Thinking about a Bearded Dragon...

[ChipBarGirl]

Hello all! I am considering getting a Bearded Dragon and wanted to know all of the pros and cons to it. I have owned everything from rats and birds to dogs and cats and even horses and other farm animals. I currently own two dogs, three cats, two birds, a guinea pig, fish and a horse. I am looking to add a new edition to our small menagerie, and am considering reptiles. I do suffer from asthma, so other small animals are out of the question. I have narrowed down my search to Bearded Dragons or Russian Tortoises. I would just like some more information on Bearded Dragons, and thought this was the place to be!

I will be researching the topic thoroughly, and probably will not even get one until my birthday in late November. I want to be as prepared as possible before bringing a little one home! I did discuss everything thoroughly with an employee at Petco today, and she seemed to be very helpful. But I want to know as much as possible before making my decision! Can I please have the pros and cons of these little guys? Personal experience is always the best! Thank you so much!

 

[TheWerewolf]

If you want to get a baby beardie make sure you have a feeder roach colony or cricket colony set up before you get it. Baby beardies need a LOT of protein. And some babies eat 60 crickets the size of the space between the eyes in a 10 to 15 minute sitting. Beardies are a great cuddly reptile. Once it has bonded with you it'll snuggle on you for hours, and may even fight you when you get it off. Some bearded dragons can get as long as 24 inches in length. A healthy dragon will live up to ten years in captivity. Just do your research to make him as happy as he can be. Here are the basics.
You will need a UVB bulb. There are only two that are good enough. The Reptisun 10.0 tube and the Arcadia 12% tube. Here is a great site to get the Reptisun from for cheap. http://www.petmountain.com/
You will need a basking light. This can be a household white bulb. 75 or 100 watt is good.
Substrate can be non adhesive shelf liner, reptile carpet, slate tile and other types of things. Do not use sand. This will impact your dragon. And don't use any other loose substrates for that matter.
Beardies are partially arboreal so climbing thing would be great. But not too high just in case the dragon falls. Maybe a vine that is a few inches off the ground.
They need a basking surface. A log washed and baked is great. Make sure there is no bark that falls off and your beardie eats it. Mine got impacted from eating bark that fell off his log. We worked out though and he is fine.
Beardies need food to grow and thrive. Since they are omnivorous they need some veggies. Here is a list of what is good or bad. Green in this chart is good for any dragon of any age. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html For their protein many bugs are available these include; Crickets, dubia roaches, phoenix worms and silk worms. Pros and cons of each bug. The cricket is a good feeder. But if you are gonna have a colony those may not be the right choice. They smell, make noise, climb walls and hop. Dubia roaches are the better alternative. They can't climb, don't make noise, don't smell and don't run very fast. Phoenix worms are a great high in calcium staple feeder. A soft bodied worm so you don't have to worry much about the size of them. They do run small. Silk worms are a great healthy feeder. Not sure whether they are supposed to be staple food. Here is a quote about them from the Beautiful Dragons food chart. "Contain an enzyme called serrapeptase, this has properties that make calcium absorption more efficient, can reduce inflammation, pain and best of all it can break down arterial plaque." So a very good worm.
The BAD feeder bugs. Meal worms have shells that are very hard and can cause impaction. Stay away from those. Super worms are like meal worms but are larger and have a softer shell. But they can only be fed to a bearded dragon 16 inches and longer in length. wax worms are a very fatty worm. So they are good if your beardie has lost weight. But NOT a staple as they will cause fatty liver disease. Which will most likely cause death.
A beardie will need supplements. Calcium and multivitamins dusted on their food. Here is the feeding schedule. I believe this is for a young dragon. Calcium one feeding a day for 5 days. Multivitamin one feeding a day for 2 days. I think the best brands for both supplements are Herptivite multivitamin and Herptivite calcium with D3. I may be wrong. Hope others speak up.
I think this covers it. Read the care sheets on this site. Ask questions if you have any. And I hope this helps! And if I am wrong on things or missed something please someone else respond.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

Thank you so much!!! I will definitely keep researching...so glad I found this site! That list is just what I needed to get started, I will be comparing everything and preparing myself for weeks to come! Thank you so much for all your help!

