Can bearded dragons live together?
Do not cohabitate with bearded dragons. DRAGONS DON'T NEED FRIENDS and letting them be around other dragons/animals/reptiles is just a bad idea all around.
Dragons are solitary creatures and will hurt each other if kept together. If you go to any pet shop with babies' houses together several will be missing toes, feet, and tails.
People see dragons being cohabitated at pet stores with babies for two reasons. Either they don't know or they don't care and they're just taking the chance that nothing happens.
The bearded dragons will be fine like this until they are not and you cannot predict when that will happen. I've heard people say, “oh look they are cuddling”.
No, they are not. They are showing dominance over the other. See available bearded dragons for sale.
Bearded dragon Humidity, Heating and Lighting
2 types of light are needed to set up bearded dragon humidity for dragons of any age: Basking (heat) light & UVB light.
THE BASKING LIGHT provides heat so a dragon can maintain its ideal body temperature and digest food.
The best-bearded dragon humidity is 30-40% (relative humidity).
You can use a reptile basking light like a'Zoo Med Repti Basking Reptile Spot Lamp'or a halogen flood bulb (not LED ones).
Look for good quality household flood reflector-type bulbs (with at least a 30-degree flood beam).
Make sure to have a proper fixture with a ceramic socket that can handle the wattage of the bulb you are using.
A light dimmer is always a handy tool to help regulate basking temps.
UVB LIGHTING is needed by bearded dragon humidity for them to produce pre-vitamin D3 in order to process and absorb calcium.
The recommended UVB light needed for this is a tube UVB fixture/bulb (coil and mercury vapor bulbs are not recommended as they do not provide complete UVB exposure over the entire surface area).
A T8 or T5 light fixture can be used for bearded dragons. The T8 needs to be mounted inside the tank or a T5 can be set on top of the screen on the outside of the tank. (NOTE:
What is the difference between T5 and T8 lamps for bearded dragon humidity?
This refers to the size/diameter of the bulb itself. T5 lamps have a miniature bi-pin base while T8 and T12 lamps use a medium bi-pin base.)
The proper bulb for bearded dragon humidity is either a'Zoo Med T8 ReptiSun 10.0 UVB'or an'Arcadia 12% UVB Desert Reptile Bulb' (Note: What does 10.0 or 12% refer to?
This is the UVB level output of the bulb). Make sure the bulb corresponds correctly with its T5 or T8 fixture.
UVB strength lessens with time so T8 bulbs should be replaced every 4-5 months.
T5 bulbs should be replaced every 10-12 months. NOTE: After consulting with my herp vet, he recommended UVB LIGHTING BE REPLACED EVERY 4 MONTHS for T8 and MVB bulbs. Extensive testing was done at the Chattanooga TN Aquarium and they came back with 2 very important results: 1.
The first 48 hours of a new UVB bulb puts out A LOT of UVB and can actually be dangerous for a reptile or amphibian.
After 48 hrs, the UVB output goes down to safe levels. 2. T8 / MVB UVB bulbs should be replaced after 4 months because the output of UVB is minimal to non-existent anywhere after 3 months.
LIGHTING SCHEDULE: A proper lighting schedule should mimic a natural day and night time cycle.
Keeping lights on for 12 hours a day and off for 12 hours is recommended. There should be no lights on at night.
TEMPERATURES: Bearded dragons require a temp gradient in the tank in order for them to properly regulate their internal body temperature.
The tank should have a warm side ambient temp of 85-95F (30-35C), and an opposite cool side ambient temp between 75-80F (24-26C).
The basking spot will be on the warm side of the tank and basking spot temps should read as follows: Baby: 100-110F (38-44C) Juvenile / Adult: 95-105F (35-40.5C)
At night bearded dragons should have a cooling-off period. Night temps in the low 70s (21c) are ideal. If temps drop below 65F (18C) at night, a ceramic heat emitter bulb (CHE) may be used to provide temps above 65F.
