Hey guys! I hope you enjoy! I’ve been working on this for a while and I really cannot wait to see what you think!

Hello, Mate! Today I am going to tell you all about Beardies!

Bearded Dragons are native Australians. They live in a generally warmer climate, so they need a warmer terrarium. 

How warm, you ask? Well, I will tell you all you will need to know about what beardies eat, how to take care of them, and even where to put them! I hope you enjoy and help you make a decision, if, maybe, you want a beardie! 

Furnishing for your Habitat

In every Bearded  Dragon habitat, there should be a place for it to hide (such as a small dome or a rock carved into a dome) 

and a place to sun (Like a hammock or some large sticks).

Also, there should be a little shallow pool for the Beardie to soak in to loosen his/her scales so that shedding is much easier and painless. 

As far as turf, you can either get calcium-free sand (Most dragons can smell calcium, and they love it! But, if the dragon is eating sand, it could block the dragon’s tubes and cause medical problems) or a turf sheet will also work. 

Heating and Lighting

Another essential thing to have in habitat for Beardies is a heating light and a UV-B light. 

Bearded Dragons sleep every night just like we do. If you are not interested in turning off the light manually every night, then a good thing to do would be getting a light timer. Set it to turn off at about 9 P.M., and have it come back on at 6. This way the Beardie can get enough sleep just like us. 

Now, you may be wondering what type of tank/terrarium you need. Well, for a fully grown adult, I would recommend a 65 gallon tank, and for a fully grown dwarf I would recommend a 35-40 gallon tank. 

I also recommend the Zilla 40 gallon critter cage for a juvenile or dwarf dragon. It goes for about $100 USD on Petco.com.

If you are new to the reptile world and need a starter kit, I recommend the Zoo Med Juvenile Beardie starter kit, which goes for about $160 USD, also on Petco. 

Food and Feeding

Beardies eat everything from Mealworms (Left, bottom) 

to Blue Horned Worms (Right, top)

The most costly food is Blue Horned Worms, which range from $20-$30 for 2 worms.

As I mentioned before, Dragons need a heating light and a 

UV-B light. The recommended temperature for a baby-to- juvenile Beardie is between 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Adults can stand and should be kept at higher temperatures, between 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Now, you might be wondering why these reptiles need a UV-B light. This is because they need a certain spectrum of ultraviolet in addition to a heating light. This spectrum (UV-B) is necessary for Beardies to make Vitamin D, which is necessary for any Dragon to live a good.

Beardies also need a less-humid environment. A good way to keep the habitat less humid is to use dry sand, instead of wet sand. The normal humidity of a house is 50%. The ideal humidity is 35%-40% for a normal beardie cage/tank.

Handling and holding

For juvenile beardies, it is recommended to hold your beardie for at least 15 minutes 3-4 times every day. This way, your beardie will be more accustomed to being held and will be much more lenient to be held/handled. For adult beardies, hold as many times as you would like, for as long as you would like. 

Just do it for a minimum of 1 time every 2 days.

More on Food

For adult Dragons (Older than 18 months), they need to be fed 1 once a day, daily. For juveniles-babies, they should be fed 3-5 times a day, in 10-minute increments, feeding only as much as they can eat in the allotted time. As I said before, a practical option is mealworms, but you can also feed your beardie crickets. They go for about $6.99 for 50 online and cricket for 12 cents at Petco. 

Good places to keep your dragon

A good place to keep your dragon is either on a cabinet, or you can even keep your dragon in/on a bookcase. You can also keep it on a counter or table. Just make sure wherever you put them, there is an outlet so you can plug in your heat lamp and UV-B. You can also get battery-powered heat and UV-B lamp, which is better if you live in a place where there are power outages frequently

Some places to get a good bookshelf are Wayfair, PotteryBarn or Costco. You can also have a woodworker make a custom bookshelf for the size you need for your bearded dragon cage. 

Bearded Dragons and other animals

Beardies are very territorial. You can keep beardies with other animals, but it is not recommended. Dragons can get very stressed when in close proximity to other reptiles or other animals, which can result in high blood pressure and even a heart attack. You can put beardies together, and if they are 2 females or a female and a male. As I said before, Beardies are territorial. If you put 2 males together, they will most likely fight. 

If you are interested in getting a male and female dragon, just keep in mind that they will probably mate. If they do, female beardies tend to lay 20 eggs in one clutch, and lay between 3-6 clutches per mating. Most of the eggs will be fertile, so be ready to have a bunch of babies! Though you can give them away once they are 8 weeks, that is still a lot of babies.

What type of beardie to get

There are many different types of beardies. Personally, I prefer dwarf beardies, as they are much more affordable as you will need a smaller cage. They are also so cute! There are also Pygmy beardies, which are more expensive.

Regular adults will get anywhere from 18” to 20” to even 30” if kept healthy, while fully grown dwarf dragons only get from 14” to 18” and pygmies only get between 12” and 15”! 

Prices

Beardies can range anywhere from $30-$60 at most pet stores (Such as Petco) for juveniles, while older dragons can cost anywhere between $60 and $200. There is even a species called Pygmy Bearded Dragons (Left), which are much more rare and can fetch up to $400. Normally, you can get a better price at breeders.

 There are many good breeders, and you can sign up to be notified when they get a new litter. Beardies are born constantly (Depending on the dragon), about once or twice every couple months.

Another thing to keep in mind is that normally at breeders (Unless they are local) they will ship your beardie, so you do not get to hold or really meet your beardie until arrival. 

Also, if you are ordering online and they have you pay before you get the actual animal, it is possible that it is a scam. Especially if the dragon costs more than about $80 for a juvenile. 

The best option is to find a local breeder in your area and pick it up in person.

I hope you enjoyed it, and that you can now make a well-educated decision on whether or not you want a beardie!

Sources: Wikipedia, beardeddragoncare101.com, thebeardeddragon.org, reptileadvisor.com, reptile.guide

Little Lizzy Life