Bearded dragons are from Australia but are now readily available due to their willingness to breed in captivity. Bearded Dragons make a wonderful pet for both beginners and advanced reptile keepers Due to their docile nature and relative small Size, they have become quite popular in recent years.

The average Life span of a bearded dragon is approx 9 – 12 years.

Housing
Vivariums:
Ideally the rule for bearded dragons is the more space the better, although you wont need as much space for a juvenile’s than you do an adult but you will need to upgrade at some point as they grow quite quickly within the 1^st 18months or so.

Bearded Dragons like to climb so make sure there is plenty of environmental enrichment in the tank such as bark, rocks and climbing branches. Calci-sand and wood chip are both good to use as substrate and only need to be totally cleaned out once every few months. 

Temperature:
Beardys seem to like it best at 100-110f under the spotlight, with a gradient of 80-90f in the centre and 70-75f at the cool end. It is absolutely vital that you have a gradient, if you do not have somewhere for your animal to cool down it will eventually die of heat exhaustion, due to not be able to regulate their own body temperature. Night temperature can be dropped a maximum of half what it is in the day. These temperatures can be obtained by using either a ceramic bulb, (which are good as they emit no light,) or a normal heat bulb which come in many different varieties such as infa-red, clear and moon-light.  If the lizard can reach the bulb it is also best to put a guard over the light so to prevent the dragon from getting burnt. Thermometers at each end of the Vivarium can be placed to monitor the temperature range. The overall temperature can be controlled by a thermostat which will keep the tank at a constant temperature.

Lighting:
All diurnal lizards require  UV light from the sun, in order to produce vitamin d3 which they require to metabolise calcium, therefore a UVB light tube should be provided with a minimum of 5.0UVB and left on for around 12 hours a day. It should be replaced yearly even if the bulb itself still works.

Cleaning:
Remove faeces and uneaten food daily. Food and water bowls should be washed and dried each time fresh is put in. Vivariums should be totally cleaned out every couple of months or so with pet-safe disinfectant.

Feeding 
Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, which means they eat both meat and vegetables/fruit. Provide a varied diet of things such as crickets, locust mealworms and wax worms. Make sure you keep your live food in the best of condition, you can do this by feeding them fresh fruit and bug grub. It is also important to make sure the live food does not dehydrate by giving them bug gel or some damp tissue so as not to drown. At least twice a week a dish of fruit/ vegetables such as kiwi, grape, carrot and most greens should be given. A vitamin supplement  such as Nurtobal or Reptivite should be added to the food a couple of times a week. To ensure your lizard is getting the best nutrition.

Water
Drinking water Should Always be freshly available. Although some wont drink standing water they will also use it to bath in. 

Handling
It is important to handle your bearded dragon regularly to help build up a good relationship with him.

When you first get your lizard home, leave him/her to settle in for 24hours before you start trying to handle it.

As with most animals the more you handle them the friendlier they will become.

Cohabitation
Males do not tend to get on together as adults and can fight normally ending in horrible consequences. Males can be kept with one or more females, the same as females can be kept together as long as the vivarium is large enough to accommodate them.   

General Care
Signs of a healthy Bearded Dragon:
ü      The dragon should be alert, active and not looking lethargic.
ü      The lizards eyes, nose and mouth should be clean and discharge free.
ü      Check that they Have been eating and drinking normally.
ü      Another good indication of a healthy dragon is its tail,If the tail has fat stores then the lizard is probably healthy. If the lizard’s tail is bony and has no fat stores, they probably are malnourished or even dehydrated. 

Shopping List:
ü      Vivarium
ü      Heat Bulb/heat mat
ü      UVB bulb and starter unit
ü      Thermometers x2
ü      Thermostat
ü      Substrate
ü      Pet-Safe Disinfectant
ü      Vitamin supplement
ü      Environmental enrichment
ü      Food and Water Bowl

Some reptiles carry a form of salmonella, but is usually contacted by ingestion. Good hygiene and washing your hands after handling or cleaning out your lizard should be good enough to prevent any risk of infection. 

We guarantee all animals purchased are healthy and feeding unless noticed at the time of sale. As we cannot be held responsible for their husbandry requirements once they have left us, we only continue this guarantee for 24 hours after purchase. To deter impulse buying we will not give full refunds/exchanges for animals returned for non-health related problems, we reserve the right to charge up to 50% of the purchase price as a handling fee. Please note: this does not mean we will leave you high and dry! We will do our best to help whatever the circumstances.