Caresheet!

Bearded Dragon's Caresheet!

Housing: A 20 gallon long tank is the minimum size for a juvenile dragon. 8 inch to 12 inch (nose to tail tip) dragons should have a minimum 30 gallon tank. Dragons 12 inches or larger should have a minimum 55 gallon tank. Here at Hancock's we have custom-built vivs that are 4 ft by 2ft by 2ft. You can find glass tanks in this size, too.

Lighting and Heating: The dragon will need both a light for heating and a light which provides UVB rays. Heat is very important for digestion of food. UVA stimulates the mood and activity levels. Light for heating can be a spot light (basking light) found in pet stores.
Other forms of heating lights include household halogen lights and household incandescent light bulbs. There are also ceramic heating elements that produce only heat with no light, but you would then need a "daylight" bulb as well as a UVB bulb. UVB lighting is a very important requirement for your dragons's health. UVB is essential for growth and the absorption of nutrients. We personally recommend the Reptisun 8.0 or 10.0 fluorescent tube lights. There are many different types and brands of UVB lights available. Just because a light is labeled "UVB" does not mean that it provides enough UVB for your dragon. Check out our links page. Beautiful Dragons has a great analysis on UVB lighting. Your dragon will also need a basking area which is covered in Temperatures.

Temperatures: The temperature gradient from warm side to cool side is very important. We recommend a probe type thermometer to measure temperatures. You can use an indoor/outdoor thermometer which can be found at Home Depot and Lowes stores in the outdoor department. This type of thermometer is accurate and reasonable in cost. Temperatures for the basking spot should be 105F. This is measuring the temperature in the area where your spot bulb or basking spot is. The other side of the cage should be cooler, in the 80F range. Nighttime heating is not necessary when the room temperature does not fall below 65F.

Substrates: Substrate is another word for what is used to cover the bottom of the cage. While juvenile dragons should not be kept on sand of any type, some people choose to use sand for adults. Washed play sand from Home Depot or Lowes is the safest choice; it is sanitized and natural. It needs to be checked for any stones that may be mixed in with the sand. You don't want your dragon eating a pebble. NEVER use calci-sand products or colored sands from pet stores. This can cause a bowel impaction in your dragon, which may require surgery to relieve, and may even cause death. Paper Towels: easy to change daily
and throw away. Non-Adhesive Shelf Liner: plastic types are washable. Reptile Carpet: the woven-type carpet is preferred. Any type that is easily frayed and can be eaten is NOT a reasonable choice. Newspaper: we personally do not use this. You can use it provided that the paper is printed with soy inks. We find a problem with newsprint because the ink always comes off onto everything. Butcher (Freezer) Paper: the kind the butcher uses to wrap meat. Flooring Tiles: use those that are washable and non-adhesive. Many people use multiple or split substrates in combination. Linoleum: this is the substrate that we prefer. It is easy to clean. Try what you feel is easiest.

Calcium and Vitamin Supplements: Your dragon will need both a vitamin and a calcium supplement. The preferred brand is Rep-Cal Calcium and Rep-Cal Herptivite Vitamins. Both are necessary supplements to your dragon's diet. Supplement small dragons under 6 months old with calcium once every other day. For dragons 6 months to one year old you may decrease the frequency to once or twice a week. The calcium is put on one item which is fed to your dragon. We use it on our feeder insects. Vitamins are an additional source of nutrition for your dragon. Once a week is sufficient on one item of food. A small sprinkle will be enough. The vitamins are potent; be careful not to overdose them.

