questions...Im glad you are trying to research before actually doing this.. 1st of all DONT keep your dragons together if you get a male and decide to breed... you will need 2 separate enclosures for them. (30 gal long or your 40 breeder is good for one dragon). you would just put them both in the 40 for 4 or 5 days and they should breed if they are ready...then separate them again ( the female can retain that sperm and lay multiple clutches from one breeding). I usually put my hatchlings in a rubbermaid containers and 10 gal tanks... it works better and there are fewer nipped toes/tails the more enclosures you can divide them into. I usually try to have no more than 7 or 8 in one tank, and separate them according to size also.
I use a container with sand for laybox ( about 12-18 inches deep)... YES calcium if very important for the female when she is gravid, and yes about 18-24 months is a good age to start breeding if the dragons are healthy.
good luck and just keep reading some good biological/herpetological websites for more info.

 

[RioReptiles]

If you are asking all those questions... please take your time and keep doing your research. Learning comes with years of experience when keeping dragons and much of the knowledge is common sense when you have a better understanding about their physiology. Breeders do what they do because they have tried many different things and have figured out what works best. If you have a small female that is four years old, she is pretty much past her prime and not really fit to reproduce. I would never breed a female I didn't raise from a baby or know the person who did. Not every female grows big and strong, so I may have to raise 3 females with hopes that one will be fit to reproduce. Dragons are just like us people, not every one is perfectly healthy from the start. Some can be born susceptible to deficiencies or end up not growing properly. Others may live short lives beause of cancer and other problems like premature organ failure. The suggestion to wait 18 months or two years before breeding is not only because of growth, development or size, there are many things that can go wrong in the first years of a dragons life and we do not want to breed these weaknesses into our offspring. Most people don't take these things into consideration and will just breed any dragon because it is a female not taking into regard that they are weakinging the gene pool and may cause heart break to someone who dearly loves that dragon as a pet. Breeding dragons is no different than breeding dogs or other animals and genetics play a very important role in their future on this planet. I'm not downing anyone, I'm just trying to make the big picture clear for those who don't see it.

Most responsible dragon owners keep their males and females seperately except only to breed. This prevents undue stress on the females and unwanted breedings. I don't believe a dragon should ever live in a tank, but thats my personal preference, many live long, healthy lives in 40 gal breeders because their owners keep them clean and handle their dragons often. Babies are fine kept in plastic bins, more can be together at first but they should be seperated by size as they begin to grow so that they all get an equal amount of food. UVB lighting is essential to their proper growth and development in the beginning and they really should have their uv lights replaced every 4 months for optimum exposure. Calcium is also very important to a growing dragons health and development, not only for bones, but for good neurological development. You can give all the calcium in the world and it will only turn to poo if the proper amount of D3 isn't present in their system. It's all about balance, all vitamins and minerals need proper balance in order to be effectively used by the body. If one vitamin or mineral is out of balance, it can cause others to become deficient and start a chain reaction that can compromise the bodies systems. Learning what all living things need and how they need it will help you understand what supplements are necessary and whether they are needed or not. The best way to nourish a dragon or any living thing is by feeding it a variety of the foods rich in the nutrients they need. It is also important to understand how these nutrients are used in body and how they react with other chemicals involved in their metabolism.

Don't take advice from people who tell you something without understanding all the reasons about what they are telling you. The more you understand about lifes basic mechanisms, the easier the answers will come to you automatically. This is for everyone who has any animal they love and cherish.

 

[GFdragon]

Hey guys, thanks for both the responses. I have decided against breeding the female I have now and will instead discuss with my family the option of buying a pair. And to RioReptiles, just so you know, I have been researching for three weeks now, will continue to, and obviously don't have the years of experience you mentioned. And I don't think that simply understanding the "mechanisms of life" that you're talking about will allow answers to come naturally. It takes time and research, which I am very willing to do, but I was unclear on some of the things I read and needed clarification. As you can see, I needed a lot, but never can you just assume something like the correct process to breed bearded dragons. I think you would agree, that that seems unsafe for both owner and dragon.

Since I am here, I did have a few more questions. What is the approximate cost of a pair of dragons from a breeder or a reptile expo? Also, how much does it bump up the cost if it is some type of morph, especially the red and orange ones like flame red and those colors. How old must the babies be to go to their new homes? Thanks again!

 

[RioReptiles]

Its not hard to find nice adult males in the $100 to $200 range with good bloodlines and a generation or two of lineage info. If you keep your eyes out on this site, fauna and kingsnake, you may be able to find a sub adult or adult female in the $200 to $400 range. Like I said before, most breeders will raise several females and then sell off the other hold backs if they don't decide to use then in their projects that year. It wouldn't be a bad idea to keep in touch with a couple of breeders for just that reason. Most of the time hold backs are sold without ever having to advertise them, as people are constantly emailing and asking if they are available. Also, be sure you are not buying a dragon a breeder wouldn't breed and make sure the female is at least 300 grams at 9 to 12 months of age. A female this size should end up around 400 to 500 grams when she is ready to breed. Time goes by faster than you think and there is lots to do in preparation for babies, so getting a younger female will just give you more time to get ready. I normally suggest that anone wanting a breeding pair should get the female first, then start looking for a male about 6 months later. Males can be ready to breed at 7 to 9 months, while females take twice as long.

When we sell babies, we try to wait until they are 6 weeks old or right before or around their second shed. This assures they are eating well and growing good, and should continue to flourish for their new owners. At this age they are not as easily dehydrated and can go longer between meals, so it's just the right age for them to be rehomed.

I did research, cared for, rescued and kept dragons for two to three years before I started breeding. I did not want to invest so much time and money into something I could not handle, and trust me, it can get overwhelming faster than you can imagine. I started off by buying wholesale lots of 5 to 10 hatchlings, then raising them, keeping what I wanted for my breeding stock and selling the others. While I did this, it gave me the time to learn what I needed to know, and build what I needed to house them comfortably. I'm glad I didn't rush into it and I did learn some things the hard way, but now have learned to keep a steady pace so that it is an enjoyable hobby. I make sure I have spare time to do other things, help people with their questions and concerns, and have half a life, there are no days off when you breed dragons.

 

[GFdragon]

Thanks RioReptiles! I will be sure to get the female before the male. I'm assuming from what you wrote breeders sell the females for more then the males. So you're looking at breeding the females around 18 months, right? Also, for the few days the dragons are kept together for mating, would you say that it's okay for them to be housed together in a 40 breeder, or do I need to purchase a larger tank? Lastly, I did not mean to say you hadn't done your share of time with learning about and caring for these dragons, I was just saying I don't think it's fair to say that answers always come naturally to you just through life. Plus, you were able to have that great experience of raising hatchlings and learning through that extensive process. For you, that was great! I am not able to go about it that way, although I would if I had the resources, but I love this species of lizard, and am extremely devoted to the one girl I have right now. I want to learn more, and will do my best to do that through reading, talking to breeders, and going to expos. I understand there can be more then a hundred eggs to a female, and the HUGE monetary investment involved, AND how much juveniles eat. But, I am extremely devoted to my animals now, and to go through with this process, I think it would be an extraordinary experience for me. I want to have to wake up in the morning and check to be sure the incubator is working. I want to have feed and clean up after hatchlings. I really love this and will do whatever kind of reading, researching, learning, whatever this takes I really, really want it. I guess I'm just saying I'm not in it for the money, or cause I think this is just some kind of easy thing that'll be over soon. I'm in it cause I love animals, and I love beardies, I guess I just really want that next step. Thanks for your responses and your time!

 

[GFdragon]

Hey, anybody not too busy to respond?