The Bearded Dragon Manual. Philippe De Vosjoil
Fire Red, and Hypo Orange (Tangerine); pale hypomelanistic pastels (Hypo Pastels); and even “white” types, including Hypo Ice, Snow, and some Zero dragons. New patterns, such as the Dunner and exciting Purple Paradox, have emerged. Translucent dragons are on the scene; in our line, they have black eyes. Another interesting variety is the leatherback bearded dragon, which displays reduced tubercles on the skin, making it smoother to the touch. We can continue to expect to see new morphs in the future because breeders constantly strive to introduce variety into the hobby.
Prices for inland bearded dragons vary considerably, depending on the individual’s sex, color morph, genetics, health, age, and expected reproductive rate. You will have to evaluate which of the various kinds of bearded dragon is best suited for your purpose, whether you are looking for a pet, a living work of art, or a source of revenue from breeding. The next step is to find a high-quality source for your new bearded dragon. Bearded dragons are available through breeders’ websites, at pet shops, and at reptile shows.
Bearded dragons are easy for children to handle if done properly.
Is a Bearded Dragon the Right Pet for You?
As mentioned, many experts rank the bearded dragon as one of the very best reptile pets. These lizards are beautiful, active, entertaining, moderately sized, easy to handle, naturally tame (with few exceptions), and relatively easy to keep. Compared to smaller reptiles, they are robust and hardy. Compared to larger reptiles, they are relatively safe for children, although basic hygiene habits such as hand-washing must be practiced. The only potential downside that we’ve found is their enclosure requirements. As adults, these lizards require an enclosure of at least 48 inches long (longer if you have the space).
Because bearded dragons require substantial amounts of food, including live insects, they defecate frequently, so their enclosures and substrates have to be cleaned daily. Of course, there are ways to minimize the amount of time that cleanup takes. Using paper towels as a substrate makes cleanup fast and easy, but some owners may prefer the look of reptile carpet. Either way, we find that our customers spend about 10–15 minutes a day caring for their bearded dragons.
Although bearded dragons seem to present less risk of disease transmission than some other reptiles, you must practice simple hygiene if you are to share your home with a bearded dragon. Any reptile can carry the Salmonella bacterium, which can be shed in the feces and may pose a disease threat to humans, especially infants, toddlers, and those who are immune suppressed. You should never allow your bearded dragon on food-handling surfaces, such as kitchen counters and dining-room tables. You should wash your hands immediately after handling your bearded dragon. Wash your dragon’s food and water bowls separately from your household dishes. And, of course, keep your bearded dragon’s enclosure scrupulously clean. Sound judgment and common sense will keep your dragon a low-risk, valued member of the household.
An Eastern bearded dragon.
Natural Habitat
All bearded dragons originated in Australia. Although dragons currently found in the pet trade are many generations removed from their Australian roots, details about their habitat in the wild provide clues to proper husbandry in captivity.
Most bearded dragons live in relatively hot, arid regions of Australia, and thus require a warm, dry enclosure in captivity. However, water is mandatory and should be offered in shoulder-deep water bowls, through misting and/or soaking (depending on the age of the animal), and through fresh greens. A bearded dragon’s enclosure should offer temperature gradients, meaning that the dragon should be able to move from the hot basking side of the tank to the cool side to lower its internal temperature when necessary.
Wild bearded dragons in Australia enjoy climbing and basking on rock piles and on the rails and posts of fences. When designing a home for your juvenile dragon, include a long, low, smooth rock—natural or artificial. For an adult, a large, thick piece of driftwood will act as a climbing branch and be happily accepted. Provide a basking light so the dragon can heat up, which stimulates feeding.
A proper bearded dragon setup recreates certain aspects of its wild habitat.
Longevity
Although there are a few reports of pet inland bearded dragons exceeding ten years of age, most live between five and eight years if they are initially healthy and raised in good conditions. One of our customers called us to report that her dragon died at the age of twelve, so she obviously was an excellent caregiver. She acquired the supplies that we recommended, and she followed the care instructions that we gave her when she first purchased the dragon. She called us when she had questions rather than relying on the opinions of other pet owners.
It is easy to fall in love with bearded dragons, but loving a bearded dragon is not enough when it comes to giving your pet the care he needs and deserves. Being an excellent caregiver is what will give your dragon the potential to reach his maximum life expectancy. The fact that you purchased this book says that you are well on your way to understanding your bearded dragon’s needs and providing an environment that meets those needs.
Bearded dragons of all ages, from baby (shown) to adult, need an adequate supply of clean water to prevent dehydration.
Sexing
Accurately determining the sex of baby bearded dragons is difficult; at best, it is an educated guess. Adults, however, show secondary sexual characteristics that allow for relatively easy sexual identification.
When trying to sex juvenile bearded dragons, people often examine several factors. The first trait to look at is the tail taper. The tails of females taper more sharply from the base compared to those of males, which appear just slightly thicker. In our experience, this method is most successful when applied to the small percentage of individuals that show greater extremes of tail taper. The differences in tail taper often become more pronounced as bearded dragons grow older.
The femoral pores are examined next. Prominent femoral pores on a 6-inch juvenile would indicate a probable male. Femoral pores show as a running line of dots on the inner thighs of the dragons.
Head size is also possibly helpful in determining the sex of babies because males tend to have a wider skull base compared to females. This is not always true but, combined with the aforementioned methods, looking at the skull’s width can help you determine the probable sex of a baby bearded dragon.
Another technique has improved the accuracy of sexing small bearded dragons, but it must be performed with extreme care and is best done by an expert dragon handler. This method consists of holding a dragon facing out and lying flat on the palm of one hand while gently bending the dragon’s tail above the body plane with the other hand. We can’t emphasize enough that you must perform this task gently to avoid harming the dragon. Carefully bending the tail toward the ceiling, above the body plane, will cause the skin on the ventral side (underside) of the tail base to be stretched back, which will show the outlines of hemipenal bulges in males. These bulges run directly caudal (toward the tail) from the vent (cloacal opening). A defined, central post-anal groove—two vertical bulges with a channel running between—is a good indicator of a male,. In females, slight post-anal bulges may be visible, but they tend to run laterally from the vent, midline, like the arms of an inverted V. A probable female can appear flat right above the vent or can show one small bump. This method works best with experience and is usually complemented by other concurring observations, such as the male’s thicker tail and wider cloacal opening.
When sexing subadult and adult bearded dragons, you can apply the same method of raising the tail as described for sexing babies. As with babies, extreme gentleness is a must. Subadult and adult dragons can also be accurately sexed by pulling back the vent flap and exposing the cloacal opening. In males, the cloacal opening is significantly wider and