Bearded Dragon Facts

Bearded dragons are natives of Australia and throughout the vastness of this continent, many species of the bearded dragons exist. In Australia, there are 8 recorded species of the bearded dragons, out of which 6 are popular as pets. The Inland bearded dragon, the Mitchell's bearded dragon, the dwarf bearded dragon, the Lawson's bearded dragon, the Nullabor bearded dragons are few of the examples of these terrestrial lizards. The following are the bearded dragon facts, which you may find of interest.

Facts About the Bearded Dragon

The bearded dragons have a wedge-shaped head, which appears larger than the rest of their body. The pointed ridges can be seen along their flat bodies. The pet bearded dragon are mostly inland bearded dragons, which are also known as the Central bearded dragons. Following are some common bearded dragon facts:

• The bearded dragons belongs to Agamidae family and genus Pogona.
• In the wild, the bearded dragons are found in arid woodlands and deserts.
• The life expectancy of the bearded dragon is 7-10 years.
• One of the bearded dragons facts is that they are cold blooded animals, i.e. their body temperature changes with that of their surroundings.
• The bearded dragons have limited ability to change their colors. Softer colors reflect most of the sunlight, which helps them regulate their body temperature.
• Whenever, they feel threatened or want to establish their territory, the bearded dragons flex the muscles in the throat region, which results in the flaring of the beard and they appear larger.
• Bearded dragons, sometimes, run on their hind legs to get away from their predator. Although, this is slower than running on all four legs, it helps them to regulate their body temperature, by lifting their body off the hot ground and increasing the distance covered.
• In the wild, the young bearded dragons love to spend time in the trees and even adults are good tree climbers.
• Because of the international ban on animal trading, the bearded dragons that are sold in the USA and the Great Briton are captive bred locally.

Bearded Dragon Habitat
It is easy to provide a proper bearded dragon habitat. An aquarium, provided with a lid and laid with the newspaper as the substrate or any other digestible substrate will do. You can also use Astroturf, carpets as the substrate. Avoid using gravel, wood shavings, pine shavings and potting soil laced with the fertilizers or insecticides.

For an adult bearded dragon, a 60 gallon aquarium and for hatchlings, a 20 gallon aquarium will suffice. Wire cages don't work well as bearded dragon habitat, because they cannot trap the heat and at the same time, it increases the chances of injury to their foot and mouth.

The bearded dragons, being cold blooded animals, prefer steady temperature, which can be provided by installing a heat source and/or a light source. If you are going to keep the dragon's aquarium indoor, then install a ultra-violet light source, which is necessary for the health of the bearded dragon, along with the visible light source. It is necessary to maintain the temperature in the habitat, in the range of 78-88 degrees Fahrenheit, which promotes proper digestion and overall pet health. If your pet is cold and constipated, then it may become prone to illness.

The bearded dragon habitat should be easy to clean and must be high enough. The aquarium can be provided with the twigs, sticks etc., because they love to climb. Although, the bearded dragons derive water from the food they eat, provide a dish of drinking water.

Bearded Dragon Care
Care for the bearded dragon includes cleaning its cage, insect bowl, water dish with a sanitizing solution, once a week. If your pet is facing the problem of constipation, then dipping it in the water may solve the problem. Once in a week, your bearded dragon needs a bath, it will keep it hydrated and clean. If you have more than one bearded dragons in the same enclosure, then, make sure that the biggest one is not keeping the rest away from the food and the heat source. Remove your small-sized pet, to some other enclosure.

Providing a balanced bearded dragon diet, is also a way of providing bearded dragon care. The bearded dragons are omnivorous, and eat insects and vegetation. Insects like crickets and mealworms, can be included in the bearded dragon diet. Inclusion of food items, such as red leaf lettuce, carrots, collard greens, peas, squash, corn will vary in the diet of your pet. The bearded dragon may need supplementation in the form of calcium and vitamin D3. You can also exercise the option of buying reptilian pet foods, from the pet shop for your pet. You can make your pet's stay at your house pleasant, by providing the proper bearded dragon care.

Bearded Dragon Breeding
Most of the bearded dragons that are sold at the pet shops are bred in captivity. It is easy to sex this pet; males, older than 6 month, can be identified with two hemipenial bulges on the stomach near the base of the tail. In females single bulge may be apparent. During mating, there are lots of fights and biting, however, keeping one male and 2-3 females together seems to work in maintaining law and order to some extent. Female lays 15 to 50 eggs in a burrow. Collect the eggs in a plastic container and cover them with moist vermiculite. It is best to use commercial incubators to incubate the eggs. Maintaining temperature between 83 to 86 degrees for 60 to 70 days is required to hatch the eggs in container.

One of the bearded dragon facts is, that they are quite docile. Once they get used to you, they can be easily handled by the entire family and are good pets at home. Remember to wash your hands carefully, after touching your pet because bearded dragons are known carriers of the salmonella bacteria.