Keep in mind this is a guide for those who are beginners to reptiles. If you prefer bioactive set ups the following link will take you to a guide on how to set those up which I recommend to experienced herp owners only. If you are a beginner I recommend doing a lot more research before setting up a bioactive habitat for your beardie. My guide will give you the basics to caring for your Pagona.

Bioactive Terrarium/Vivarium Guide 

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I am making a bearded dragon guide now for all those people who own, or are planning to own a bearded dragon as a friend, and pet. These animals are very special and can be extremely friendly and loving to you, as you will see with my own bearded dragon, Oliver.

I bought my bearded dragon November 2014, after months of extensive researching, finding out that a lot of sites were misleading to the care you should provide your pagona. I wanted to make a guide from how I take care of my own bearded dragon, and what has worked for me. So lets start.

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I want a bearded dragon what should I do?

Prepare yourself! Make yourself a master of all things bearded dragon. Buy books, search the web extensively, find veterinarians around you who have experience with herps. For me this process took a good three months. I was so excited to get one, because I used to have one as a child. Don't let yourself buy one until you know almost everything about them. Do you have the money to support one? Do you have the room for a cage? People who can take care of them when you are out of town? 

I am ready, What supplies do I need?

Enclosure

You will need the enclosure of course, so lets start out with that. You will need to get all your supplies before you get your bearded dragon. Do research on the prices to help you. A lot of reptile stores have lower prices than chain stores like petco/petsmart. Look around in your area and visit stores. 

Terrarium/Vivarium 

This is the enclosure the bearded dragon will live in. They have many at petco/petsmart that are for bearded dragons, and the packaging is misleading in a few ways. The packaging that came with mine had 2 adult bearded dragons inside the cage, later on I will tell you how that is a big mistake.

Size

20 Gallon Long Minimum Size for Baby bearded dragons (3-11 inches)
40 Gallon Breeder Minimum Size for Sub adult and Adult bearded dragons (12-19 inches)
75 Gallon Minimum for Large Adults (20+ inches)

You will need a cage that is at least 36x18x18, Depending on the size your beardie gets you may need a larger one. Larger dragons over 20 inches will need a 75 gallon to feel comfy. This will support the bearded dragon it's entire life.  It should be at least 18 inches deep so your beardie can turn properly. If your beardie is very small and having a hard time reaching its basking spot a smaller terrarium may be needed before stepping up to the bigger one. 

Types
There are many different types of cages as well, like glass or acrylic, which are both good, but most come in glass. Bearded dragons are semi-arboreal, meaning they like to live on the ground but they do climb. Provide them with a longer enclosure than taller to suit their needs and make sure they have enough room to turn around. You will need an enclosure with a proper screen top so you provide ventilation. Glass enclosures hold less heat so heat is lost quickly through them, acrylic loose less heat but as long as you have the proper lighting and heat requirements this should be no issue for your beardie. 

Lights

What types
This is a very important step. Bearded dragons require UVA basking light and UVB lighting. I use a linear T5 UVB light that sits inside of a hood, instead of the small compact UVB bulb. The reason I use the long one is so that the entire cage gets the UVB light, and it is much more effective on reaching my bearded dragon. The coil uvb has a spotlight effect that is not very strong. I use a 100 watt basking bulb for my bearded dragons home. I highly recommend a setup like mine to ensure your beardie will get full spectrum lighting. You will need dome fixtures to hold your lights in as well. Your UVB light can stretch the entire enclosure. Bearded dragons need both lighting systems so that they can properly absorb vitamins and minerals, digest food, and prevent metabolic bone disease. The UVA lighting also doubles as the heat source and will need to be placed in the area where you want the basking spot to be. Both the UVA and UVB lights should be on in the day time. 

Light Timing
Your bearded dragon will need 12 hours of light, and 12 hours of dark.

Hot/Cool
 You will need to pick a warm and cool side of the cage so your bearded dragon can thermoregulate, since they are cold blooded. So one side with the UVA heat lamp, and the other no UVA heat lamp.

Day/Night
Your bearded dragon does not need a heat lamp at night, do not buy them any heat lamp that produces light, as bearded dragons sleep is disrupted by them. This includes the red, blue, and black heating bulbs. If you live in a cold place where the temperature drops below 40 degrees inside your house at night, you can buy your bearded dragon a ceramic heat emitter for night time. I have one myself. They produce no light and only heat. I have a 100watt one for my bearded dragon. The reason that these lights may effect bearded dragons, unlike other lizards, is that there is some research that bearded dragons can see in full color like humans can and so any colored night heat lamp does effect their sleep habits. A good rest means that your beardie will be healthier and their immune system is stronger.

Maintenance
You should also replace the UVB lights every 6 months, even if they are still working because the intensity of the UVB diminishes over time. Replace heat lamps as they burn out.

Products
Zoo Med t5 UVB fixture
Zoo Med t5 10.0 UVB bulb
Zoo Med 100w Basking Bulb
Zoo Med 150w Maximum Dome with ceramic base

info on products: T5 Linear UVB is very important. Compared to outdated t8 and compact coil uvb lights. T8 lights are not powerful enough and much of the UVB rays are filtered out by the screen on your bearded dragons cage. T5's are strong enough to penetrate the screen. Compact uvb bulbs do not produce strong enough wavelengths and also do not provide enough uvb exposure for the high requirements of bearded dragons. In the wild, Bearded dragons are exposed to very high levels of uvb, even in shady scrubs and bushes. 

 

Substrate

Rocky outcrop in Australia where Bearded Dragons would be found


Bearded dragons come from the central parts of Australia, well at least Pagona Vitticeps. Many may think they live in soft sand environments like dunes but actually the desert down under is hard and rocky, with hard packed sand and clay that bearded dragons can dig a stable burrow in. If you do wish to use sand try to find sand that is clay based, even still sand harbors bacteria that can be harmful to your domesticated beardie, so going bioactive can help clean up some of the nasty bacteria. (bioactive set ups for advanced hobbiests only) I will go over some of the substrates that are good and bad for your beardie.

