Down Under Wonders
By
Gail Elsey and Meri Martin
http:// www.scalesandtails.org

Remember those bad, “B” type monster movies that now are only seen as reruns on late, late night television? Do you remember those that featured giant lizards tearing down those building, gulping up people, or throwing cars around? Well, now you can own one!

The giant lizard that is stomping down Metropolis or kicking cars like a soccer balls is modeled after real creatures! (Heck, most of the shots were used with the real creatures, with a few glued on parts.) Oftentimes, iguanas, monitor lizards, and the dreaded bearded dragon were used to make these “realistic” films.

Although they can be large (think 6 feet!) and impressive, iguanas and monitor lizards can be difficult for the average household to care for properly. Many people, though, would like to own a real “pocket monster.” The bearded dragon is a bit easier for most people to own and care for properly. However, be forewarned, bearded dragons are addictive. If you own one, you probably own a whole herd!

Bearded dragons originate from flat pan deserts of Australia (hard packed clay desert, not sand). The bearded dragon is known as pogona vitticeps in scientific terms. Belonging to the genus pogona, there are seven subspecies within the genus, all hailing from Austrailia. In the pet trade, p. vitticeps is commonly available, while the Rankin’s dragon (p. henrylawson) and the common bearded dragon (p. barbata) are becoming available more and more. The Rankins dragon, especially, is showing up in pet stores next to the bearded dragon (p. vitticeps) here in New Jersey with common frequency

Bearded Dragons are a relatively small breed of lizard, averaging around 1.5' snout to tail length (STL), with some strains, like the German Giants, reaching around 2' STL. Bearded Dragons are named for their ability to darken their chin and neck scales to a dark black when angry or excited, creating the visual effect of a dark 'beard' on the lizard. This effect is intensified when they puff out their chins to display and appear larger. Male Beardies will display their beards to warn off other males and to impress females.

Bearded Dragons are relatively easy to care for in captivity, but as with any reptile or animal, careful attention to their needs is a must. Having originated in a desert climate, Beardies like it hot! A basking area in the 95°F range is needed for them to bask and warm enough to digest their food. However, although they like it warm, they also thermoregulate like all reptiles so a temperature gradient is needed. Make sure they have a cooler area of the cage in the low 80-mid 70°F range to cool down in. Nighttime temperatures can drop to the low 70-high 60°F range.

Bearded Dragons are diurnal creatures, and need a day-night cycle for physical and mental health. Putting your lights on timers is a great way to regulate their daylight cycle. Unless your house drops below 60°F at night, you will not need a nighttime heat source.
Along with heat, Beardies need UVB light to process the calcium in their diet. Without proper UVB they are at risk for metabolic bone disease. Make sure you have a UVB producing light along with a heat light for your Beardies, or use one of the UVB/Heat light combinations that are now available for larger enclosures. Be careful when purchasing a UVB light for your beardies. Many lights that say they produce UVB do not produce enough for bearded dragons. The two best UVB lights on the market are ZooMed’s ReptiSun 5.0 and IguanaLight 5.0. Be sure to chance your UVB light every 6 months because even though they produce visible light, their UVB output drops drastically at this point. Also be sure there is no glass or plastic between the UVB light and your dragons, since these substances block UVB rays.
Beardies do well in large terrariums. A 50 gallon breeder terrarium is usually considered the minimum size for a pair of adult Beardies, with bigger being better. While Beardies like to climb, they do not need extremely high enclosures - more floor space is a better investment than height for these guys. Provide several basking branches, and at least one hide spot for your lizard.

There are many substrate options for Beardies. Paper towels or newspaper works well for hatchlings and sub adults. Older Beardies can be kept on washed play sand, alfalfa pellets, or even Yesterdays News, a brand of cat litter made from recycled paper. Because Beardies like to taste-test their surroundings, be careful with any particulate substrate that your lizard could ingest. Avoid substrates such as calci-sand, walnut shells, and corn cob litter. All of these can be very dangerous if ingested and may cause impaction or death. Wood stove pellets are now being used by several breeders and owners with good success
Bearded Dragons are omnivores, eating both insects and vegetation. Baby Beardies should be fed small crickets, no larger than the space between their eyes. Feeding too large a prey can cause impaction. As they get older, they can eat larger insects such as superworms, silkworms, and cockroaches. Waxworms are a favorite treat, but are very high in fat and should be treated as 'lizard candy'. Insects should be dusted with a calcium supplement once a week for adults, and 2-3 times a week for babies. Also provide your Beardie with fresh greens. Collards, dandelion greens, mustard greens, grated squash and sweet potatoes, dandelion and hibiscus flowers, and many other greens and veggies can be fed. The Iguana Den Diet is used as the staple for bearded dragons in our breeding program.