These bulbs do not produce any light, only heat. Colored bulbs should NEVER be used at any time. Read more about humidity levels
Bearded dragon Tank (Bearded dragon Enclosure)
A minimum 20-gallon long tank is recommended for a baby bearded dragon.
A 40-gallon breeder tank (36Wx18Dx18H) is the minimum for juvenile & adult bearded dragons.
I recommend skipping the smaller tank and purchasing one that your dragon can grow into.
Babies don't usually have problems with larger tanks and if they do, you can always create a partition until the dragon grows into it.
When determining whether your dragon has enough space, bigger is almost always better.
Ideally, the length of a tank should be at least twice the length of your dragon (head to tail).
The depth of a tank should be no less than the length of the dragon.
The height should be between 18 ”-24” to allow for adequate temp gradients as well as a proper distance for UVB lighting & bearded dragon humidity.
Bearded dragon substrate (Best bearded dragon Substrate)
The following are recommended to use for flooring in a bearded dragon tank:
Title: Cheap, easy to clean and helps keep nails trimmed down
Reptile Carpet: Keep several on hand to switch between them while the dirty one is being cleaned
Paper towels / Newspaper: Disposable, cheap and easy replacement for cleanup.
UNSAFE SUBSTRATES
Loose characteristics such as sand, soil, wood chips, ground walnut, etc IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND SHOULD NOT BE USED.
These sintered can be ingested and often cause impaction which can lead to serious injury and/or death.
They cause eye infections and harbor bacteria if not completely changed out on a regular basis.
Supplements, Calcium and Vitamins
Your dragon does not get all of the vitamins it needs from its food sources alone, vitamin supplements are essential.
Calcium and vitamin / mineral supplements are imperative for dragons of all ages.
Along with a UVB light, dragons need calcium and a multi-vitamin to ensure proper health and to reduce the chances of getting MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease).
Calcium with D3 needs to be given along with using a proper UVB bulb.
Vitamins and Minerals for a Bearded Dragon
Just like human beings, bearded dragons need certain vitamins and minerals in order to maintain good health and productive lives.
They do have different vitamins and mineral needs than humans, though. It is important to get these vitamins and minerals in the correct amounts in order to keep them healthy and promote robust growth.
Vitamin D3 and Calcium
Vitamin D3 and calcium are probably the most important vitamins and minerals you need to supply your bearded dragon.
They are essential for the proper development of bones and critical for gravid females.
Both calcium and vitamin D3 need to be given simultaneously since bearded dragons cannot metabolize calcium sufficiently if they do not have a proper intake of vitamin D3.
How much calcium and vitamin D3 you give them depends greatly on how much natural sunlight it receives and their age.
Bearded dragons in the wild receive vitamin D3 naturally from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
In captivity, full-spectrum light is needed in order to mimic those ultraviolet rays so they can absorb the vitamins and minerals.
Baby bearded dragons need a daily dose of calcium and vitamin D3 to ensure proper growth and good bone development.
Juveniles should be given supplements of calcium and vitamin D3 at least three to four meals per week, and adults should receive supplements 3 times per week.
When searching for calcium and D3 supplement, use one that has a calcium to phosphorus ratio of at least 2: 1, while 3: 1 would be even better.
You don't want to give it too much phosphorus.
Vitamin A
While a bearded dragon does need some vitamin A, it is very important not to give too much. If they are given too much vitamin A it can lead to vitamin A toxicity.
They can retain vitamin A within the body and organs and can become toxic if levels become too high. Use a supplement that contains beta carotene as an alternative to vitamin A.
Iron
Iron is mostly needed with baby bearded dragons. Again, iron is one of those supplements that should be given very sporadically.
Too much iron intake can cause long-term health issues so it should be given with caution. The best way to supply safe levels of iron is in leafy greens such as collards or kale in small amounts.
Multivitamin Supplements
One of the best ways to cover all of a bearded dragon's vitamin and mineral needs is to supply a multivitamin supplement specifically designed for lizards.
These contain a broad range of essential vitamins and minerals specifically designed for reptiles.