 

[Tonja]

1st do not listen to the employees at petco..they will give you the wrong information on setups to keep your beardie healthy. It will cost you more money in the long run to listen to them. They are relativly easy to care for once you have your setup correct before buying a beardie and have your temps correct and stable. For both of mine, each have their own home, i have 40 gallon breeder tanks with tile substrate..loose substrate can and usually will cause impaction if they eat it..then i have a basking log under the basking light which is a normal bright white or crystal clear 75 watt household bulb that keeps the basking temp at a steady 105 for my 4 month old male and 110 for my baby girl. Both have uvb bulbs in their tanks fastened with velcro to the backside of the tank and those are reptisun 10.0 lights..reptiglo and compact/coil lights will cause damage to a beardies eyes along with other health problems. Each have a cool side that is 80 degrees never to fall below 75 degrees, and a warm side of between 85 and 90 degrees. Humidity is kept down by keeping water out of their tanks..humidity runs between 20 and 30%. They both eat crickets, dubia roaches <not to excede the size of the space between thier eyes> and a salad of carrot, red/yellow pepper, turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens. Both get butter worms, silk worms and hornworms as treats. i dont feed mealworms as those have hard shells and can cause impaction..and my 4 month old gets freshly shed superworms as a treat now and then. Substrate can be reptile carpet, linoleum without adhisive, tile, paper towel or newspaper, nothing loose like sand. Mine get daily bathes for 20 mins in the mornings as they prefer to defecate in the bath and not their tanks..baths last up to 20 mins in warm water..this also hydrates them thru their vents. You can give water thru a feeding syringe. Foods must be supplemented with calcium with vitamin d3 5 feedings a week and vitamins 2 times per week. Babies eat a lot..dust their food with the calcium or vitamins and let them eat as much as they can in 10 to 15 mins 2-3 times a day but only dust once a feeding per day. beardies like any animal can get parasites and will need worming for these and its relatively easy to get rid of the parasites with a good herp vet that knows the correct meds and doseages. Beardies definately have their own personalities and are cuddle bugs once they are used to you and thier tanks. they love human interaction..mine love to be held on my chest, and their throats lightly rubbed or their heads and backs. Hope this helps and answers some basic questions you may have about beardies.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

I did not completely trust the Petco employee, which is why I went researching on my own. She was very nice and seemed knowledgeable, but I have had bad experiences in the past with these people. They mean well, but the best information is found through personal experience.

I am looking to get one Bearded Dragon, male or female does not matter. I am leaning towards getting a 40 gallon tank, and slowly building up the supplies in the coming weeks. The entire enclosure would be set up by the time my little one comes home. A few questions though... Is a 40 gallon tank too big for a baby? Should he/she start out with a 10 gallon tank? And would you recommend a male or female, or it doesn't matter? How can I tell how old a baby is? Would it be okay to get one from the pet store (obviously not the ideal choice) or are breeders a must? Where is the best place to get their food - online, pet store, local, etc? How many crickets should I buy per week for one baby? Should I start out with a baby or adult, or doesn't it matter? So many questions! Just getting my thoughts together...

 

[Tonja]

Its hard to tell how old a baby is unless you have a hatch date...both of mine are from petstores, Geico from petco and Emily from pet smart, I chose the most active and alert and least stressed < dark tummy and overall color indicates stress or a black beard> both of mine were between 4 and 6 inches so estimated they were about 3=5 weeks old. Both are happy healthy beardie babies. Em went right into a 40 gallon setup and she loves her tank..explores it all the time when not basking...Geico started in a 20 gallon but very very quickly went into a 40 gallon. THey grow rapidly and in a 10 gallon I think getting the heat gradient from basking, warm to cool side would be hard to reach and maintain. Babies can eat you out of house and home quickly....they can eat up to 30 crickets easily a sitting if not more. I get my feeders online as they are generally healthy feeders. Petstore feeders are kept in nasty tanks that seem to be never cleaned and can be parasite ridden. Breeders of feeders take care of their feeders, its their buisness so they generally keep their feeder bins very clean and their feeders healthy. Mulberry farms online is a good source for feederfs and armstrong for crickets. Buying crickets in bulk seems to be the best way to go. i keep mine in a 10 gallon screened tank and feed them orange cubes, calcium rich cricket food, veggie stems and leaves, same with my dubia roaches..also have water crystals i add water to, to keep them hydrated. What your feeders eat, your dragon will also eat so its best to give the feeders a good diet that would mimic what your beardie would eat. I also feed mine phoenix worms, these are high in callcium and do not need to be dusted. Both of mine love phoenix worms but they can get a bit pricey. Again both of mine were babies when i got them, and never really had a problem with them outside of parasites which were quickly treated and eliminated. Some people prefer a juvenile or sub adult as thier first beardie, I wanted babies to watch them grow and develope so it all depends on what you want. Another thing...ratio on food for a baby should be 80% protien from live feeders to 20% veggies and it flips as they approach about a yr old to 80% vegetable matter to 20% live feeders. Babies also shed frequently as they grow quickly and as they reach adulthood shed less. With a female as she grows older you have to think about her laying eggs, unless with a male she will lay infertile eggs and will need a lay box to lay them in. Hope this helps to answer some of your questions. Oh you can choose a 40 gallon and if your baby stresses you can partition it off with a strong peice of cardboard, that way you are not investing in a tank only to have to replace it.

 

[TheWerewolf]

Let's see if I can answer these questions one by one.

Is a 40 gallon tank too big for a baby? Should he/she start out with a 10 gallon tank?

