Keeping a Healthy and Happy Bearded Dragon

By: DEEPAK KUMAR

Bearded dragons are becoming the most popular exotic pet to have in the 21st century! They are very interactive and love attention from humans. Bearded dragons are great pets for adults or children, and are often used in schools as class pets. A Bearded dragon takes up much less space than a dog or cat and is much less messy. I have composed a basic care sheet covering the major areas involved with keeping a happy and healthy bearded dragon.

Hatchlings can be kept in as small as a 20 gallon long aquarium. Soon they will outgrow that and move to a larger aquarium/cage. Adult bearded dragons must have a minimum of a 40 gallon cage, preferably 50 gallon or larger. You can line the cage with new paper, paper towels, or reptile carpet. However we prefer to use Wheat bran as a substrate instead. Simply put an inch of wheat bran in the bottom of the cage. The reason is that if you dragon accidentally injects some, it is easily digestible. Some people use washed play sand as a substrate, but this can cause deadly intestinal impactions. For this reason we don't suggest using play sand.

Bearded dragons need a full spectrum light as well as a basking light. You can use a Zoo Med Reprising 10.0 UVB reptile bulb, or the ego-terra Reptile 8.0 for a full spectrum light. For the basking site you need a basking amp available at pet stores. You can keep track of when you UVB bulbs need to be replace with a UVB meter. This will save you money by not replacing your bulbs early. Also this will make sure that you bulbs are still giving off enough life sustaining for your bearded dragon. Get a timer and set it for 12-14 hours of light. Both the basking light and the light need to be set to go on and off with the timer.

Remember bearded dragons must be able to thermo-regulate. That means they alter their temperature by going from the basking spot at the hot end of the cage to the cool side of the cage. This allows them to properly digest their food and also cool off when necessary. Make sure that you place the basking site at one end of the cage, not in the middle. The important thing with the basking lamp is that directly under it at the basking site the temperature reaches 100-110 F within an hour. Place a reptile thermometer directly on the rock or stick they will be perching on to bask. If the temperature is too low get a larger wattage lamp or lower the lamp an inch or two and try again. If the temperature is too high then get a lower wattage lamp or raise the light an inch or two from the basking site. Now you need to make sure that the cool side of the cage is around 80-85 Fahrenheit or less. If your bearded dragon can't cool off they can dehydrate and die. If it isn't warm enough under the basking site, your dragon can't properly digest their food. Therefore it is essential that your temperatures are set correctly.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

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