The most important thing for a healthy Beardie is appropriate food. Small bearded dragons should receive small prey and finely chopped greens. Food should be no longer than the space between the eyes of your dragon. Foods should also be at least ½ as wide as it is long. Insects should come from a reputable source and gut loaded with fresh veggies before feeding them to you bearded dragon. If you receive insects that are dead or dying, do not feed them to your Beardie! Overly large prey is the biggest cause of death and neurological impairments in bearded dragons. Be careful and selective of what you feed!

If your Beardie is reluctant to eat greens, try offering them in the morning and saving the insects for later in the day to entice your lizard to eat their greens. Once they pass hatchling age, most Beardies do not require a water dish. As a desert lizard, they get most of their moisture from their food, and many will only use a water dish to defecate in. If you do keep a water bowl in your Beardie's habitat, be sure to keep a close eye on it and clean and disinfect it as soon as it becomes soiled. However, you must spritz water daily for hatchlings and young dragons, as they require a daily source of water until they are eating greens regularly.
Watching the interactions of multiple Beardies housed together can be fascinating, but don't just toss two Beardies together and expect harmony. Males can generally NOT be housed together. Two males in the same cage will often fight causing injury and/or death to one or both. Even some male/female pairings do not work out. If you choose to put more than one Beardie together, make sure you provide separate basking and hide spots for both, and monitor them closely for signs of stress. One Beardie may dominate the other to the point of keeping them from food and heat. Sometimes it helps to keep a trio - 1 male and 2 females. The males can be rather demanding, especially during breeding season, and having 2 females to spread his attention between lessens the stress on any one of the girls.

While young Beardies can be skittish at first, regular, calm handling will quickly tame them down. When picking them up, try to bring your hand in low from the side instead of reaching into the cage and grasping them from above. They instinctively fear movement from above as 'predator!' and will often panic at a hand reaching in above them. Many Beardies like to hang out on shoulders or even the top of your head. Just be aware that they can suddenly decide to leap off of you at any moment.

While pet stores carry the normal phase of bearded dragons, and may also carry a few of the more common colors, private breeders oftentimes have bright, vividly colored Beardies. Normal phase bearded dragons are tan and light brown in color. They may have a bit of yellow or orange around the eyes. However, color morphs available from private breeders can include a nearly white version (snow dragons), bright yellows, golds, oranges, reds, pinks, sunburst (yellow and orange), and many other varieties. German Giants are being bred into many lines to make the size greater, while improving the health.

To get a color morph, you should visit reptile shows, surf the internet, or get a hold of a private breeder. A reputable breeder should give you a health guarantee and have the dragon eating greens and over 4 weeks of age!

If interested in acquiring a bearded dragon, you will need the following:

Cage (50 gallon breeder minimum. Think width rather than height)
Cage top (needed if using a reptile cage rather than aquarium)
UVB light (2 foot minimum for florescent)
Heat source (not a heat rock—incandescent light in a hood and/or heat mat)
Climbing/basking rocks or limbs
Hide cave
Food dish
Mister
Bath/water dish
Calcium and vitamin supplements
Insect storing box (Rubbermaid for superworms, small aquarium/mesh cage for crickets)
Substrate (clean daily)
Thermometer to monitor cage temperatures
Reptile vet (all new reptiles should get check ups and fecal samples, then be checked yearly if healthy)
nail clippers
disinfectant (for cleaning food dishes and cage)
small scale (for weight checks)

There are many communities online who like to talk and share information about bearded dragons. Many articles and care sheets are also available.

Kathryn Tosney
http://biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BDcare.html
Bill Mears
http://www.geocities.com/borderviewdragons
Ronnie Buck
http://www.australianbeardies.com/
Melissa Kaplan
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html