Many of these substrates they sell in store that are harmful so try to use the least harmful substrate you can find. 

Corncob pellets (Never)
This type harbors harmful bacteria and becomes a home for it. It is also harmful if it is ingested by your bearded dragon and your bearded dragon can get constipated/impacted. Impaction can lead to death and or paralysis. Bearded dragons will eat things out of curiosity, and they explore new things with their tongues. They will lick things and bring them back to their mouths and possibly eat them. Harmful bacteria feeds on damp corncob pellets from a spilled water bowl or feces and can cause your bearded dragon to get yellow fungus, mouth rot, or severe bacterial infections.



Sand/ Calci-sand  (Never)
Sand cannot be digested by bearded dragons, period. There is no "digestible sand". Sand can be passed through the body in small increments, such as if we eat one penny and it passes through, but it cannot be digested. You might think it is a natural and beautiful way to make your bearded dragon feel right at home, but truth is, it is harmful. The sand they sell at stores is artificial, and large amounts cannot be passed through the body. Never put a baby bearded dragon on sand. If a bearded dragon ingests too much sand it will impact them. You all have felt wet sand right? it is heavy and clumpy, just imagine that backing up your bearded dragons bowels They sell sand in a wonderful array of colors at local pet stores so it is enticing for kids but don't give in. The dyes used to make the colorful sand will dye your beardies skin, which can be unhealthy. 

There are many reasons why sand is not a good choice for those who's first reptile is a bearded dragon. Even experienced owners of reptiles have suggested to use other products that are safer. Sometimes its frustrating when some hobbiests deny the facts of health issues caused by sand sold at stores, here are some witnessed by some very experienced breeders I know,

-can cause microscopic lesions inside the animal from ingesting or breathing in the sand/dust
-can irritate the eyes of the animal and scratch the cornea
-can get impacted in nasal cavities, causing intense respiratory issues and pressure (pressure has been witnessed in a few cases to have popped the eye out of the lizard)
-microscopic cuts in the mouth can leave sores that turn into mouth rot
-Impaction from sand is a common condition in reptiles with owners who are new to the hobby
-Sand is proven to impact beardies, especially with those new to the animals needs and may not be properly caring for the animal
-Impacted sand deposits cannot be broken down by the stomachs enzymes, they turn into a hardened mass within the animal that may not be able to pass if large and require surgery. Many times when the animal tries to pass the hardened mass it causes nerves to pinch, paralysis, rectums/intestines bursting or prolapsing, irritated walls of the digestive tract that can burst or be cut. This condition is heightened when the animal is dehydrated but proper hydration does not always prevent this issue.

Calcium carbonate is the chemical makeup of calci-sand and it can be very hazardous if ingested in large amounts. This compound is medically used as an antacid, but if ingested by a small lizard or animal can be fatal. Not only due to impaction risks but also large amounts of the compound can cause dehydration and reduce the acid in the stomach to the point that there are problems with constipation which in turn causes impaction. 

(If you disagree with these facts please do not debate with me on this issue, I have done my research and this is my side on this common disagreement between owners of reptiles. Please understand this is a beginners guide and it is meant for those who just picked up a bearded dragon without any prior knowledge and need the basic understanding of its care. If you are experienced and want to try to recreate an Australian landscape for your bearded dragon that includes sand and you are taking the proper preventative measures to insure the sand isn't going to cause the above issues, then go ahead, but please do not try to tell people who are new to the hobby to get sand, its just better if they start out with something that isn't so complicated and dangerous to their animal. Especially when their knowledge and care base of the animal is minimal.)




Coconut fibers  (Never)
Bearded dragons are desert dwellers and do not do well with high humidity. Coconut fibers hold in a lot of moisture and are generally for frogs and tropical lizards and turtles. Plus this one has an impaction risk as well. 

Crushed Walnut Shells (Never)
This type looks and feels like sand. But it also has an impaction risk, but even worse, the tiny pieces are sharp like glass and can cut your bearded dragons insides up. 



Wood chips/bark (Never)
This is not recommended as these also hold in moisture but they cannot be digested. Sometimes impaction with smaller substrates can be worked out of your bearded dragon, but if it ingests a wood chip or bark you will need to get them surgery. Bark chips will also hurt your bearded dragons insides and may cut and tear the intestines. 



Hamster Bedding (Never)
Hamster bedding is for hamsters and rodents. Lets leave it at that. Some fumes may turn toxic as the sap from wood based bedding reacts with poop and excretions from your beardie, as it is also true for hamsters and rodents. If you do have a hamster only use apsen bedding or undyed paper bedding. (I know this guide is about beardies but)

Gravel (Never)
Gravel for fish tanks is not recommended because it poses an impaction threat. It is meant for fishtanks. Gravel in general poses the same threat.

Paper Towels (Recommended)
This type of bedding is one of the safest. It is also easy to clean and you will just have to replace it when your bearded dragon poops, or any other ways it can get dirty. Just be careful, always make sure your beardie is properly hydrated and fed, and do not feed your bearded dragon directly on the paper towels as some have eaten them.

Reptile Carpet (Recommended)
This is a pretty safe thing as well to use, but it does come with concerns. You will have to wash it weekly and spot clean daily. The bearded dragons claws can easily get snagged in it, which can rip their claws out or break their toes. There is a desert reptile carpet that is for bearded dragons which you can use as well, but the problem again would be washing it, and to me it doesn't look comfy to lay on. These can harbor bacteria if not cleaned enough/properly so make sure to sanitize and clean it often. I recommend keeping several carpets so you can switch them out when cleaning the other, and don't forget to clean the cage under them too! The best ways to clean them is with dawn dish soap and hot water in the sink with a good scrub brush, or with unscented hypoallergenic detergent in washing machine. Then hang dry.

