Written by: Robin Moniz 2006
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This is basic care information. I will put something more detailed in time. Any questions feel free to email us at
info@exclusivedragons.com
The Dragon Dictionary
Cage set up & size: Baby dragons will do better in a smaller enclosure. A 10-20 gallon tank is a good size for a baby dragon. This will allow them
to find their food and basking area. Babies get discouraged & intimidated if they cannot find or snag their crickets in a large cage thus not eating as
much as they could/should. Graduate your dragon to larger enclosures as they grow. It is recommended that you house a single adult Beardie in a
55 to 60 gallon aquarium.
Substrate: It is not recommended for babies under 9” to have play sand for their substrate. Paper towels, newspaper, non-adhesive shelf liner is
best. Babies can ingest the sand and it can cause serious impaction.
Good substrates include newspaper, paper towels, non-adhesive shelf liner or play sand. Newspaper and paper towels are easy to clean up but do
not look as nice as play sand. You should be able to find sterilized and screened play sand at your local hardware store. Be sure to screen the
sand to get out any pebbles that could harm your dragon. You can also use newspaper or shelf liner along with a tub of sand for digging and
playing in. Small kitty litter pans work great for this. This gives your dragon a place to dig without kicking sand into his salad. Whatever substrate you
use you should keep it clean and free of waste.
Furniture: Keep the tank very simple for the first few months. You don’t need to give your baby dragon a hiding spot, but a shady spot to get out of
the light may be a good idea. Dragons should have a rock or sturdy stick in the enclosure to bask on. Make sure they can’t get too close to the light.
Dragons are good jumpers and can get burned very easily. Decorations should be able to support the weight of the dragon and should be securely
anchored. Never use heat rocks of any type. They are dangerous and can cause bad burns. Also remember to sterilize any decorations brought in
from outside. We bake all driftwood and rocks to kill any bugs and parasites that may live in them. You can do that by putting them in the oven at
300°F for 30-45 minutes.
Lighting: It is very important to have the proper lighting for your dragon. Bearded dragons must have a source of heat and exposure to UVB.
There are a few different ways to set up the lighting for your dragon. Beardies synthesize vitamin D3 when exposed to UVB, and D3 is necessary for
calcium metabolization. In the wild, Beardies expose themselves to the natural UVB in the sun's rays, but in captivity, especially in colder climates,
they just don't get as much sunlight as they need to produce enough D3. Beardies who are deprived of UVB develop MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease)
where the Beardie uses calcium out of it's own bone sources to fuel bodily processes. If the MBD isn't treated early, skeletal deformities, broken
bones, kidney failure, seizures, and eventually death will occur.
A good source of UVB is fluorescent bulbs like the reptisun 10.0. or Repti-Glow 8.0. However these bulbs do not give off heat so you must provide a
basking light in addition. Fluorescent bulbs should be replaced every 5-6 months to be effective. Note: the light does not burn out when the UVB has
dissipated! These lights should be within 6-10 inches of the basking area so the dragon can absorb the UVB rays. Mercury Vapor Bulbs (MVB) will
provide your dragon with both the UVB and the heat source. These bulbs are more expensive but they usually last longer. If you choose to go with
the fluorescent UVB bulb and a separate basking light you can use a regular household bulb for heat. There is no reason to buy a fancy “reptile
basking bulb”. They are no different than a regular spotlight or floodlight. My suggestion is to read up more on Mercury Vapor Bulbs by Melissa
Kaplan
Heating: Bearded dragons need to be very warm to digest their food properly. The basking site needs to be between 105°F-115°F degrees for a
baby dragon and around 95°F-105°F for adult dragons. The other end of the tank should remain cooler, around 80°F-85°F degrees during the day.
Never guess the temperature in your dragon’s tank. You should always use a digital thermometer with a probe or heat gun. Put a thermometer in
both ends of the tank so you can keep an eye on the temperature gradient. Remember to keep a close eye on the temperature – especially when
the seasons change and your home temperature fluctuates. Your home temperature greatly affects your enclosure temperatures! You would be
surprised how many Dragons get seriously injured or even die in the spring when your home is hotter and you haven’t adjusted your enclosure
temps to accommodate this.
Your dragon should have between 12 and 14 hours of intense light per day (depending on the season). Timers make life easier for you and your
dragon. Nighttime temps can fall into the sixties with no problem. You can use a nighttime heat bulb or a ceramic heat emitter if your house gets to
cool at night.
