Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps
Fast information
Longevity: 10-15 years
Temperature Gradient: 100-110f (37-43c) in basking space with temperatures of round 80f (26c) within the cool finish (100f for infants, 110f for adults)
Humidity: 20-40%
Dietary: Omnivorous
Disposition: Docile
Cleansing: Spot clear day by day, full clear at any time when vital relying in your alternative of substrate
INTRODUCTION
The Bearded Dragons pure vary extends throughout most of Australia, the place it may be discovered inhabiting not solely desert areas however savannah, subtropical woodlands and scrubland. They’re diurnal, that means that they’re most energetic through the day and are sometimes discovered basking on rocks, log piles and even fence posts. When it will get too scorching, they are going to discover someplace shaded and funky to cover away. Within the wild they’re an opportunistic feeder consuming not solely plant matter, however all kinds of bugs and infrequently even different lizards and small mammals. Their breeding season in Australia normally happens from September to March, with intervals of brumation (a hibernation like state) occurring within the winter months. Nonetheless in captivity within the UK, they decide up on our daytime and air pressures and breed and brumate accordingly with our summer season and winter intervals.
There are a couple of completely different members of the pogona genus, however the one generally discovered within the pet commerce is the Inland Bearded Dragon, Pogona vitticeps.
Wild bearded dragons are normally brown and tan with some yellow and orange markings however selective breeding in captivity has up to now seen many alternative ‘morphs’. Variations could be present in not solely bodily colouration and patterning, but additionally eye and nail color and even differing scale varieties.
Bearded Dragons are by far some of the standard pet reptiles and that is primarily as a result of they’re normally very pleasant and straightforward to deal with. They make good newbie reptiles as they’re out and about through the day and can fortunately sit out within the open basking. When combining all their attributes, the bearded dragon ticks a lot of the packing containers for anybody trying to preserve a pet reptile.
HOUSING
Bearded Dragons normally attain grownup lengths of 16-24 inches together with their tail. A vivarium of 120 x 60 x 60cm (4 x 2 x 2ft) will likely be required at the least in an effort to present them with sufficient house to show pure behaviours. Younger bearded dragons develop extraordinarily shortly and can normally attain their grownup dimension by the point they’re round 18 months previous. We don’t suggest nor promote smaller vivariums for infants or juveniles, as they’re extra energetic than adults and due to this fact even while younger, will profit from the house a 4 x 2 x 2ft vivarium presents.
Effectively ventilated, reptile particular glass or wood vivariums can each be used efficiently, offering that the right temperature gradients are maintained utilizing the suitable, guarded warmth sources, thermostats and thermometers. Basking and hiding areas will likely be required to make sure your dragon can thermoregulate and select the place it’s most comfy throughout the scorching or cool aspect of the vivarium at any given time. It additionally wants have areas the place it could actually entry the UVB mild after which be absolutely hidden away from it ought to it select to. At all times situate the vivarium away from direct daylight and draughty areas.
SUBSTRATE
Impaction is a reasonably frequent drawback seen inside captive lizards. An impaction is triggered when an animal swallows one thing which turns into caught within the intestine, inflicting an obstruction. The most typical culprits for inflicting this usually deadly drawback, are particulate substrates equivalent to sand, calci-sand and beech chips. It’s endorsed in an effort to considerably lower the danger of impaction, to keep away from particulate substrates with infants altogether and as an alternative use reptile carpet, newspaper or paper towels. Sand in a small bearded dragons intestinal tract won’t go via as simply as it will in an adults. Reptile carpet is definitely cleaned as it may be hand washed utilizing a reptile appropriate disinfectant equivalent to F10 which accommodates no dyes or perfumes. Paper towels or newspaper could be shortly and simply modified and are undoubtedly probably the most hygienic manner wherein to maintain a reptile. Newspaper and paper towel are additionally your best option of substrate must you ever have a convalescing or quarantined reptile, as the whole lot is disposed of and changed. It’s also simple when utilizing a lot of these substrates to maintain a watch out for issues equivalent to mites and to gather stool samples, that are advisable to be checked yearly for inside parasites. For a big juvenile or grownup, a extra naturalistic substrate is advisable and sand could also be used. We suggest fully avoiding beech chips fur this species.
