Simple BEARDED DRAGON Facts

(Original Title: Catapult Your Success With These Simple Bearded Dragon Facts)

Bearded Dragon lizard (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bearded Dragon lizard is capable of living a healthy and active life in captivity.  They do well when they are able to interact with both their owner and other bearded dragons.  Here are some interesting facts that will aid in healthy and happy bearded dragon care.

The bearded dragon lizard originated in Australia.  There are six to seven species of Australian dragons.  The most predominant species in the Pogona vitticeps, also known as Amphibolurus vitticeps.  Virtually all bearded dragons that have been captively bred have come to the United States from Germany.  There have not been any legally exported bearded dragons come from Australia.

The bearded dragon lizard will breed very well in captivity.  With a proper egg nesting area and incubation, the female bearded dragon will produce multiple clutches of eggs per year.  These captive bearded dragons tend to be healthier than the wild-caught bearded dragon lizards and are often free of pesticides.

Birth defects in captive bearded dragons are rare and most populations survive quite well. Bearded dragon breeding has also produced numerous different colours of bearded dragons, although they are still of the same species.

An early sign of inbreeding causing problems in captively bred bearded dragons is that the bearded dragon will not grow to its full adult size.  If you intend to breed your bearded dragons, you should ask your breeder what lines your bearded dragon lizards come from so that you may avoid those lines.  Inbreeding also occurs when bearded dragons are sold to pet stores.  People buy these dragons not realizing that they are related and then breed them.

Bearded dragons are like any other reptile and they may carry Salmonella.  This is a bacterium that causes food poisoning and can sometimes be lethal.  This is especially true for children that have an immuno-compromised condition.  Careful handling of the bearded dragon lizard will ensure that you remain healthy along with your bearded dragon pet.

Bearded dragons require regular vet checkups as well as.  Check with local veterinarians to see if they are familiar with reptiles.  If your vet is not, ask him if he can refer to you one that is.  You may also check with the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Vets for recommending reptile veterinarians near you.

Bearded dragons will go through a moulting process like other reptiles.  The bearded dragon lizard adult may exhibit signs of depression during this phase.  They will enjoy a warm bath to help remove their shedding skin.

A warm bath is also another way to make your bearded dragon eliminate before handling him or her.  There is nothing worse than having a bearded dragon eliminate in your lap.  Before handling, place the bearded dragon in warm water.  The warm water will make it eliminate and you will feel safer with your bearded dragon in your lap.

Bearded dragons should have a wide variety of choices in their diet.  The bearded dragon should not, however, be fed meat such as beef or chicken.  Meat contains too much protein and the bearded dragon will suffer from kidney problems or failures.

Avoid feeding crickets that are too large.  Crickets should be no larger than the distance between the eyes of your bearded dragon.  Baby bearded dragons should be fed one quarter inch crickets and juvenile bearded dragons may be fed half-inch crickets.  These crickets are generally around two-weeks old.  Babies will be eager to eat larger crickets but they are unable to digest these and may die from impactions.

Crickets can be tricky to manoeuvre from their box to a cricket holding tank.  One method is to place the cricket box in a plastic bag.  Open the box in the bag and shake the crickets out into the bottom of the bag.  Remove the box and then place the bag in the tank.  The crickets should slide easily out of the bag as there is nothing for them to grip onto. This is also a good way to feed crickets to your bearded dragons.

Bearded dragons will change their feeding patterns with age.  A young bearded dragon will be ready to eat on a moments notice while the adult bearded dragon may eat one day but not the next.  This is especially true during the winter months.

The bearded dragon will be tempted to munch on your houseplants.  There are a few houseplants that are okay for the bearded dragon to eat.  Plants such as ficus, geraniums, hibiscus, petunias, pothos and violets.  There are some houseplants that are treated with systemic pesticides, this means that the plant has taken the pesticide into its system and it will have to grow out to remove the pesticide.  This will generally take six to twelve weeks.

These bearded dragon facts should aid you in the care of your bearded dragon.  The bearded dragon will live a healthy and long life if it receives proper care and nutrition.

By Nigel Titley - Article Source: EzineArticles

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BEARDED DRAGON Lizards Are Now the Most Popular Exotic Pet

This image shows a close-up photo of a bearded dragon head (Pogona vitticeps). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bearded Dragon Lizards turn out ideal pets for first time owners and children alike. As you may well have guessed the bearded dragon lizard takes its name from its look.   Additionally, Bearded Dragon Lizards are calm to handle and will not cause any difficulty even if they are moved from place to place.  The Bearded Dragon lizard is capable of living a healthy and dynamic life in captivity. 

Captive dragons tend to be healthier than the wild-caught bearded dragon lizards and are often free of pesticides.  If you mean to keep a lizard in your house, you at least have to know its diet and the methods of feeding them.

Bearded dragon lizards are very much a daytime creature and become sedentary very quickly as soon as the sun goes down.  They are well-liked exotic pets, most commonly Pogona Vitticeps, the Inland or Central Bearded Dragon who bask most of the day, absorbing the warmth they need to digest their food.

