One of my favorite lizards is the Bearded Dragon. This is a desert dwelling creature is covered in small spiked scales. These gentle beast originates from Australia, but thanks to captive breeding they can be found at most pet stores across North America. Due to their docile nature and relative small size (usually 16-20 inches) they have become quite popular in recent years. This lizard requires a lot of different things, so make sure you know what you’re doing before buying one
I’m not an expert on Bearded Dragons, but I have owned three and gain some experience. This is lizard requires a lot of attention. The dragon will need live bugs, but also eats plants. The dragon will run through a lot of crickets, so you might want to look into other options. Crikets will eat a hole in your wallet and can only be found in summer. African Hissing roaches are good sized and high in nutrition. You will also need to include some type of greens into your pet diet. I personally use collard greens with my animals. The animal also requires direct sunlight in order to produce vitamins it needs for development. A UV light bulb will have to be purchased.
It is important to pick a dragon that is healthy. I always look for the lizard that has wide eyes and is alert. Never pick the dragon that is looking lethargic in the corner. It most likely will have some sort of problems. The small dragons will fight, and their bites can break a sibling’s leg. I once had three bearded dragons. The largest of the three grabbed the other two and broke their legs. Those two dragons were named captain hook and tip-toe.
There are also several morphs available in bearded dragons. In nature the dragon will be a grayish color. Bright colors have emerged thanks to selective breeding. The most common morphs are orange, red, and yellow colors. I personally like the blood morphs and the sunburst. I don’t know a lot about breeding these lizards, but I know a little. The female will lay 20-40 dime sized eggs which will need to incubate at 85 degrees for 60 days. The female dragon burrows to lay her eggs, so at least a 12 inch layer of damp sand will be required for breeding. I’m sure there is better way, but this is method I have. After she lays the eggs you will need to get them out and place in a humid incubator.
- Try some of these links to find info
- http://www.kingsnake.com/
- http://www.beardeddragonguide.com/
The Bearded Dragon is a great pet if you can get over all the work that comes with them. Thanks for talking some time to learn about Bearded Dragons.
Michael Walker
No comments:
Post a Comment