WaterFilter.com

How to keep a healthy and happy bearded dragon!

Bearded dragons are becoming the most popular exotic pet to have in the 21st century! They are very interactive and love attention from humans. Bearded dragons are great pets for adults or children, and are often used in schools as class pets. A Bearded dragon takes up much less space than a dog or cat and is much less messy. I have composed a basic care sheet covering the major areas involved with keeping a happy and healthy bearded dragon.

Hatchlings can be kept in as small as a 20 gallon long aquarium. Soon they will outgrow that and move to a larger aquarium/cage. Adult bearded dragons must have a minimum of a 40 gallon cage, preferably 50 gallon or larger. You can line the cage with new paper, paper towels, or reptile carpet. However we prefer to use Wheat bran as a substrate instead. Simply put an inch of wheat bran in the bottom of the cage. The reason is that if you dragon accidentally injests some, it is easily digestable. Some people use washed play sand as a substrate, but this can cause deadly intestinal impactions. For this reason we don't suggest using play sand.

Bearded dragons need a full spectrum (UVB) light as well as a basking light. You can use a Zoo Med Reptisun 10.0 UVB reptile bulb, or the exo-terra Reptiglo 8.0 for a full spectrum light. For the basking site you need a basking (UVA) lamp available at pet stores. You can keep track of when you UVB bulbs need to be replace with a UVB meter. This will save you money by not replacing your bulbs early. Also this will make sure that you bulbs are still giving off enough life sustaining UVB for your bearded dragon. Get a timer and set it for 12-14 hours of light. Both the basking light and the UVB light need to be set to go on and off with the timer.

Remember bearded dragons must be able to thermo-regulate. That means they alter their temperature by going from the basking spot at the hot end of the cage to the cool side of the cage. This allows them to properly digest their food and also cool off when necessary. Make sure that you place the basking site at one end of the cage, not in the middle. The important thing with the basking lamp is that directly under it at the basking site the temperature reaches 100-110 F within an hour. Place a reptile thermometer directly on the rock or stick they will be perching on to bask. If the temperature is too low get a larger wattage lamp or lower the lamp an inch or two and try again. If the temperature is too high then get a lower wattage lamp or raise the light an inch or two from the basking site. Now you need to make sure that the cool side of the cage is around 80-85 Ferenheit or less. If your bearded dragon can't cool off they can dehydrate and die. If it isn't warm enogh under the basking site, your dragon can't properly digest their food. Therefore it is essential that your temperatures are set correctly.

NO MEAL WORMS! Bearded dragons need the correct size crickets for the size dragon you have. The crickets can't be longer than the width between the eyes of your dragon. Too large of prey can harm or even kill your dragon. Hatchlings eat crickets 3-4 times per day starting an hour after the lights come on. Juvenile dragons eat 1-2 times per day, and adults eat once per day. Every day dust the crickets with rep-cal calcium supplement and use herpavite once a week. Also offer a variety of finely chopped greens for hatchlings once a day, i.e.. mustard greens, collard greens, romaine lettice, leaf lettice. For juvenile to adult bearded dragons chop into 1/4 inch pieces and you can add frozen vegetables, or fresh fruit chopped into bite-size peaces mixed in with their greens. Remember that only a little vegetables or fruit mixed with the greens.

To keep your dragon hydrated give them a bath 1-2 times per week. You can use a rubbermaid container, fill with luke warm water up to the the dragons shoulders, or only up to their knees for babies. Also you can mist your dragon on the head once per day. Mist and then wait a few seconds. Then mist again and until they drink, mist until they stop licking. It is extremely important to keep your bearded dragons hydrated to insure their health.

Follow these simple guidelines to keep your bearded dragon happy and healthy for years to come. It is extremely important to make sure your setup is correct before getting a bearded dragon. Check to see that your basking temperature is correct, and also that the cool end of the cage is cool enough. Keep your dragon hydrated with weekly baths. Also make sure you feed the correct sized crickets, and feed your dragon fresh leafy greens daily. Thank you for take the best care possible of your bearded dragons.

