Bearded Dragons

Bearded Dragon care sheet

Bearded Dragons
Pognoa vitticeps and others
An Introductory Information Leaflet From Reptile Ranch in association with
Europe's Premier Reptile Product Company

Background Heat:
Use a heat mat between half and two thirds the size of the cage to provide background heating. The hottest spot in the cage should not be above 40ºC while the coolest should not be below 27ºC. Use a HabiStat Mat - Stat if the temperature is too hot put the whole cage in a cooler place.

Cage Decor:
Repti-Sand, Desert,Savannah or Rain Forest Substrates, all used bone dry as the cage base. These will blot up and 'clump' any fouling by the lizards. Clumps of waste can be removed without cleaning the whole tank out. Cork Bark logs or Curio Wood could be used to make an interesting three dimensional display. Flake Rain Forest Substrate scattered over the surface makes for an attractive display and acts as an activity medium in which the lizards can hunt. Draping Repti-Vines in
the cage will provide refuges the lizards can hide in or move through to loosen shedding skin. Repti-rock caves and water dishes would lend even more functionality and security.

Hot Spot:
A local area of higher temperature can be created with a hot rock, a spot lamp or a
ceramic heater. Use the latter two in conjunction with a HabiStat thermostat for precise control. Hot spots should be maintained for the same day length as the
lights, sixteen hours in summer, eight in
winter.

Cage Set Up:
The cage should be setup to allow an active lizard plenty of scope to climb, bask in a hot spot, move to a cooler spot, drink and hunt for food. The lizards should also be able to secrete themselves into refuges and rub themselves against some-thing when shedding their skin.

Food: Crickets, Locusts, Mealworms,
and as a special treat Waxworms. Supplement livefoods by dusting insects with Repton or feeding Cricket Diet Plus & Mealworm Diet Plus. Tame individuals may also accept a commercially prepared, fresh meat reptile diet and thawed rodent
pups. Water should be fresh and changed every day. These lizards may also eat an amount of fresh sweet fruit and leafy salads.

Cleanliness and Hygiene:
A routine cleaner forall non-porous surfaces could be Vetaclene. Any-thing
that cannot be easily cleaned should be
thrown away and replaced. Any little graze or blemish on the animals themselves would benefit from the first aid afforded by dabbing the wound with Vetadine. As far as human hygiene is concerned, Vetasept Surgical Scrub will clean hands and surfaces while Vetasept Hand Rub will allow adequate cleansing and disinfection even in cases when water is unavailable.

Understanding Beardie Body Language

Have you ever wanted to talk to your pet lizard? Maybe you already do. How about understanding what he is saying back to you? Beardies, like many animals, have a very distinctive way of communicating, which you can learn to understand. This gives you a better way of understanding how happy your Beardie is and how it feels about you!


Head bobbing

Both males and females bob their heads from time to time. They nod their head rather quickly up and down, almost as if they are dancing. This signifies dominance, especially when accompanied by a puffed out or darkened beard. It is common for beardies that are housed together to do this as well as when they see their reflection. Some bearded dragons may do it to things outside their tank, including you! Occasionally Beardies will bob their head to show displeasure, if they are stressed or they have been put back in their enclosure they will bob their heads to show they are unhappy about it!

Nodding

Nodding, unlike bobbing, is just a quick flick of the head. It can be hard to spot and is mostly done by adults, males mostly. Bearded dragons nod their head toward other bearded dragons to show they realise they are less dominant and that they are being passive. If you Beardie nods to you, he is showing he is passive toward you.

Bowing down

Some beardies, mainly young adults, will bow down low. Usually with their head, slowly and remaining in the position for a while. It is most commonly seen when beardies are kept together and after a dominant one has done a head bob or two. It is showing a similar thing to nodding but in a much more obvious way. Females are often seen doing this in order to submit to a male although younger males will also do it to more dominant adults.

Waving

Occasionally your Beardie might hop from one front foot to the other, whilst slowly waving the held foot around. It is seen mostly in young bearded dragons and very, very rarely in adult females. It is a form of submission, but rather than submitting it is more of an acknowledgement of dominance and means, ‘let’s not fight - let’s be friends!’


Beard puffing

This is sometimes just something they do, particularly in the morning to warm up. Sometimes it will accompany head bobbing, which is a display of dominance. Other times, if it suddenly puffs out, accompanied with gaping, it can be fright or nervousness and shows that it feels threatened.

Open wide

Gaping the mouth open wide can mean a few things in beardies. In younger specimens it is simply the way they regulate temperature. When accompanied by puffing of the beard or darkening of the colour it means that they are scared or intimidated. In extreme cases they may slowly tip their head back and darken in colour, puff out the beard, twist and broaden and emit a hiss, this shows an extreme fear reaction.


Colour Darkening

The beard on a bearded dragon is capable of turning jet black, or at least a very darker colour. This is often very rapid and can mean different things depending on the behaviour accompanying it. For example, darkening in dominance displays shows dislike and that the Beardie is trying to intimidate his opponent. When accompanied by gaping or broadening it shows dislike or even fear. If your Beardie is always darkened or has a dull or dark appearance then it may be stressed and usually this down to the temperature gradients not being correct.


Body flattening

Beardies generally flatten their bodies to show displeasure. Sometimes they will do it in unfamiliar situations and other times they will do it to try and intimidate another Beardie. It is often accompanied by Beard puffing and tail gestures to warn off the threat or other Beardie. Occasionally males will do this while circling each other, this is an extreme display of dominance, usually where neither will back down. You should separate beardies that do this, as they will fight.


Curling tail

Curling the tail is usually a concentration thing and will be seen by all ages, usually around feeding times. They tend to do it before the strike, meaning it is more of a balance orientated thing rather than a gesture.


Raised tail

Occasionally seen in males as a defensive stance, showing they feel threatened or are ready to fight. It is more often seen in females who are being submissive to males, usually when they are ready to breed.

Waving tail

When the tip waves slowly this is usually indication of an annoyance. Sometimes done in females who are submitting but are not happy with it. With males it can be used as ‘defeat’ signal but that the Beardie is ready to challenge the dominant one again. All beardies may be seen doing this at feeding time where it denotes a concentration.