Bearded Dragon: Keeping And Care

Information on keeping, nutrition, and hibernation of bearded dragons.

Keeping bearded dragons

Key data:

• up to 60 cm total length
• different species: Pogona vitticeps, Pogona barbata, Pogona henrylawsoni, Pogona minor
• Origin: Australia
• diurnal
• inhabit stony semi-deserts (subtropics)
• Male: femoral pores
• Life expectancy 8-12 years

Keeping in the terrarium:

Space Minimum Requirements: 5 x 4 x 3 KRL (head/torso length) (L x W x H)
Lighting: spotlights, offer temperature differences

Important ! the animals need UV light (UV rays do not pass through the glass). Young animals in particular need up to 30 minutes of UV light a day, adult animals are enough for 15 minutes a day.

recommended lamps are: Zoo Med Powersun/Lucky Reptile 160 W/100 W (animal distance 60 cm) Advantage: Heat and UV lamp in one
Fluorescent tubes e.g. Repti Glo 2.0/5.0/8.0 (animal distance 30 cm)
Disadvantage: no more UV light after 6 months

Osram Ultravitalux 300 W (animal distance 1m)

Important! UVA and UVB light must be covered for all UV lamps.

Humidity: 50-60% important! Control with hygrometer

Temperature: soil temperature 26-28°C; local heat places up to 45°C;
Night reduction to 20-23°C

Setting up the terrarium:

Hideouts, rocks, roots, a shallow large bowl of water

Substrate: Sand containing clay, no gravel or pure sand! as animals eat this and become constipated. Plants are not required, if then tillandsias or succulents

Nutrition:

omnivorous (all-eaters) with increasing age more herbivorous (plant-eaters)

Feeding:

Insects: crickets, house crickets, small grasshoppers, cockroaches, Zophobas, etc., some young mice
Plants: dandelion, plantain, clover, lucerne, cress, seedlings, sprouts, carrots, peppers, zucchini or tomatoes

Regular mineral and vitamin supplements (e.g. Korvimin)

Feed adult animals 1-2 times a week with insects, otherwise vegetarian.
Dust or feed insects with supplements of minerals and vitamins

Hibernation (Warm Hibernation)

Meaning of hibernation:

• rest period
• Use of fat reserves (without hibernation, some animals tend to become obese)
• reproductive stimulation
• immune stimulation
• activity stimulation

Initiating hibernation:

• parasite control
• Before hibernating, bathe once to empty the intestines
  2 weeks: full lighting and heating; Discontinuing feeding, still offer local heat source. Do not feed animals during hibernation as they tend to become constipated.
• Within a further 2 weeks: switch off the heat sources; Reduce lighting to 6-8 hours a day, and temperature reduction from 25°C to 15°C. Animals stay 6 weeks – 3 months in hibernation at 16-20 °C (partly up to 3 months)
• Weight control – No feeding, but always offer fresh water

End of hibernation:

• Slowly increase temperature and daylight length for 1-2 weeks. (offer local heat source)
• water supply
• Bathe
• offer food