Lizards, when taken care of well, make great pets. Bearded dragons are one of the most popular lizards available today. This article explains a little about Bearded Dragon life styles and provides the necessary information to set up your own bearded dragon habitat.
Bearded lizards can live for up to 10 years, are medium sized and can be found in the wild in Australia. Petite animals, these lizards do not grow more than two feet long from nose to tail. Bearded dragons are omnivorous and should be fed crickets, baby mice, earthworms, and green leafy veggies. Clean drinking water is also a must, as is the occasional misting. Bearded lizards are very social and you can keep more than one in the same tank without too much trouble.
Native to central Australia, bearded dragons prefer forested, dry, warm climates. During the day, they hang out in trees and bushes, but also can be found basking on warm stones. To keep your lizard healthy and happy, try to recreate this natural environment as closely as possible in its new tank.
To start, you must choose the appropriate enclosure. While hatchling bearded dragons do fine in your average 10-15 gallon tank, adults should be kept in aquariums at least 55 gallons large, so keep this in mind when looking for a tank. Also, bearded dragons can be quite the escape artists, so a tight fitting lid is a must!
With your lizard's enclosure in place, you next need to decide what type of bedding (also known as substrate) that you want to line the bottom of the tank with. A good substrate is easy to keep clean, absorbs liquids well, and easy to digest, just in case your lizard eats some. Most specialty stores sell substrate specifically designed for bearded lizards, but shredded newspaper works as well. Whatever you choose, be sure to avoid, kitty litter, cedar shavings, crushed corn cobs, or gravel as this can be bad for your pet if ingested.
Once your substrate is in place, you can decorate the tank. Be creative! The more hiding places and things to climb on your lizard has, the happier he will be. Oak sticks make good climbing posts, and flat rocks are perfect for basking. Live plants can also be added, as long as they are non toxic.
Last but not least, you need to choose and install light and heat fixtures. This part of tank design is vital because your lizards are cold blooded and depend on you for heat. 78-88 degrees F is an appropriate day time temperature and 70 degrees F works at night. The easiest way to provide this is to install incandescent light bulbs at the top of your tank. Special basking lights are also important to create a hot spot where your new pet can bask.
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