Feeder Insects: Bearded Dragons love variety! Farm-raised or -bred bugs are always the way to go. Any insect you find outdoors will carry parasites and may have pesticides on it, which can harm your dragon and even cause death. Crickets are readily available in any
pet store. We prefer to buy crickets in bulk from online sources. They are fresher, cheaper and last a lot longer. Crickets are easy to care for. You will need to gut-load your crickets. This means that you will need to feed your crickets a healthy diet that is nutritious for your bearded dragons. We personally use the leftover stems and leafy greens from making the dragons' salads, daily, but commercial gut-loading diets are also available. Leaving greens in the cage overnight can help a stray cricket from biting your dragon, but it is still wise to remove crickets or any prey item from the dragon's cage at night. Insects can chew on your dragon while it is sleeping, causing injury. Tropical roaches are different from the roach pests found in homes. They are raised for feeding reptiles. Some people even keep them as pets. Roaches should be gut-loaded just like crickets. Superworms are known for their large size and are another good feeder item for larger dragons. We keep superworms on wheat bran and feed them greens. We suggest that when feeding superworms you keep an eye on your dragon's poo to make sure the superworms are digested properly. Mealworms are a smaller worm with a harder outer shell than that of superworms. We feed them occasionally to adults for variety. We keep mealworms on wheat bran and feed them greens. Waxworms are very high in fat and should be fed only as an occasional treat. They are like chocolate for your dragon and your dragon may refuse to eat anything else. Silkworms are one of the most nutritious worms for your dragon. A diet high in silkworms may cause watery poo. Hornworms are a great treat for your dragons. They must be farm-raised or purchased, NOT wild-caught. They are bright green in color and the dragons just go nuts over them. Many ask about pinky mice. Your dragon is captive-bred, not wild. It is not necessary for
your dragon to eat pinky mice. Mice are hard to digest and are very fatty.

Size and Amount of Feeder Insects: The general rule is the insect must be no wider than the space between the dragon's eyes. Feed as many as the dragon can consume in 10-15 minutes, twice daily. Remove any leftover insects.

Greens, Fruits and Vegetables: Dragons older than one year should be fed more of the salad items. This is where you can supply them with more variety. Too much protein from feeder insects will cause obesity and can lead to fatty liver disease and other problems, shortening the dragon's life span. We use a group of basic good greens for our baby dragons on up through adulthood. The main ingredients are turnip greens, mustard greens and collard greens. Some examples of garnishes are grated squash, cilantro or peas on top of the salad. The following site is one of our favorites to look up edible greens for our dragons. www.beautifuldragons.com Look under nutrition.

Hydration: Hydrating your dragon is very important. Baby dragons need to be misted with plain water a minimum of two times a day. In addition to daily misting, we provide every cage with a shallow bowl for swimming which should be changed daily. Bathe your dragon once a week in a bowl, sink or tub. The bath water should be lukewarm. Your dragon will enjoy the weekly bath, and may drink while there. Bathing also facilitates the shedding process. Greens/Salad items provide moisture in the diet and should be continually available.

Additional Information that is helpful: Each dragon is an individual. This means that even if they are raised together each dragons will have it's own personality. Younger dragons may be jumpy when held. The little ones may scare easily and can run very fast. With time he will become calmer with age. Dragons have keen eyesight and can see far away. They are very quick to spot a bug to eat. Dragons love to hang out with you and are docile creatures. They may give you a threat display when frightened, but rarely if ever bite. If the dragon is excited by something let him calm down and relax. Avoid quick movements. Hand-feeding treats is a great way for your dragons to get to know you. Soon he will realize that you are providing him with food and may even run to you. Dragons can learn to know their names. Bathing is another activity that is not only healthy for dragons but fun for both of you. Lukewarm water is used to fill a bowl, sink or bathtub as deep as the dragon's elbow. Never leave your dragon unattended in the bath. Dragons can swim and are very cute and funny when they do. Exercise and playtime in a room is fun, you get to see your dragon run. Be sure to keep him from getting stuck in corners and under objects. The warm weather of summertime is great for taking your dragon outside to get some natural sunlight. Make sure you have a lizard leash or a screen cage for him; you don't want your dragon to get away and become lost. Outside: Plants in your yard can have pesticides or fertilizers on them and should not be fed unless you know for sure they are pesticide-free. Bugs outside can carry pesticides and parasites. Some bugs are poisonous and can cause death. FIREFLIES, LIGHTENING BUGS and LADYBUGS are toxic. To avoid problems do not feed any type of wild insect. An occasional fly, spider, or bee should not be a problem. The dragon's stomach acid can take care of that.