These beautiful lizards are well known for their beard display and another fascinating behaviour.  They have a fantastic temperament, will happily climb on you voluntary if you want.  Beardies are independent lizards that fend for themselves but do not mind being handled.  When you are handling them ensure all of its body is being supported.

Bearded dragons are found all over Australia; they are hardy creatures and can stay alive as well in the desert as they can in the bush, and they are just as contented in urban or populated areas. When the bearded dragon lizard sits upright and cocks its head towards the heavens, Australian Aborigines know that rain will fall the next day.   Lovingly called 'beardies' by their fans, these lizards are not just tame around humans, but many also seem to get pleasure from the contact.

Many lizards have native habitats that are dry and lightly vegetated, so food may often be hard to obtain in the wild.  As a consequence, Beardies are omnivorous, capable of subsisting on a wider variety of food sources.  Fireflies and all other animals with bioluminescence chemicals are fatal to Bearded lizards.  They are hardy hunters and you will have to provide them with sufficient food so that they can remain satiated.

Beardies adore grasshoppers, mealworms, and other bugs.  Dark green and leafy vegetables are also ideal for bearded dragon lizards.  Feeding supplies, enclosures and accessories are obtainable to purchase from specialist pet and lizard supply stores.

The vital thing to remember when using sand as a substrate is to sift it to start with to get any gravel out to keep your dragon from impacting, clean it on a daily basis to keep a fresh and hygienic ecosystem for the lizard. Thought should certainly be taken to emulate their natural setting to reduce stress to the creature.

The estimated lifespan of a bearded dragon is probably about 10 years when cared for correctly, although longer life spans have been reported. When provided with the proper environment, temperatures, and UVB lighting, juvenile they are capable of growing up to an inch or more per week. The nearer the lizard is to the light source, the better.  In keeping with a bearded dragon lizard, it is imperative that you employ a temperature gradient inside their housing.  Kitchen paper towels make excellent substrates for baby lizards.  Optional habitat accessories can be placed inside your lizard's habitat to imitate their natural ecosystem.

I advise that you read at least one book on the care of bearded dragons and that you talk to someone who has experience caring for this special species. Beardies are becoming the most fashionable exotic pet to own in the 21st century.  Exotic pets might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you knew anything concerning the bearded dragon lizard then you might change your mind.

By Mark F Hargreaves - Article Source: EzineArticles

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BEARDED DRAGON - Pogona vitticeps

Bearded Dragon - Pogona vitticeps

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Common Types Of BEARDED DRAGONS

Bearded Dragon - Photo   by       jdnx 

Bearded dragons are native to Australia, and like the vastness that Australia has to offer, there is also a large number of different species and variations of bearded dragons over the large continent.

All species of bearded dragons are popular because of their quiet nature, ease of handling, and their small size to name just a few. Unlike many reptiles, bearded dragons require a much smaller space to live comfortably in, and are easily handled by adults, and children. There are eight different species of bearded dragons noted in Australia, and the following 6 are the most commonly known as pets.

The Western Bearded Dragon

The western bearded dragon is mainly found on the southwest coast and inland areas of Western Australia. It lives mainly in woodland areas, as well as in coastal dunes, and in the desert as well.

The Inland Bearded Dragon

The inland bearded dragon is the largest of all the species and grows to around 20cm in size. This species is found in every state, and territory of Australia except for Western Australia. The inland bearded dragon is the most popular breed of reptilian pet.

The Mitchells Bearded Dragon

The Mitchells bearded dragon is found in the interior of the Northern Territory, and in the north of Western Australia in the Great Sandy Dessert. The Mitchells species is the smallest of the bearded dragon species and grows to around 14cm. One of the easiest ways to tell a Mitchells bearded dragon apart from the other species is his large cone-like head spikes, which are unlike any of the other bearded dragons.

The Dwarf Bearded Dragon

The dwarf-bearded dragons, considered to be closely related to the Mitchell species, are mainly found in the Great Sandy Desert. The dwarf dragon is easily Identifiable because of his short legs, and short tail.

Lawsons Bearded Dragons

The Lawsons bearded dragons are the second most popular pet species. This species lives in most of Queensland, and some of the Northern Territory, but how much area the species actually occupies is still unknown.

The Nullabor Bearded Dragon

The Nullabor bearded dragon is a very rare species found only in a small area between the South Western, and South Australia. The Nullabor bearded dragon is easily recognizable by its markings, with large white markings along its back, and spines on its sides. The Nullabor bearded dragon is the least likely of all of the bearded dragons to be kept as pets, as they are hard to find in the wild, and have been known to be very difficult to breed in captivity.

It is possible that there are still undiscovered species of bearded dragons in Australia, as well as subspecies, as much of Australia's reptilian wildlife is still being discovered today.

By Sarah Munn - Article Source: EzineArticles

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