Ceramic Tiles (Highly Recommended)
I use ceramic tiles in my cage. You can get them in all sorts of sizes and colors. Textured ones even help file down a beardies claws. These are 100 percent safe for your beardie. I recommend not glueing them to the bottom of your cage or together so you can still get them out easily to clean and certain glues can be toxic. These are heavy though! But easy to clean. You just scrub them with a sponge in hot water and dry them off and put them back in. I have a layer of paper towels under mine to buffer the bottom. Be careful cause they could damage the glass if you bump them hard enough. If you got tiles that are really smooth and you see your bearded dragon struggling to walk on them make sure you take your bearded dragon out to exercise as it can create problems with their muscles, especially in early development. For me though I have never had an issue with my beardie crawling around on them and he has no problems with his muscle development, its just a concern I had heard from another hobbiest that I thought I would share. Although I do let my beardie out often in a safe environment to stretch and run around.

Some good articles going into detail about harmful substrates
Top 5 Worst Substrates
What Substrates Should you use for your bearded dragon?

Temperature/Humidity Gauges

What type
You will need to purchase both a temperature and humidity gauge. Dial, and sticker thermometers/hygrometers can be off by 20 degrees so I do not recommend those. Instead get a digital probe thermometer and hygrometer. This is a reliable one www.amazon.com/Zilla-11577-Dig… You may need one for both hot and cool sides of the cage. I only have one on the hot side, and it is working pretty good for me.

What Temperature and humidity
Make sure the temperature is about 75-80 degrees on the cool side, and in the basking spot 100-105 degrees. The warm side can be about 90 degrees. At night the temperature can drop to 65 degrees on both sides. For the humidity it should be around 20-40 percent, no more than that, or else it causes respiratory issues, fungal infections etc.

Decor

You do need a few more things to make your bearded dragon at home. Here is the list.

Water and feeding dish
Make sure your water dish is not too big, because it can provide too much moisture. The water in your bowl should come up to your bearded dragons elbows so they don't drown. You should dechlorinate the water before use with a dechorlinator for reptiles. Do not worry if your bearded dragon doesn't drink, they do not recognize standing water. You can try to teach your beardie to drink by spraying the water dish, though this never worked for me. To get your beardie water you can dip your finger in the water and drip it on your beardies snout, multiple times until they start licking it up. Your food dish should be large enough for a salad and for worms and should be tall enough to keep the worms from escaping. 

Rocks
You can buy your rocks at the store, or you can do what I did.

Rocks from Pet stores: Rocks from pet stores tend to be priced very high and not have a lot of options. But you certainly can find them.

Rocks from Rock/Brick Stores:
There are many stores that sell rocks, bricks, and outdoor tiles that may let you pick out some pieces for a reptile cage. Call some locations beforehand to see if they allow small purchases of hand picked rocks. Let them know it is for a reptile cage and they may be very accommodating. I have done this myself.

Natural Found Rocks:
I found all my rocks naturally, but you will need to sanitize them before you add them to the cage. They might contain parasites and bugs, plus dirt, pollutants, pesticides, and who knows what else. If you find your own rocks make sure they can handle being in water, some rocks that are clay or sand based may disintegrate in water. Once you have gathered your rocks you have the choice of doing a few things. I sanitize my rocks by filling up the bathtub with hot hot water, then pouring in a cup of distilled white vinegar. I let them soak for 2 hours, then drain the tub. Next I rinse and scrub all of the rocks, and let them dry. Once dried you can add them to the cage. Make sure all of the rocks are sturdy and will not slip, slide, or are wobbly. You can even glue them with hot glue. 



Hiding Log
Bearded dragons will need a space for alone time, or to hide. So I recommend a bark log hideout for reptiles. These are natural, sanitized, U-shaped bark logs that are perfect for hiding your beardie. Make sure you get a pretty large one because bearded dragons can get up to 24 inches long. 

Hide
There are many other types of hides you can get for your beardie as well that are also appropriate, as long as your beardie can fit through the hole comfortably and fit his body inside it will work. I just recently got a hide box that is very dark inside for my beardie like a burrow. 

Branches
You can buy branches sanitized for reptiles at your local pet store. They can get expensive though. They must be labeled for reptiles because they are specifically sanitized for them. Grapevine, cork bark, and driftwood are all good choices for desert-scapes. 

Reptile Hammock
You may want to buy a reptile hammock for your beardie. They love lounging on them and are easy to clean. You can buy them at pet stores or online. 

Backdrop
You can get a nice backdrop for your bearded dragon at stores featuring a desert landscape. Or you can go cheap like me and use construction paper. If you are artsy you can paint a backdrop. Just remember these will go outside of the cage on the back, not inside.

Plants
For bearded dragons you will not want to get any live plants. They may try to eat them because beardies love vegetation to eat. I recommend getting fake plastic plants, which you can buy at the pet store or at craft stores. They do not require this, it is just if you want a little decoration.

Light Timer
This is optional. You can get a light timer at any pet store so that you don't have to turn on/off your beardies lights by hand. This helps stick to a schedule and keep the light and dark consistent. 

Decor That is Harmful
There are some decor sold for reptiles that is actually harmful to them, such as, the heating rocks and heating pads. Heating rocks can burn your beardie, and beardies are meant to bask in the light, not sit on a hot surface. Severe burns have happened because of heating rocks, and if a cord is in the cage there is a chance it could get wet and shock your beardie. Heating pads are not meant to go in the cage, they go under the cage. If in the cage they can also burn your beardie and if the substrate is not thick enough it can burn your beardie even when put under the cage outside so make sure it is cool enough and you have a big enough buffer if you are going to use heating pads. They also have a threat to shock your beardie if water gets on it. Any decor that has loose parts, or small parts that can fall off and choke your beardie are not recommended. 

