Monday, February 28, 2011

Caring For A Bearded Dragon

By Angie Blair


The pogona species of lizard, also known as the bearded dragon comes from the outback in Australia. More and more people are choosing to have these exotic creatures as household pets. They usually live between five to eight years but some have lives as long as twelve years.

They are known for being calm and not making too much noise. They also don;t need that much additional care making them good candidates to have as pets.

You should make sure your pet bearded dragon is fed the right diet. The lizard is an omnivore so this means they eat vegetables, fruit and insects. You can buy insects from pet stores or catch them outdoors or use carnivorous plants to catch them for you.

Another factor to consider in caring for your pet is providing them with the correct lighting. Your pet will need a special UVB light and a light that replicates real daylight. You should aim for fourteen hours of daylight and ten hours of darkness. They are used to living in the wild in dry, sunny regions and so they will need to have a similar environment recreated for them.

Try to buy the biggest tank you can afford as bearded lizards need space to move around as they would in the Australian outback. A ten to fifteen gallon tank is enough for a baby but a grown lizard will likely need a fifty to fifty - five gallon space. The more space the better as your animal will want to roam.

Bearded dragons also have a natural need to hide, climb and perch. Make sure their living quarters take this into account as they need to stay active throughout their day. There are many items you can buy for their living space to help you achieve this.




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