TEMPERATURES
A scorching spot (basking space) of 100-110f (37-43c) needs to be offered on one aspect of the vivarium, with cooler temperatures on the cool finish being maintained at round 80f (26c) through the day. Infants being smaller, warmth up a lot faster than adults therfore want their basking temperature on the cooler finish of the gradient, opposite to unhealthy advise on the Web stating that infants choose it hotter. Night time-time temperatures needs to be allowed to drop to round 68f (20c). Having these cold and warm areas throughout the vivarium will permit your pet to ‘thermoregulate’, selecting to maneuver freely out and in of the warmth. Permitting the temperatures to drop at night time will present your pet with a transparent day and night time cycle, encouraging their pure behaviours. Warmth bulbs and warmth mats can be utilized to attain the mandatory temperatures, nonetheless they should be guarded and used along with an acceptable thermostat. Thermostats be sure that warmth sources attain and keep the advisable temperatures inside the cold and warm areas thus permitting your pet to metabolise appropriately. Guarding of the warmth sources is an particularly essential (and infrequently missed) side of a vivarium arrange offering security to your pet. Unguarded warmth sources which aren’t thermostatically managed, result in many vets seeing and treating pet reptiles with burns which may have simply been prevented. Younger bearded dragons being smaller warmth up far more shortly than older, bigger bearded dragons. Due to this fact, it advisable to maintain the basking space at 100f for youthful, smaller dragons after which progressively enhance the basking temperature as your dragon will increase in dimension, till it has a basking spot of 110f as an grownup.
UVB
With this species of lizard being diurnal and located actively basking within the wild, they’re naturally subjected to larger ranges of UVB. A Ferguson Zone 3 (10-12%) T8 or T5 strip bulb needs to be used with a reflector, to make sure that your pet can profit from the identical ranges of UVB they’d have within the wild. Like us, a reptiles pores and skin is chargeable for producing vitamin D. Upon offering your pet with UVB, you might be recreating its pure publicity to daylight whereby the UV penetrates the pores and skin. Below the affect of the right temperatures throughout the vivarium, it permits the professional vitamin D3 which your reptile has produced to alter to pre vitamin D3. It’s unimaginable for the physique to soak up and use calcium with out Vitamin D. It’s endorsed to supply your pet with a pure manner of making D3 alongside supplementation, to stop towards generally seen and preventable illnesses such and MBD (Metabolic Bone Illness) and calcium deficiency. On the time of writing, T5 strip tubes are by far probably the most superior manner of offering your pet with the UVB it requires.
HUMIDITY
Bearded Dragons don’t require excessive ranges of humidity and so they can fall sufferer to respiratory points if stored in humid or inadequately ventilated enclosures for lengthy intervals of time. You’ll be able to spray your bearded dragon (simply the dragon itself, not the complete enclosure) within the morning to imitate morning dew and assist in hydration, however be sure that you spray simply sufficient so that it’s going to have absolutely evaporated inside half an hour.
FEEDING
Younger bearded dragons would require day by day feeds of appropriately sized bugs, juveniles 4-6 occasions every week and adults could be fed 3-4 occasions every week. The overall rule is to supply reside meals no greater than the hole between his/her eyes. Stay meals ought to at all times be dusted with a very good high quality straight calcium complement. Extreme use of dietary supplements containing D3 has been recognized to trigger hypervitaminosis as a reptile can not do away with artificial nutritional vitamins like it could actually naturally metabolised ones. Stay meals ought to at all times be intestine loaded earlier than being fed to your reptile and a very good number of several types of livefood needs to be supplied, as sure livefood are devoid of sure nutritional vitamins. So one of the simplest ways wherein to make sure your reptile is getting as many nutritional vitamins as potential is to supply a very good number of effectively gutloaded livefood. Within the wild the bugs a lizard eats will in flip have been off consuming its personal meals, leading to each recent and partially digested meals within the insect intestine. Your reptile will profit from these further vitamins. Fish meals, crushed canine/cat biscuits and recent fruit and greens can all be supplied to your crickets, mealworms and morio worms. Locusts choose a very good number of recent leafy greens (bramble plantain and dandelions are nearly as good as any) and waxworms will solely eat a honey-based feed. Recipes for waxworm feed could be discovered on-line and this may be made in bulk, frozen and thawed. Bearded dragons needs to be supplied recent plant matter on daily basis and this could primarily encompass darkish leafy greens equivalent to spring greens (naturally excessive in calcium), kale, dandelions and mustard greens. Different issues equivalent to rose petals, hibiscus flowers, pansies, wild violets and different edible flowers and really often, treats equivalent to grated squash, peppers and fruit could be supplied.
