I'm a long time bearded dragon owner (ten years and counting) and know well the rewards associated with this type of pet ownership. Certainly, bearded dragons are not for everyone (small children, for example) but they can be a unique, piquant alternative for those people looking for a new kind of pet.
Who's a Good Match for a Beardie?
First of all, bearded dragons are reptiles, and for that reason are extremely different from typical pets like ferrets and dogs. They're cold blooded, and perhaps because of this are widely vilified as being apathetic, disaffected, and even sinister. This is utter nonsense. You have to realize a couple of things:
- Their brains are typically much smaller than other domestic animals, which results in a different way of interacting with the environment. They are in no way less intelligent or aware.
- Lacking fur or hair of any kind, they are not "cuddly" or playful like most people expect pets to be.
- Because they derive body heat from the ambient air temperature, environmental conditions play a large part in determining their overall behavior.
Bearded dragons are rewarding animals to keep in their own way, which is much different from other animals. Much of their time is spent by necessity in their enclosure, so a large part of the enjoyment factor is derived from observing their natural beauty and distinct behaviors. When you do interact with them, it's often just to hold them or sit with them in the sun, perhaps occasionally hand feeding insects or vegetables.
Just by reading the previous paragraph most people will know for sure whether or not this creature is something they are interested in.
What Does Their Care Involve?
As I mentioned, reptiles draw essential body heat from the environment. In the natural world, this equates to the sun, and all the time that snakes and lizards are widely known to spend sunning. This heat must be replicated in their enclosure and is done so through the use of heat lamps to provide warmth and an fluorescent reptile lamp to provide the crucial UV they must absorb for good health.
Because they are essentially confined to a cage most of their life, from a humane standpoint an adult dragon requires an absolute minimum of a forty to fifty gallon aquarium or terrarium. Optional accoutrements include rocks, branches, gravel or some other natural substrate, a bathing pool and a thermometer.
Feeding primarily consists of a salad of dark, leafy greens such as romaine, kale, collards and others, plus carrots and squash (I usually just peel the outside into small strips with a potato peeler) at a minimum to cover their nutritional needs. Intermittent meals of crickets coated with a specially formulated calcium powder are also highly recommended, as well as occasional treats of other insects such as wax worms. And like all animals, beardies do produce waste which must be dealt with accordingly. If you have time for it, daily soaks in about an inch of warm water are beneficial for their skin, and if timed properly will stimulate them to defecate quite consistently. As far as time, energy and bedding costs go this is a huge savings.
What is the Associated Cost?
A baby bearded dragon will run about seventy dollars at a typical herp shop. Solitary creatures by nature, you need only acquire one unless your personal preference is otherwise. Most of the accessories that they require (aquarium, lamps, etc.) can easily and cheaply be found by scouring local yard sales, craigslist or even eBay, and, if worst comes to worst, PetsMart. They will require the correct reptile-grade bulbs, and these will need to be replaced periodically as they burn out (heat bulb) or lose their potency (UV bulb.) Crickets are usually available cheaply at gas stations and other locations that deal in bait, and can always be obtained online for a reasonable cost.
If you're considering a bearded dragon as a pet for whatever reason, hopefully this article has served to enlighten you on a few key points surrounding their peculiar personalities and specific type of upkeep. If you do make the decision to adopt, be sure to educate yourself on all aspects of their care, which vary considerably for different age ranges, climates, and so on.
Author Resource:
Wunna is a qualified producer of digital information and an experienced scribbler, and nowadays writes on materials like Bare Essential mineral makeup and Bare Essential make up .
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