Why are heating rocks bad?
The following proves that these are not a good way to warm your beardie. Beardies, and other sun basking lizards, have a special sensor on their head that detects the sun and heat. They will sit under the sun to get warm and they are unable to detect heat coming from underneath them. So if they sit on a heat rock they do not understand the heat is coming from underneath them and it can burn them very badly. Also heat rocks have heat coils in them and they create hot spots on the rocks surface, so the heat doesn't distribute evenly throughout the device and can have areas that reach very high temperatures. 

What else do I need?

Vitamins/Calcium

Bearded dragons need both a vitamin and calcium powder supplement. You can sprinkle a little on their salad or put their live bugs in a bag with it and shake them around until they are coated in it. Do this one to 3 times a week. I recommend these supplements www.amazon.com/HERPTIVITE-Mult… and this calcium supplement www.amazon.com/Rep-Cal-SRP0022…

Food

  

Size Of Food
First off never feed a bearded dragon food that is longer than the space between your bearded dragons eyes when you are looking at the top of their head. This will prevent choking and impaction if the food is too large. 

Safety Precautions 
Second, do not leave crickets inside the enclosure with your bearded dragon if it has not eaten all of them. Crickets have been known to actually munch on your beardie while they sleep, or eat out their eyes. If you are worried about this you can feed your beardie its insects in a container or box outside of the cage. Whatever insects have not been eaten you can put back in their container without having to worry about them hurting your dragon.

Diet
Bearded dragons eat lots of different types of food. They are omnivores. Their diet consists of vegetables and bugs, and occasionally fruit. To get a list of foods they can eat go here www.thebeardeddragon.org/beard…

When To Feed and How Much?
Bearded dragons (less than 2 months) : must be fed 2-3 times a day. 90% protein (bugs) and the rest vegetables. If they are picky eaters you can mash up berries or fruit and drip the juice on their salad. Dust bugs 4 times a week with vitamins and calcium.

Bearded dragons (2-4 months) : Feed up to 2 times a day. 80% protein the rest vegetables. Broaden their diet by introducing new vegetables and fruits. Dust bugs up to 3 times a week with vitamins and calcium. See if they will eat their salad with vitamins dusted on it.

Bearded dragons (4+ months) : Feed once daily, an hour after lights come on to give them a warming up period. 70% protein the rest vegetables. Fruits as treats. Dust feeder insects 2-3 times a week.

Adult Bearded dragons (12+ months) : Feed once daily, an hour after lights come on. 30% protein. The rest vegetables. Fruits as treats. Dust feeder insects 1-3 times a week.


Good Feeder Insects 

Pheonix Worms (daily)
Solider Flies (adult form of phoenix worms)
Dubia Roaches (daily)
Meal Worms* (As a treat)
Crickets (Occasionally)
Horn Worms (adults only)
Hawk Moth (adult form of Horn worm, adults only)
Wax worms (As a treat)
Mantis* (adults only, as a treat)
Grasshoppers* (adults only)
Superworms* (adults only, as a treat)

*The hard shells of these bugs can cause impaction if fed too much. They have hard shells that can back up the bowls and be hard to digest. Be sparing with these. There is debate over if it causes impaction but it has for me, and it is better to be safe than sorry. 

My bearded dragon, Oliver, eats phoenix worms, also known as black soldier fly larvae as his stable protein. They can be expensive in stores, so I recommend finding a breeder online of these because they are usually cheaper. I get my larvae from an online store and they are only 4.99 per 100, or 500 for about 20 bucks! That lasts me 2-3 weeks usually. They will turn into adults in a few weeks, and once they turn into flies I usually feed them to my frogs, but you can feed your beardie the flies too. The reason I really like these as a staple food is that they are low in fat, high in protein, and extremely high in calcium, so high in fact you wont need to dust them with a calcium supplement. They also don't have a hard shell that can impact beardies like a lot of other insects. The shell of mealworms is not easily digested and can get stuck in your beardies bowls, plus mealworms are really fatty and should only be fed as a treat.

  

Good Feeder Vegetables and Fruits 

Mustard Greens (Daily)
Collard Greens (Daily)
Dandelion Greens (Daily)
Arugula (Occasionally)
Endive (Often)
Prickly Pear (cut off thorns if present, chop, can feed daily)
Mangos (as a treat)
Berries (as a treat)
Cherries Pitted (as a treat)

What not to feed your bearded dragon

Fruits and Vegetables : Do not feed them any lettuce as it causes diarrhea and does not have any nutritional value. Do not feed spinach as it combines with calcium and your bearded dragon can not digest it, it may also cause diarrhea. Do not feed your bearded dragon avocados they are poisonous. Do not feed your bearded dragon citrus, it is too acidic. Kale has now been found to be similar to spinach in which it binds calcium so your bearded dragon cannot absorb it. I no longer recommend kale as a good food source for bearded dragons.

Bugs/Insects :
Do not feed your bearded dragon fireflies or any bugs that have bio luminescent parts they are highly toxic. Do not feed your bearded dragon spiders, some may have toxins that do not harm humans, but may harm reptiles. Do not feed your bearded dragon ants/bees, they may have toxins and bite/sting your beardie. 

Plants :
Do not feed your bearded dragon any bugs/plants that have been treated with herbicides/pesticides they are poisonous, also do not let your beardie touch anything with this on it, including letting it walk on a yard or plants that may have it. Do not let them eat poinsettia, marijuana, tobacco, yew, poison ivy, poison oak, berries from outside plants, juniper, thistle etc. These are all harmful and or toxic. 