Jason Couch is a breeder of bearded dragons with over five years of experience. He can be reached at his website: http://www.beardeddragons.biz

MORE ARTICLES:

A Perfectly Clean Uninstall
Uninstalling a Windows application leaves multiple traces such as abandoned registry keys, configuration files and shared libraries that are no longer used by any application. When you are looking for a perfect solution to your problem, you are typically downloading and testing dozens of different applications distributed on the try-before-you-buy basis. After you complete your search, you'll decide on just one application, and will want to remove the other products you've tested. But do you realize how much garbage they leave behind even after being 'completely' uninstalled?

Healthy Food Can Taste Good
We are encouraged to eat a high fiber, low fat diet to support good health. But often, high fiber is equated with cardboard crackers and chalky powders. Experts in the natural foods arena are often asked if there will ever be a diet consisting of healthy food that actually tastes good! In fact, most of us assume that if it tastes good, it couldn?t be good for us.

Keeping Your Business Event Entertainment Clean, Not Obscene: Amusing Without Abusing
When John Hakel decided to hire a comedian for one of his company's events, he knew that hiring the right comic would be no laughing matter. As the Director of the Association of General Contractors of California, Hakel plans dozens of events each year and he had heard of other planners who got blindsided when the hired comic's jokes quickly went from funny to filthy.

Newest Craze in Decorating is Silk Flowers in Acrylic Water
They look so lifelike, that time and time again people bend to smell them and touch them. Across the nation, silk flowers in crystal-clear acrylic "water" are showing up in homes, cafes, restaurants and offices.

Melitta Coffee And The Melitta Coffee Maker Are Named After Melitta Bentz, A German Housewife
Melitta Coffee

CleenWater, LLC Now Offers Companion Products To Water Softeners
Existing Water Softener Systems Can Benefit From Clean Water

Eliminate Mildew Buildup in your Coffee Maker
Your coffee maker should be made part of your regular kitchen cleaning routine. Dried coffee oils, hard water buildup, and mildew will ruin the taste of even the best blend. Not to mention that mildew buildup inside the maker is hazardous to your health.

Barbecue Afficianados Discover Cooking with Wood Pellet Grills
This news release provides information about the growing phenomenon of outdoor cooking using wood pellet barbecue grills. It also directs users to a leading website for more information and pricing on these grills.

Get That Healthy Bodybuilding Nutrition From Your Backyard
What better way to get fresh fruits and vegetables for your bodybuilding nutrition plan than growing them yourself You can do this even if your garden is small, just like I did

How To Choose An Automatic Coffee Maker
People who have gone out and purchased a coffee maker on price alone and thought the higher the price the better the machine would be, this is not the case, there are many systems out there that are very good and the price tag is not astronomical. Ask yourself some questions where will the machine be permanently placed, how many people will be utilizing it, as well as how much space is available for the machine. What kind of machine do you have at the moment?

Frugal Outdoor Cooking
Firing up the grill is a great way to cook in the summer! Here are a few grilling tips and a couple of recipes, too.For great grilled burgers, form the patty gently.

TruKid's All-Natural Skincare Line Offers Healthy Alternatives to Potentially Toxic Products for Kids
Recent news exposing brand name products for their harmful ingredients highlight the fact that safe skincare products for kids and parents is a critical issue. Some popular product lines contain skin irritants, carcinogens and organ sensitizers. These chemicals may be linked to breast tumors, early puberty in girls, reproductive problems and urinary tract infections.

5 Tips To Keep Your Jewelry Clean
There are a whole lot of types of jewelry that you can buy. Many might be sitting in your jewelry box as you read this. From gold to platinum, silver to diamonds, gemstones to costume jewelry, each piece has a reason for being in your collection. If you love your jewelry enough to keep it stored and safe, then you should also love it enough to keep it clean. Below are five tips to keeping different types of jewelry clean:

Have A Dog And A Clean House... Yes It?s Possible!
It?s no secret. We love dogs. In fact, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, more than 40 million American households share their lives with more than 68 million dogs.