I am not sure on that. My baby is still in his 10 gallon but I am working through that right now. I did hear something about babies hating large enclosures. But forgot where.

And would you recommend a male or female, or it doesn't matter?

Females lay eggs whether or not there is a male around at a year old or older. I heard that it is stressful on the dragon and owner. Males get something called sperm plugs at a age that I do not know. Both have basically the same personality. But I have heard that males will head bob and black beard you when they are ticked off. And are very horny, LOL. I have a male that is four months old but am yet to see anything like what I just described.

How can I tell how old a baby is?

It depends on care. But when my dragon was a month old he was 6 inches long. Yet some two month old beardies may be 6 inches long. Really just depends on care.

Would it be okay to get one from the pet store (obviously not the ideal choice) or are breeders a must?

I got my baby from PetSmart and he is happy and healthy. Here are the healthy signs to look for when choosing a dragon. Perky alertness, no mucus or discharge coming from eyes and/or mouth, bright beautiful colors, bright eyes that watch you or other movement. There should be no black rotting limbs, if you are getting it from a petstore there may be missing toes and tail tips. Mine didn't have those. But if they look healed you should be fine. I have heard of Petco giving worse care to their beardies and PetSmart giving better care.

Where is the best place to get their food - online, pet store, local, etc?

Petco has dirty parasite ridden parasites. But I have got crickets from our closest PetSmart and Nim is fine. But babies eat a lot so it is best to order in bulk.

Should I start out with a baby or adult, or doesn't it matter?

Babies are fragile and adults are hardier. But babies tend to bond more than an adult would. I got mine at 6 inches and he is a healthy 13 inches now.

I know Tonja already responded but there is my info. Hope this helps.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

Thank you so much for answering my questions! I feel like I have a good base to jump off of, I will definitely be perusing these boards often to pick up as much information as I can! I am very excited and would like to do as many things right as I can. Thank you!!!

 

[patrickmb21]

I didnt notice anyone talking about the start up cost. so to let you know in advance it cost around $300 and if you are buying feeders from a pets store your looking at $25-$50 every 2 weeks. Good luck and have fun. Also i got my bearded dragon from petsmart and its a leatherback, very healthy.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

Okay awesome, I am planning on spreading out the purchases over several weeks and making sure that everything is ready to go before I get a little one. I would definitely like to get a baby, and if I go to a pet store it will be Petsmart. I am very excited! Thank you for the info!

 

[Chelsea]

Having a bearded dragon is amazing. I just got my first one in August, and I had to get another one! They are so sweet and seriously the perfect pet for me. They love attention, and one of mine loves to snuggle and sleep with me. The other one not so much yet, he's a hormonal teen right now lol.

 

[mudskipper]

Since you have asthma, you may not be able to keep or breed dubias. Some people are allergic to roaches. When your baby is young, you can buy crickets in bulk and freeze them. When he's big enough (16" long head to tail), you could switch to super worms. They are cleaner and don't smell like crickets.

For your baby, you can find a local breeder, go to a local reptile show, or search for reputable breeder online. Check out the listing here for reptile shows. http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-events/reptile-events.aspx Avoid chained pet stores because you can pay a few more $ and get much better looking and healthier dragon.

There are all sorts of breeds, too. Several colors including yellow (citrus), red, orange, white, etc. You could get a smoother one called leatherback, too. My favorite is hypo trans citrus leatherback. Google it, they are pretty amazing looking. These fancy breeds (morphs) tend to be more expensive though.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

Thank you for describing the different kinds, I was definitely wondering about that! If I do decide to go with a Bearded Dragon, I will try to purchase from a breeder. The biggest thing holding me back from a beardie is the live food. I am very worried that having live food will set off my asthma, and I cannot afford to get sick again. I will definitely be looking into various ways to maintain a healthy system for live food before I make my decision to get one or not!

 

[TheWerewolf]

I will definitely be looking into various ways to maintain a healthy system for live food before I make my decision to get one or not!

Yes, that is a good idea. LOL, sadly I didn't do that with my Nim and he has gone some days without bugs. But it didn't hurt him. I wish I did all the research you are doing before I got my Nim. I did research some, but didn't even know there was such a thing about feeder roaches. And you can get very pretty dragons from petstores. I got my beautiful Nim all healthy and happy from the petstore for 40 bucks. If you do order the same color that Nim is from a breeder it will probably be 100 bucks or so. But if I do get another dragon it IS going to be some breeder beauty. Probably a white leatherback of sorts.

 

[ChipBarGirl]

I was doing some research at a pet store the other day to compare what they say to what you guys say (obviously this forum is so much better!!!) and I held a few beardie babies. They truly were gorgeous! They had the cutest personalities already as well, I think owning one would be so much fun! Out of all of my pets, I have to say the ones with the most personalities are my kitten, my parrotlet and my horse. I would love watching something so small develop even more of a personality!