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A good Herp Vet

Find a vet near you that specializes in reptiles. You may have to do a little research. Take your beardie in once you get it to make sure it is healthy, also take them in once a year after that. You may also want to collect a stool sample and take it in every few months to check for parasites. 

A BabySitter

If you ever go out of town or go on vacation, you will need someone to take care of your pet. It will need daily maintenance and feeding. So make sure there is someone always there willing to watch your beardie. 

I am ready to buy my Bearded Dragon

Great! You got everything? Double check to see if you have everything. Yes? Now you can go searching for your beardie. Before you go to the store and pick one out, lets make sure you know a little more about the beardie itself, and how to pick a healthy one.

Types of Bearded Dragons

There are types? Yes there are actually a few species available as pets, the most common being pagona vitticeps, or the central bearded dragon. They are the ones you will see at petco and petsmart, as well as the most common in reptile stores. This guide is based on taking care of pagona vitticeps. 

Morphs
You may be wondering why a "fancy" bearded dragon is, they are actually not really called fancy bearded dragons, it is just a general name for any bearded dragon with a different morph (color type), then the standard brownish gray dragons. 

This site has a list of the different morphs with pictures www.thebeardeddragon.org/types…

You can get white, red, orange, and yellow morphs, and different varieties of each one. Do some research to figure out which morphs you like best and see what you would want. High color morphs cost more than standard beardies, so just be mindful of how much you have in your pocket. 

Types
There are a few types of pagona vitticeps. We have Dunners, which have scales that go different directions and the leather backs, which have smaller spikes along the body, giving them a leathery appearance, to the silkies which have no hard boney spikes or scales. Silk backs are very very delicate and require an advanced herp hobbiests care so I do not recommend this for a beginner to bearded dragons, they need special lotions and stuff so their skin doesn't dry out. We also have our original bearded dragon with its spikey appearance. Find out which type you would want, they can be pretty expensive if you are looking for anything other than an original.

What is your beardie?
My bearded dragon, Oliver, is a Hypo Citrus Tiger (with lavender bars), wow that is a mouthful? what does it mean? Well first off he is just a normal beardie, not a leatherback. He has hypomelanism traits, or hypo for short, meaning his skin is lighter and doesn't produce the darker shades like dark browns and blacks, his eyes are lighter, and all his claws are white. He is also a Citrus Tiger, meaning his Morph, and he is an orange/yellow bearded dragon. Lavender barring means that within his stripes he has a light shade of lavender. Neat huh?

How to pick a healthy Beardie

Now you know what type you want, you have been looking around stores, and you think you found the one you want. Well first off lets take a look at how the stores house there animals and what you should be looking for when you are picking out your friend.


Living Conditions
Are the bearded dragons at the store living in a small cage? or a large one? What kind of substrate do they have? You now have the knowledge and it is your choice to pick a bearded dragon that has had a healthy start in life. What are they eating? It is your job to pick out the risks within their enclosure and ask the employees how they care for their animals. If everything seems okay to you then you can try. If you are purchasing your beardie online, does the breeder have a page showing the living conditions of their animals? If so use your knowledge and see if you will have to find another place to purchase your pet.

Size


Bearded dragons of only a few inches are hatchlings. If they are only 2-4 inches I would not recommend purchasing them. They are extremely delicate at this stage, and are more susceptible to diseases. They also can get fractures easily and need to eat much more often than an adult. I recommend only experienced herp hobbiests to buy a hatchling. Try to go for a beardie that is at least 4 months old, and 6-8 inches long. 

I know at some places they discount larger bearded dragons, or even adopt them out for free. Ask the employees if they have any larger beardies in the back and if you can take a look at them. 

Healthy Versus Sick
How to tell if a bearded dragon at the store is sick? Well you want to stay away from any beardies that have dull cloudy eyes, hardly move, are not active and alert, extremely skinny, have a broken tail, are missing toes, deformed bones etc. These are all signs of an unhealthy beardie. You will want to look for an active beardie with bright clear eyes, has all its toes, tail is not broken or part of it is missing.

Temperament
If you find a beardie you like, ask if you can hold them. Do you want one that squirms or that is calm? Do you want to train one that puffs its beard at you? Does it bite? Does it jump out of your hand? Bearded dragons can be trained to be calm, and they are squirmier when they are young. The more you hold them, the more used to handling they will be. Oliver was squirmy when I got him, in fact he jumped out of my hand when I bought him, but after a lot of handling and bonding, he no longer jumps or squirms from my hand. Now he licks my hand when I put it in his cage, and scuttles up to my arm, cuddles close to my chest, plays in my hair, and explores my bedroom. 

How many Beardies can I have in one cage?

The answer? Only one. Keep in mind if you want 2 or more bearded dragons, they all need their own separate cage.

Wounds/Death
Bearded dragons are extremely territorial when they are older and will attack each other. They are solitary animals from the time they hatch, all the way until they die in the wild and it is not natural for them to be kept together in a cage. They may kill each other if given the chance. Even babies will kill each other if one is bigger than the other and many times they will bite each others toes and tails. A male and female pair is not a good idea either, as the male will be extremely dominant over the female and may kill her, eat all her food, or stress her out. If you have two or more bearded dragons in a cage and they are bobbing their heads, nipping at each other, flaring their beard, blackening their beard, lunging at each other, or biting each other, you have a serious problem and need to separate them immediately. 

Stress Factor
Even if they do not harm each other putting them together does cause stress. Stress can cause the bearded dragon to stop eating, hide all the time, not get sufficient time to bask, get dehydrated, "glass surf" (which you can read about in the behavior section), and arm wave. Dominant beardies will stress out the subordinates by laying on top of them, bobbing their heads, blackening their beard, claiming the warmest parts of the cage, secluding them into hiding, not letting them eat/eating all their food, etc. If you notice any of these behaviors it is best to separate them and gather funds for a second cage, adopt out one of your bearded dragons, or find someone to care for them. These are the warning signs before something very bad happens. If the behavior goes on for long enough your subordinate bearded dragon may die, either from the stress, starvation, lack of light, or a combination of all.