Feeding: Bearded dragons eat both vegetarian matter and insects. The most important part of your dragon’s diet is variety. A good salad should be
offered every day. The more ingredients you put in the salad the better. Some good ingredients are mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion
greens, turnip tops, carrot tops and escarole. Squash and other veggies are good foods as well. Never feed your dragon lettuce of any kind. Be sure
to cut the vegetables into bite size pieces for your dragon and remove any hard veins so your dragon does not choke. Young dragons don’t eat as
much salad as adults but it should still be offered. A good way to get them to eat salad is to mix up appropriate size worms or crickets in the salad. As
they grab the worms/crickets they will get some of the salad and realize it tastes good.
Babies should be fed at least 1 hour after their lights have come on to give them a chance to warm up. And their last feeding of the day should be a
couple of hours before the lights go out to give them time to digest their food. We feed our baby dragons crickets at least 3 times per day. Give
them as many crickets as they can eat in 10 minutes. Excess crickets in the cage can stress your dragon out. Also make sure you remove any
uneaten crickets before the lights go out for the night - friends of ours told us about a bug vacuum that is a child's toy! It works wonders. It removes
the crickets without killing or injuring them then you can just put them back in your cricket bin. We leave some salad in the cage over night so any
missed crickets will have something to nibble on instead of the dragon. Make sure the prey is not too big; it should be no longer than the space
between their eyes. As your dragon grows you can give him bigger prey.
Vitamins: Crickets should be dusted one feeding a day for hatchlings with a phosphorous free calcium powder like Rep-Cal with Vitamin D3. And a
vitamin supplement such as Herptivite should be used 2 or 3 times a week.
Adults can have supplementation 3 times a week.
Calcium/D3 supplements are important especially if not using UVB lighting.
Your crickets need to be fed well so they can pass on the proper nutrients and vitamins to your dragon. This process is called gut-loading. We use
our own blend of cricket food, but there are many foods available at your local pet store or on the Internet. We also give our insects fresh veggies
and fruits for moisture (make sure to change the veggies and fruit daily or they will develop molds). It is much cheaper to buy 500 or 1000 crickets at
a time. We suggest you find a good cricket supplier and buy in bulk. Insect breeders usually have information about the care and housing of their
feeders on their web site.
Foods to Avoid
Never feed your dragon fireflies. Even one lightning bug can kill a dragon. Rhubarb and avocado are also deadly to dragons.
Water & Bathing
Some feel that putting water dishes in their Dragon cages is futile and dangerous. We do put shallow water dishes in most of our cages with river
rocks, marbles or something else for the (young) dragon to stand on to feel more secure. We’ve always offered water dishes since they were babies
and once they learn they can drink out of it (some never ‘get it’) I find they love it. Our adults will actually drink water out of a small measuring cup in
our hand! Tri, Louisiana and Tinkerbell get excited when they see the specific measuring cup we use and rush over and drink while we hold it.
Spraying, baths and fresh salads are very important as they take in water from them. Baby dragons should be sprayed at least 3 times a day, either
directly on their heads or the side of the tank. They will usually lick up the water as it runs down their noses or drink it as it runs down the walls of the
tank. Dehydration is a killer! Please pay attention to how much they are taking in. With babies especially... it doesn't take long for them to
dehydrate and by the time you notice the signs - the damage may be irreversible.
Bathing is a great way to keep your dragon well hydrated and clean. Dragons love to “go” in the water so weekly baths will also help avoid any
digestive problems. We use small Rubbermaid containers. The water level is important, the water should only come up to your dragon’s shoulders.
The water should be around 90°F for babies and around 100°F adults. You can leave them in there for about 15 minutes adding warm water as
needed. We see lots of people bathing dragons in the kitchen sink. We don’t suggest this. No matter how clean you keep your home the kitchen sink
is always filled with bacteria and germs. It is much safer for you and your dragon to use a plastic container that can be sterilized after your dragon
uses it for a toilet!
Find a good vet
We found a site called www.herpvetconnection.com and we highly recommend it. We also have a page called "Local Vets" in our Care Info Library
with some listings of local vets. It is very helpful when looking for a good reptile veterinarian. You should find a qualified vet in your area. We
recommend getting your dragon a check-up about one month after you bring him home. When dragons get stressed out some parasite levels may
rise temporarily. We usually wait 3 weeks to a month to let them get adjusted to their new home. After they calm down and settle in you should have
a check-up and a fecal test done. If your vet finds any parasites in the fecal test you will need to treat your dragon with medicine. This isn’t that
expensive and your dragon will be much happier and healthier if he gets a check-up once a year.
They key is knowing your dragon - His moods, behaviours, sleep, eating and toileting patterns. These can be excellent indicators if your dragon isn’t
well. Remember not to panic if your dragon is “off” – We all have bad days after all :) If it persists then a vet trip would be advisable.
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