Housing

When first introducing a beardie to a different atmosphere, you will have to make it as stress free as possible. Before even bringing your beardie home, you should have the enclosure already set up and ready for them. When transferring your beardie from one place to another, try to make it a short trip to make it less stressful on them. Now when the process is over and your beardie is in their enclosure, give them time to adjust to the changes. For the first couple of days do not handle your beardie that much just let them get use to their environment. In about a week, your beardie should be use to the changes. Try to hold your beardie at least once a day in a quiet, neutral place. Be careful when handling a hatchling. They are known to back up and run off and sprint off. One sign that your beardie is stressed out is it won't eat for a few days.

Housing Hatchlings

When housing a group hatchlings together, make sure that there is plenty of space for them to move around and plenty of basking areas as well. A good substrate to use is newspaper that has not been printed on or newspaper with only black ink. Black ink is not poisonous like colored ink can be.

Housing Beardies Together

Keeping 2 or more females together in one enclosure should be ok. Just make sure that they have plenty of space so fighting won't occur. Housing 2 or more males together is going to be a disaster. Males compete with each other over: territory, food, and females. They will fight over almost anything. When housing younger beardies together make sure that one is not bigger than the other. The biggest will out compete the smaller beardie and may even but or try to kill the smaller beardie. Also make sure that they are not sexually mature yet ( sexually mature age: 5-6 months) or the male will try to mate with the female when at that age the female is too young to carry eggs. Even though a female is sexually mature, it is not save to breed her, a safe age to breed a female is 18 months

DO NOT use any Rock Heaters they can cause serious injuries to your herp or can even cause death!

             Temperature

Basking Spots:
Adults&Juveniles> 90°F(32°C)-100°F(37°C)
Hatchlings> 95°F(35°C) - 110°F(43°C)

Non-Basking Areas:
Adults&Juveniles> 80°F(26°C) - 85°F(29°C)
Hatchlings> 80°F(26°C) - 85°F(29°C)

Night Time:
Adults& Juveniles> 65°F(18°C)- 75°F(24°C)
Hatchlings> 75°F(24°C) - 80°F(26°C)

Anything below 65°F can be deadly to a Bearded Dragon

Basking Bulbs:
75 watt - 100 watt bulb depending on the type of bulb.
UVB Fluorescent Light:
The prime source to process calcium!

Plants

If you want real plants in your beardie(s) enclosure it may not be a good idea. For most potable plants are not safe for bearded dragons. Bearded Dragons will tend to try to eat the plant(s).

What looks good may not be good for your beardie:  Cactuses go good with desert scenes. Yes they may look good, but they can be dangerous. Any type of spines on a cactus is dangerous, whether they are big or very small.

Substrates

•Alfalfa substrate (the most safe substrate for bearded dragons, recommended as #1 substrate)

•Reptillite Calcium Sand
(not safe to digest can cause impaction)

•Newspaper (no ink, or only black ink, colored ink is toxic)

•Enclosure carpet (safe) - - - - >

•Play Sand (not safe to digest, it will impact in your beardie's intestinal track)

• Paper Towels (safe)

•Wheat Bran (safe)

•Indoor/Outdoor Carpet (safe)

(*make sure that you do not scoop the sand while your beardie is in there. The air becomes very cloudy*)

Enclosure SiZe

Adults> 60 gallon
2 or more Adults> 100 gallon or more
Juveniles> 40 gallon
Hatchlings> 20 gallon

Click HERE for Enclosure Pictures

Click HERE for an Enclosure Set-Up

© 2003-2005