Testimonials/Experiences
If you already own a beardie, you may have two in the same cage already. Bought them both as hatchlings and raised them together. This doesn't mean they will always be nice to each other though. I have stories from friends who have had 2 beardies in one cage together, one of them involves a male and female beardie that were raised together. Eventually they reached adulthood, everything seemed fine, and then one day the male beardie attacked the female, biting deep down into her front leg all the way to the bone. The female made it out alive, but her leg healed horrifically and was permanently deformed. It was a twisted and mangled mess.

I just visited the herp store near me a few weeks ago, there they kept an enclosure full of adult females. I watched them for a while because I noticed two of the females were bobbing their heads at each other, then a few seconds later it was a full blown attack. One female nipped at the others face, their beard's were black, and then she jumped on the female and flattened herself on top, asserting herself as queen. This can get serious really fast, and the biting could of been damaging or lethal.

Oliver also has a bit of his toe missing from one of his siblings when he was young. Even though he was a baby at the time, as were his siblings, they still get into disputes and nip at each others tails or toes. 

This is why only one bearded dragon should be kept in a terrarium at a time. 

I bought my bearded dragon

    

Great! Now you have a friend that will hopefully last 10-13 years. Yes they live that long, but what else is there to know about beardies? And what should you do now?

Take your Beardie to the Herp Vet

Now that you have your beardie it is time to see if it is healthy for sure. Take a stool sample with you from your beardie and get the vet to check it for parasites or any viruses. Make sure you have your vet check your beardie all over their body for mites, fungal infections, etc. If all checks out okay you can take your beardie home knowing it is safe and sound. 

Treating and Diagnosing Impaction

You read all about the things that cause impaction but have not experienced it before on your beardie. How do you know? Well even if you took every step to prevent impaction, your beardie can still get it. How? if your beardie eats to much it may get constipated, you can tell if your beardie stops eating, hasn't pooped for a long time, is always hiding, lethargic, eyes sunken in, or sits/lays in its water bowl for long periods of time. This may be signs of impaction and you should do the following steps. 

1. Prepare a warm bath for your beardie in a bowl, sink, or container, and make sure the water is as deep as your beardies elbows. It can be warm tap water.
2. Gently put your beardie in the bath, watching it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, massaging the belly as you do it.
3. Do this 3 times a day until your bearded dragon poops and has normal behavior.
4. If none of this is working after a week take your beardie to the herp vet right away.

If impaction is not taken care of soon it can damage nerves and leave your beardie paralyzed, starving, and cause death.

What is Brumation?

Brumation is when your bearded dragon goes through a period where they are less active during the winter to conserve themselves, it is a hybernation-like state they use to get through cold temperatures in the winter. Except they are still awake, they just sleep more, are lazy and lethargic, might not eat or poop, and be a little grumpy. This happens when it is colder, and you may see them seek shelter in the dark covered areas of the cage. 

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)

This is a common disease in bearded dragons and lizards alike. It starts when your beardie is young and growing, and if it doesn't absorb enough calcium and get enough basking light. It causes deformed bone structures. It is very deadly and usually kills a bearded dragon. Signs a bearded dragon has MBD is if it breaks its bones easy, has deformities in its legs and feet, tail is kinked or corkscrewed, spine bends and is not straight and its head is misshapen. All of this can be prevented if you give your beardie proper lighting, vitamin/calcium supplements, and the correct food. 

Mites

Mites are small red orange or brown organisms that can infest your beardies skin. They are very very small and you might need to look through a magnifying glass to see. Do not do this by the heat lamp though or in the sun as it can burn your beardie. Check your beardie often for mites. If your beardie has them it is a big process to get rid of them. They suck your beardies blood and can be found normally around the eyes, creases, and legs of your beardie. You can drown them in water but your entire enclosure has them. You will have to sanitize everything in hot vinegar water. Go to your herp vet to get medicine to treat your beardie and sanitize everything else. Mites can leave open sores and wounds and infest the body of your beardie. Mites are very transferable to other reptiles and amphibians so do not put your beardie into a container you use for other animals.

Adenovirus

A common and contagious disease is adenovirus. They can get this when coming in contact with other bearded dragons feces. This is a common issue with animals in a pet store environment where multiple dragons are housed together. It can kill quickly and the symptoms can be quite severe. They will lose weight quickly, have loose runny stools, have muscular weakness, and lethargy. It is best to get a stool sample from your bearded dragon when you get it to be tested for this kind of disease as well as others.

Cryptosporidosis (Crypto/Wasting Disease)

More common in gecko species this parasite may still infect bearded dragons. This disease is also transferred through the feces of infected dragons. Again it is important to get your bearded dragons stool tested for parasites like this. This disease can kill bearded dragons very quickly and you will notice a sudden decrease in their health. They may lose weight quickly, stomach sunk in, runny stools, and severe lethargy. 

Yellow Fungus

This is an illness that cannot be overcome and bearded dragons will pass away from it. Bearded dragons infected with this vicious fungus will usually have yellow discoloration start from their vent (cloaca) at the base of their tail. It can be patches on the body. It usually gets scabby and is a golden yellow color. There are ways to treat symptoms and keep your dragon comfortable until they pass, but ultimately the fungus will eat away at their brains and this can be very painful for them. Take your bearded dragon to the vet annually to check for such diseases and make sure if they test positive to keep them away from other reptiles as it is a very contagious condition.

Tail Rot

Sometimes if your bearded dragon gets stuck shed, pinches its tail, or breaks the end of its tail it can start to rot. Necrosis will set in and the infected tail will spread upwards towards the base. This will need immediate attention to amputate the rotted part of the tail. Bearded dragons usually have darker tail tips than the rest of their body so it can be harder to tell if they have it or not. But typically it will be quite scabby and even brittle at the end. The skin will be dark brown where it is rotting.

