| We will be adding a tips and advice section when we get rolling and if you have any questions you want answered then feel free to ask and it is likely the question and answer will be seen posted here also. To send in any queries please use the email form on the contact page. Look forward to receiving any questions and hope you enjoy reading the tips and advice given. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions on Bearded Dragon Lizards What is the lifespan of the bearded dragon? A dragon’s lifespan ranges from 4 years to 15 years. The average is about 6 years What and how frequently should I feed the bearded dragon? You can feed young bearded dragons up to three times a day, with proper supplementation. Adults can be fed less frequently. Should my bearded dragon get exercise? Most certainly. The cage should be roomy enough for your dragon to move about briskly. You can also allow it to move about in the house and even outside, but always under your watchful eye. Why do bearded dragons twitch or shake? Calcium and vitamin D3 deficiency leads to metabolic bone disease. This causes twitching and shaking. To remedy this, raise the level of food supplementation and expose your dragon often to direct sunlight (not through a glass pane) How should I position the UV / warming lights? These lights should be 8 to 10 inches above the highest basking point, towards one end of the cage Can bearded dragons hear? According to experts’ accounts, yes. They seem to react to sudden or loud noises, though there is no mention that these animals produce any kind of noise themselves. Can they show affection? Not in the way the more common pets do. Still, they seem to give an impression that they enjoy being handled, carried or rubbed gently or being in your company Can I have more than one bearded dragon? It is possible to have more than one bearded dragon in one cage. But always provide alternate shelter in case the less dominant dragon begins to feed less and loses weight Do bearded dragons get depressed Failure to feed and reduced activity can be considered as a sign of depression in a bearded dragon which has been subjected to dominant treatment by a rival At what age should breeding of bearded dragons start? When both male and female are at least 12-18 months old. Females may take a little longer to attain sexual maturity. What is a healthy diet? A diet consisting of live prey (primarily crickets) and vegetable matter in the correct proportion, along with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements is ideal. Can you place an adult male with a juvenile female? Avoid it. Females mature later than males. An adult male may pursue the juvenile female with intent to mate and cause much harm to her. Should I give a daily bath to my bearded dragon? A bath on alternate days or even once a week should be sufficient, under a tap or a shower Do bearded dragons get along? Not always. They can be amiable and tolerant sometimes and aggressive and even violent at other times How do you train a bearded dragon? You cannot ‘train’ your dragon in the literal sense. By patient and persistent effort, you can make it tolerate, or may be even enjoy, handling by you At what age are they sexually mature? By the time they are 18 months old. What color mutations are available? The bearded dragon is primarily grey in color with darker shades during displays. Breeders however tend to concentrate on evolving dragons with red and gold tinted skin What is lizard substrate and why do they need it? Substrate is the material used as flooring for the bearded dragon’s cage. It is necessary to keep the floor relatively warm and to enable easy maintenance. How do you prepare a bearded dragon habitat? A pet dragon’s habitat consists of a cage with a variety objects termed collectively as ‘furniture.’ These objects include the substrate, plant or wood sections, potted plants, smooth rocks etc Why are they called dragons (instead of lizards?) The dragon’s tendency to blow out its spiny ‘beard’ and gaping gives it a resemblance to dragons and hence the name, though it belongs to the lizard family of reptiles. If you sprinkle calcium power on crickets, do dragons grow faster? Calcium is sprinkled on crickets before they are fed to the dragon. Along with vitamin D3, this accelerates bone development in young dragons How often should they have health checks? As bearded dragons are hardy animals, health check up at regular intervals may not be mandatory. A check up becomes necessary if they pick up some infection. How do you determine the sex of the lizard? A careful examination of hemipenal bulges on the underside near the base of the tail, is a sure method. Two bulges indicate a male and a single bulge indicates a female. What are the types of diseases can bearded dragons get? Terminal ingestion, thermal burns and respiratory and intestinal infections are common disorders that bearded dragons are susceptible to. Mite infestation is another disease. How do you take care of the crickets that dragons eat? Crickets you feed to your dragon should be young, healthy and well-fed. They are best suited as prey when they are freshly molted and when they are gut-loaded. What kind of plants can be placed in their cages? Potted plants like ficus, hibiscus, geranium, petunia, pothos, pursule and violets are some of the plants suitable for placing in the dragon’s cage. How do I know when they are sick? Loss of appetite, reluctance to bask, mucus collection around nostrils and at the edges of the mouth are all symptoms of sickness and infection. Stiffness or paralyses of hindlegs is a sign of a fatal condition known as terminal ingestion. How many hours should I set the timer for amount of daylight in the tank? 10 to 12 hours daily, during daytime. Do Dragon Lizards enjoy walks? Dragon lizards love to roam about the house and walk outdoors, especially in bright sunshine Can they cohabit with other lizards? They can cohabit with other dragon lizards, but not with other species of lizards like to caht or email the_lizard_show2008@example.com d.dearded@yahoo.com |
