Popular as ever and growing in notoriety around the world, owning a bearded dragon as a pet is no more of a problem than having a cat or a dog, and they are a lot easier to care for. Native to Australia and thus subject to import and export laws in each other country, the bearded dragon is one of the smallest of the lizard population. These reptiles are a popular choice for kids as they are calm and friendly and relatively easy to look after.
Adults will range in size between sixteen and twenty-two inches so having an enclosure that is large enough for them to move around in and play is important. Having a triangular head and a little flattened lower area, they may expand a pouch under their jaw, as well as inhale air and puff up, when they are feeling threatened. This enables them to look a lot larger than they actually are, which of course is a defensive mechanism utilized by a large number of animals in natural settings.
They typically eat a wide variety of food, are active in the day and are really delicate by nature. They are almost always captive bred when you see them in pet stores, and they are readily available and relatively cheap. Having a bearded dragon as a pet is a fun thing for all to become involved with, from the apparent bonding with the lizard to the fun that can be had making their enclosure look and feel really cool.
In fact having a larger enclosure which is fitted out with ornamental plants, real rocks and logs, and other natural looking things, almost has the results of bringing nature inside.
It is important to recollect though, that anything natural like rocks and logs, etc need to be cleaned and boiled before introducing them to the enclosure. This will make sure there are no contaminants on the things, shielding your new pet from possible harm, or sickness.
From a feeding viewpoint having a bearded dragon as a pet is a terribly easy process. They are omnivorous which means they'll eat insects and vegetables. Adults will also eat meat in the sense of baby mice, and other small lizards, but can also be found eating whatever takes their fancy. A varied and balance diet consisting mainly of vegetables appears to be the best feeding plan.
When feeding them vegetables they're going to need to have their greens chopped up and the smaller the lizard, the more finely they're going to need to be sliced. A great mixture of shredded carrot, greens, corn, and mixed frozen vegetables is a good choice. Avoid broccoli and spinach as these can be harmful.
Feeding insects to your bearded dragon as a pet would include crickets, meal worms, and wax worms, but they'll generally eat all kinds of insects. Insects should be gut loaded before feeding them to the lizard, which means that the insects should be given a nutritional meal before being fed to your dragon.
As well as a good balanced diet, dietary additions should also be given to your dragon. Calcium and Vitamin D3 additions can help to stop metabolic bone disease, which can be fatal. These additions will be available in a powder form, which you can dust over their food.
Stephen Gordon is a bearded dragon expert. Discover The ULTIMATE Guide For Bearded Dragon Care, Learn The Secrets How To Grow A Happy & Healthy Bearded Dragon!
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