Ruptured Egg Follicles  (Females only)

Female bearded dragons can lay infertile eggs without mating with a male. Sometimes female bearded dragons have problems when producing eggs and it is possible for their egg follicles to rupture which causes death. If you do have an egg laying female, consider getting them spayed by a professional reptile veterinarian. 

Fatty Liver Disease

A painful disease caused by feeding too many bugs to an adult bearded dragon. Sometimes we do too much of a good thing and feed our bearded dragons too many bugs versus their fresh greens and vegetables. Like previously stated, bearded dragons need 80% greens and vegetables as adults or else it can lead to serious problems like fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease is fatal and common symptoms are a loss of appetite, hiding, and lethargy. It is best to prevent this disease by making sure your bearded dragon is eating enough greens as an adult.

Gout

Similar to fatty liver disease because it is also caused by feeding too much bugs to an adult bearded dragon. Symptoms are swelling of the limbs and toes, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Take your bearded dragon to the veterinarian to be treated as it may be reversible in some cases.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)

If your humidity is too high, or if your bearded dragon aspirated water they may get a URI. Common symptoms are mucus coming from mouth or nose, crackly breathing, wheezing, or keeping mouth agape too long. They will need to get to a veterinarian for treatment as soon as you see the first symptoms as their health can degrade quickly.

Mouth Rot

Sometimes their mouths can become infected. This can happen from anything as simple as a small abrasion or from a bacteria. Once an infection sets in it can be difficult to get rid of it, and antibiotics from a veterinarian are required. If you notice crust around the mouth, discolored skin around the mouth, dark pockets on the mouth or lips, yellowed skin around the mouth, or excess drooling it may be the signs of mouth rot.

Other Diseases and Illness

A list of other diseases an illness can be found here. www.thebeardeddragon.org/beard… I only went over the most common.

Baths

Bathe your beardie if they get dirty. You can place them in a sink, tub or container. Make sure the water goes up to your beardies elbows. You can also use a soft toothbrush to brush off feces or dirt. If your bearded dragon has been sitting in its poop and is dirty you should give them a bath. If your beardie poops in the bath make sure you remove the poop and drain the bath immediately and then give your beardie another bath. Drip water over your beardies snout so that it drinks a bit. Make sure you are watching your beardie at all times when it is bathing to prevent accidents. Baths are a way to bond with your beardie. 

Shedding

Beardies shed most during their first year of life, where they may shed every few weeks. They usually shed parts of their body at different times, such as their legs one week, then back the next. The skin will look pale when your beardie is shedding. What you should know is that sometimes bearded dragons have a hard time shedding and may incompletely shed, usually on their toes or tail, which results in the loss of the toe/tail or on other parts of the body hard sheds that wont come off. This is dangerous and can lead to infections and the loss of blood circulation. To help your bearded dragon shed and prevent these problems, give them a warm bath 3 times a week when shedding. It helps get moisture under the skin and help with the shedding process. Never help peel off your beardies skin, no matter how tempted you may be, it is still alive, and will hurt your bearded dragon and damage the new scales. Your beardie may be grumpy when shedding and might not like to be handled, so just be careful and respect their space. I know Oliver gets so grumpy he poofs up and flexes his beard in and out. 

Common Behaviors

  

First Week Stress
Your beardie may be shy and secluded the first week or two. Let them be until they get used to their new home. Once they become active you can start handling and bonding with your beardie.

Arm Waving
This is a submissive behavior shown by bearded dragons. Females will wave to the males during the mating period to show they are submissive. Smaller males may do it towards larger males letting them know they are not the boss. Even younsters do it to establish a hierarchy.

Headbobbing
Headbobbing is dominant behavior any bearded dragon can do. Males will do this to establish dominance and may also lay ontop of the other beardie to show who is boss. Beardies may also do a small short headbob to greet you or another beardie.

Flattening body
Beardies flatten their bodies to bask, and it generally means they are happy. I personally call it "pancaking". They may also flatten themselves when they are flaring their beard as a dominance show.

Poofing body
They do this to make themselves look bigger. They will suck in air until their body gets fat and rounder. Oliver does it often usually after he eats, and I have yet to determine why. They will also poof their body in water as they use this to float.

Flaring beard
This is the ultimate show of dominance and aggression. Your beardie may flare it and open its mouth, or even hiss, and its beard may darken. It can also be done out of fear. I suggest you don't pick up or pet your beardie if it is doing this, it is a warning that it will bite. Both male and female beardies can flare and darken their beards. Sometimes beardies will flare their beards when they are stretching them, or when they are shedding and itchy.

Click here to see a video of Oliver flaring his beard
vid1131.photobucket.com/albums…

Mouth Gaping
This is your beardy cooling itself off as it basks. It usually happens when your beardie is feeling just right. 

Glass Surfing
This is a stress behavior, it happens when your beardie wants out, and probably wants to be held or adventure around your room. Your beardie will run along the cage scratching at the glass. If you do take your beardie out make sure it can't get under furniture or under the door. Keep all animals like dogs or cats away. Sit with your beardie and be calm. Make sure your floor is free of small objects your beardie can eat and set out a clean towel or blanket so your beardie doesn't get any floor cleaners or harmful chemicals on them, and it doesn't poop on anything.

Licking
They use their tongue to explore and gather information on objects. They will recognize you again if they lick you once. They may lick you again every time you pick them up or put your hand in front of them, as it fortifies their memory of you. They will try to lick many new objects and decor.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Daily
Pick up any poop daily, or as soon as you see it. Make sure to wash your hands and wipe the poop off with a wet towel, it may contain salmonella. If your beardie pooped in its water bowel or food dish, clean it with dish soap and warm water immediately. Rinse it well and put it back in the cage. Clean up extra food at the end of the day. Replace water daily.