Many of these can be found at pet stores, or through a reptile veterinarian.
Multivitamin supplements should be given to babies no more than twice a week, and no more than once per week to juveniles and adults.
More On Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Always read the labels on vitamin and mineral supplements to check the ingredients. Avoid buying any that do not have the ingredients listed.
You want to make sure you know what you are giving your bearded dragon.
As you can see supplying the correct amount of vitamins and minerals is essential for good health and good growth development.
Our Recommendations
These are the calcium and multivitamins that I personally prefer because they have the correct and safe amount of D3 for daily use.
For a calcium supplement use ZOO MED REPTI CALCIUM WITH D3 and multivitamin REP-CAL HERPTIVITE MULTIVITAMIN.
Bearded dragon diet / Nutrition
Bearded dragons are omnivores. They eat a variety of vegetables, fruits and bugs.
Along with proper husbandry and lighting, good nutrition and a varied diet are essential for a bearded dragon to be healthy and happy.
⁃ Bearded Dragons that are under a year old should be eating 80% bugs and 20% veggies. As babies, they need protein to grow.
⁃ Bearded Dragons that are a year or older should be eating 80% veggies and 20% Bugs.
Per week, adults can have 30-60 live feeders but mostly should be eating salads.
– Between 3-5 years of age dragons should primarily be eating vegetables with a small amount of protein.
BUG NUTRITION
VARIETY IS KEY TO ANY DIET. Feeding a single prey item to any species is not in itself a specialist will have negative effects with time.
Staple feeders like silkworms, crickets, BSFL, and cockroaches are considered staples because they can be fed safely every single day.
With that being said, it is still important to supplement the diet with additional food items to create as much nutritional diversity as possible.
How to hand-tame a bearded dragon
Your baby needs to time relax and learn that you and your hand are not a threat to him. This will take patience but it is definitely worth every minute.
My very first baby dragon would literally freak out if I even looked at her in her tank. You are going to need to start from scratch.
Besides putting food in your baby's tank don't try to touch him. Just open his tank 5-6 time's a day or more if wanted and just talk to him in a calm voice. Just tell him how pretty he is, how good he is and that you will not give up on him.
After this time has gone by now you'll want to slowly try to pet him as you talking to him and NEVER come at him above eye level.
If you have a tank that opens from the top you'll want to put your hand in away from your baby and slowly go towards him at eye level or below.
You'll again want to do this for at least a month without trying to pick him up. With each day extend the amount of time you pet him. You'll again want to do this for at least a month without trying to pick him up.
Now, in step 3, you'll want to talk to him, pet him and now slowly try to pick up just the front part of him, front legs and head and just let him sit on your hand while you pet him. This is teaching him he can trust you and that you mean him no harm. Again, do this 5-6 times a day for about a month.
After he lets you do this without running away it's finally time to try and pick him up all the way but you'll still want to leave your hand in the tank in case he wants to get off.
At this point, you can also wait for about 45 minutes after lights out when your baby is asleep or more relaxed at least and try to cuddle with it then show it can get used to your scent.
All these steps you'll want to do for 3 weeks to a month. This is definitely going to take patience but it's well worth it. My Lil girl that hated me even looking at her is how the biggest cuddle bug you could ever ask for ..
Please feel free to ask for help during any of this and we're happy to help.
Putting a shirt or article of clothing you've worn in the tank can help with this also.
Signs of A Healthy Bearded Dragon
Most of the time bearded dragons will only act differently if they are feeling ill.
However, below are some ways you can tell if a bearded dragon is healthy.
Activeness / Energy The first way you can tell how healthy a bearded dragon is, is by seeing how active and alert he or she is.
A healthy bearded dragon will keep his / her head perked up if they are awake and will be very alert when someone is approaching his tank.
Healthy Appearance You can also determine a bearded dragon's health by its appearance.
You should look for any puss or unusual fluid around their eyes and mouth. You should also look at making sure their mouth and joints are not swollen.