HYDRATION
A bowl of recent, clear consuming water ought to at all times be offered and refreshed day by day. Guarantee your dish is just not too giant as with the temperatures bearded dragons require, a big water dish could create an excessive amount of humidity. Filtered water and spring water could be supplied. As beforehand talked about, you may spray your dragon within the morning to imitate morning dew and common bathing can be advisable. Younger bearded dragons profit from day by day baths, as being small they warmth up extra shortly and desiccate extra simply. Adults could be bathed twice weekly, however it’s suggested in the event you discover your pet going into shed, to wash extra repeatedly once more as they want extra moisture at the moment. Give your beardie the chance to leap out his bathtub if he does not need it. Beardies rehydrate is by consuming water orally, however they have an inclination to not discover standing water, so making the water transfer while bathing can encourage your dragon to drink.
HYGIENE
Common cleansing or your pets enclosure is in fact a vital side which is able to guarantee your pets well being. Each day ‘spot cleansing’ of the enclosure will likely be essential to take away any faeces and so on. Full cleansing of the enclosure the place the substrate is eliminated,
and the ornament is completely cleaned, also needs to occur frequently. When cleansing the décor or glass, use a reptile appropriate disinfectant equivalent to F10 which accommodates no dyes or perfumes. Guarantee recent clear water is at all times accessible to your pet. Meals bowls and water dishes needs to be disinfected and wiped day by day.
SUPPLEMENTS
As beforehand talked about, a top quality calcium complement will likely be wanted for use to coat the reside meals and greens earlier than it’s supplied to your reptile. There are a lot of several types of complement accessible in the marketplace. This may be very complicated, however so long as you might be offering the best high quality UVB and altering this in line with the producers suggestions, alongside feeding your reptile a very good various food plan together with effectively gutloaded bugs, the one complement you have to is a straight calcium carbonate powder with no further added nutritional vitamins. That is important in stopping towards metabolic bone illness (MBD). You’ll be able to feed a reptile as a lot calcium because it’ll fortunately eat, however until it has D3 both made naturally below the affect of its UVB mild, or artificially within the type of supplementation, your reptile will likely be unable to soak up its calcium. It’s a lot better to your reptile to have the ability to metabolise D3 naturally below the affect of a very good UVB mild, than to be given synthetic D3 within the type of dietary supplements. Should you really feel your beardie is fussy and will not eat as a lot of a various food plan as you appear match, it will not damage to make use of a multivitamin complement a few occasions week.
HANDLING
This species doesn’t thoughts common dealing with and they’re finest dealt with once they would naturally be awake. Take care to not decide up or squeeze your bearded dragon round its center or ribs, as an alternative gently use one hand and go below its chest and arms and the opposite to assist the again legs and tail base.
VETERINARY CARE
An annual vet verify is advisable so {that a} certified, reptile specialist vet can provide your pet a radical examination. Your reptile can decide up inside parasites from their reside meals and greens, due to this fact it’s advisable to take alongside a recent stool pattern with you to your annual vet session so this may be lab checked for inside parasites. As beforehand talked about, a daily (not less than weekly however ideally day by day) well being verify needs to be completed at residence to make sure that not one of the following are noticed:
Extended failure to feed
Unresponsiveness/lethargy
Boring, sunken eyes, or discharge of the eyes
Discharge or bubbles from the nostrils
Redness, swelling, scabs or discharge from in or across the mouth
Gasping, popping or wheezing when respiration
Redness, swelling, lumps or open wounds anyplace on the physique
Dust or discharge across the vent
If any of the above or different indicators of sickness are observed, both contact us right here at Riverview Reptiles (in the event you bought your animal from us) or contact a reptile specialist veterinarian for additional advise.
We encourage all pet keepers to practise the accountable pet possession obligations as per the Animal Welfare Act 2006
When you’ve got any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact!