Weekly
Check for poop you might of missed on decor. Wash the food and water dish. Replace substrate like paper towels if needed. Wash reptile carpet if needed.

Monthly
Remove your beardie from enclosure and keep them in a container with holes in it such as a pet carrier while cleaning. Clean entire cage with a vinegar/water solution, 1 part vinegar per 10 parts water. Soak all decor, besides wood, in the solution and scrub and rinse. Clean/replace paper towels, and reptile carpet. Clean tiles with the vinegar/water solution and rinse. Clean all sides of tank with same solution. Then wipe all sides with damp paper towels, let everything dry. Once everything is dry put it all back in the tank. Make sure all decor is sturdy and doesn't wobble. Then put your beardie back in.

Salmonella In Bearded dragons

Beardies can carry salmonella, but it is in their poop. To prevent getting sick always wash your hands after petting your beardie. Always clean poop once you see it and wash your hands. If you like to kiss your beardie like I do, on his cute little head or lips, it is highly unlikely you will get sick from it. There poop is what carries the salmonella, not their skin. You are 10 times more likely to get salmonella from a raw egg than from a bearded dragon. So it is not a big threat to us.

Activities with your Beardie

    

Walks
You can take your beardie for "walks" on a leash when they are full grown, at about 12-18 months of age. Do not use a leash before this age because they are delicate and susceptible to disease. Make sure you do not let them touch anything that may have herbicides/pesticides as these are poisonous and may kill your beardie. This includes letting them walk out on your lawn, or onto grass. Or any surface that may have it. Leashes are not meant to walk your beardie like a dog, but more to keep your beardie from running to far off. They are fast runners!

Outings
You can take your beardie with you certain places like the petstore, or to parks, etc. Beardies are not allowed in places with food such as grocery stores and restaurants. Only take your beardie out with you for an hour or two at a time so they are not away from their basking light for long. It is safe to take your beardie outside only if it is 80 degrees or more. Do not let your beardie sit in the sun for more than 30 minutes, they can overheat and get burned. I recommend having your beardie on a leash so they don't jump off of you or get too curious. Have a pet carrier with you as well if you need to put them away. Never leave your beardie in a hot car, they will die. Be wary that some people may be afraid of your beardie, and also that some people may want to pet them. If you allow for people to pet your beardie you might want to have hand sanitizer with you so that people can sanitize after petting them.

Lounging
You can lounge around the house with your beardie. They will poop on you so it may be best to take them out after they have already pooped. Only take them out for an hour or so and then return them to their cage. Make sure to stay away from all other animals like cats and dogs. You don't want to stress out your beardie or have it accidentally get squashed by paws or even snapped at.

Hand Feeding
You can hand feed your beardie. Make sure your hand is flat and your fingers are closed, put the food in your palm and offer it in front of your dragon. This is a bonding experience. Make sure you still let them forage for their own food in their cage as well so they don't depend on eating from your hand. Your beardie may mistake your finger for a worm or creepy crawly, I also noticed that bright nail polishes attract your beardie and they may to to eat your colorful nail. If they do lunge at a finger, their bites are more startling than painful, and they eat by sticking out their tongue so you will probably only feel them lick you.

Click here for a video of Oliver checking out my nailpolish
vid1131.photobucket.com/albums…

Holding
To hold your beardie you will need to slide your hand under them, not pick them up from the top as this startles them. Make sure their belly is supported and they have a place to put all their arms and grasp. Do not squeeze them hard, just put your thumb gently over their body. Then put them close to your chest or sit with them on your lap. Once you are done handling your beardie put them back in the cage. If your beardie struggles away from your hand do not let go. Instead hold them until they are calm and then let them down. This teaches them that struggle does not mean freedom. When my beardie does this I softly say "calm" and hold him in his cage until his body is unstressed and he is calm. Then I release him and let him walk off my hand.

  

What is that dot in the middle of their head?

 Is it is pimple? a growth? No that little dark spot on their head is not any of those. It is actually a light sensor or the Parietal Eye. In the wild beardies use that to sense shadows above their heads, it helps them be aware if a bird of prey is over their heads. If you put your hand over your beardie they may freak out because their instincts are triggered by their light sensor. This is why you must pick them up underneath them. This is another reason why colored lights for warmth at night disrupt their sleep. Even if their eyes are closed they can still sense the light with this "third eye".

Trimming my Beardies Nails

You can file or trim your beardies nails but you must be delicate and have great precision. You can accidentally make them bleed if you are not careful. Only clip the very tip of your beardies nails. Doing this will help you not get scratches when you handle your beardie, their nails are sharp.

Where do beardies come from?

Bearded dragons are a lizard native to Australia. They live there in the wild today, but our domesticated beardies are slightly different. Wild bearded dragons are generally gray or black, and are much spikier. Many Australians have wild beardies bask on their driveways or find them in their yards. Bearded dragons are no longer imported from Australia and all of our pet ones are bred in captivity.

Can Bearded Dragons change color?

Bearded dragons cannot fully change from one color to another, but they can brighten/dull them with mood and temperature. When beardies get cold they may darken themselves to soak in more heat, when they are warm they may lighten themselves to repel heat. When Oliver is his happiest, usually in the bath or outside in the sun, he turns to his most brilliant orange, and normally in his cage he is pretty light colored. At night he gets darker. It is really strange.

Are Bearded Dragons Poisonous?

Bearded dragons are not poisonous to humans, but they do produce a mild venom recently discovered by scientists. 

What else should I know?

You tell me, if you have any questions I might of missed ask me and I will add them to this guide.

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Updated: 1/25/19 Added new diseases, removed kale from the safe foods list, and added more information about lighting and cage size.