| Calico Dragons Care Sheet |
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| Profile: Bearded Dragons originate in the wood and scrub land areas of Australia and are day time lizards. Most love to be handled and are very good pets for first time reptile owners. They can reach 23 inches in length but most average 15-20 inches at maturity which is about 1 to 1 1/2 years. The average life span is 5 years but they can reach 10 years or more in good captive conditions. |
| Feeding: Primary food should be calcium dusted crickets, silkworms, roaches, and greens. Crickets, silkworms, and roaches are good staple insects that have semi low levels of parasites and are a good source of protein which aids growth in young and juvenile dragons. Crickets can be purchased at many pet stores or online but silkworms are harder to come by and tend to be more expensive. Silkworms do have the highest levels of nutrientional elements and are far better to feed then crickets because of their soft bodies which are much easier to digest. Roaches are found at some pet stores as well and can also be purchased online. We do not feed mealworms or superworms because they are harder to digest and cause impaction which could be very dangerous for dragons. They are all very carnivorous thus tend to carry more parasites internally and are very high in fat. We offer crickets, silkworms or roaches 3 times a day to babies(hatchlings - 2 months old) and 2 times a day to juveniles and sub-adults(2 months - 1 year old). Adults only get fed insects once a day. No crickets or insects of any kind should be allowed to stay in the dragon's cage over night. We also "gut load" every type of insect that is fed to the dragons. Gut loading just means that the insects are well fed and their "guts" are loaded. You can buy many different brands of gut load from pet stores or make it yourself. We use oranges, left over greens and green stems, and carrots. Basically any type of left over fruit or veggie will do. The idea is you want your insects to be well fed so your dragon can be well fed from your insects. The best greens to feed your dragon are chopped collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, alfalfa, cactus pad/leafs/flowers, endive, escarole, dandelion greens and (acorn, hubbard, scallop, and spaghetti) squash. Greens and veggies you should not feed are avocado, rhubarb and wheat which are very toxic to dragons. Also lettuce of any type has no nutritional value and can cause diarrhea. Dragons should get their greens first thing in the morning and should not be fed insects until afternoon hours to allow them to completely warm up and be able to digest their bugs. |
| Water: In the wild, bearded dragons do not have free standing water sources and most inhabit very dry areas. Therefore, we do not give free standing water bowls. They naturally get there water from plant material and dew drops in the early morning. So we use a mister to stimulate the dew drops which they drink. We mist babies 2 times a day and juvenlies once a day. Adults only about once a week. Also making sure they have fresh greens everyday aids in keeping them hydrated. Dragons also benefit greatly from baths in warm water. Babies and juveniles should get a bath of warm shallow water every few days. Adults about once a week. Also baths help with shedding and help to prevent sheds from staying on to long which is bad for the dragon's skin. We feel very strongly against water bowls because of the high humidity levels they cause which can lead to respiratory infections in babies and some juvies. |
| Supplement: We dust all of the insects we feed with Rep-Cal (Phosphorus Free) Calcium with Vit. D3 dust. We also dust with Herptivite multivitamin supplement powder form on there greens once a week for optimal growth. |
| Enclosure: We highly recommend 15 to 20 gallon bins or tanks for babies until they reach 10 inches in length. Dragons larger then that need a minimum of 40 to 55 gallons. Keep in mind when housing more then one dragon, the more dragons the bigger the enclosure. Also, the top should be screen covered. More to prevent something from getting in then getting out. Although dragons are descent jumpers most tops help with protection from other house pets. |
| Substrate: Bearded dragons are well known for trying to eat anything that is in there enclosures. So we try to avoid loose substrate. Newspaper, paper towels, shelf liner and dust free fine grade sand are the best options. Some people use rabbit pellets for adults but when wet it tends to grows mold because of the warm temp. Also wood chips/shavings, walnut shells, lizard litter, gravels and marbles are all bad ideas because if your dragon eats them(which could eventually happen) there would be a very high risk of impaction which causes death or lameness if not aggressively treated. |
| Landscaping: The more room your dragon has to run the better. Keeping just a bowl of veggies and access to a vertical and horizontal basking area is all that is needed. The more items in the cage the more stressed new babies will be, and it also helps with finding crickets that would have otherwise hid in something. |
| Lighting: Bearded dragons need UVA and UVB light rays to grow healthy bones and absorb calcium. We use 10% or higher rated UVA/UVB fluorescent bulbs which you can buy at many pet stores. The bulb needs to stretch the majority of the length of the enclosure. Also the dragon has to have access to 12 inches or closer of the UVA/UVB bulb. The UV rays in the bulb wear out after about 6 months to a year depending on what percentage the bulb is rated. So it does need to be replaced as it wears out even if it looks like it is still the same the coating has warn off and is no longer supplying your dragon with the UV it needs to grow. |
| Temperature: Dragons need heat to digest their food so they need a basking spot to get warm. Adults need a temperature of 95 to 100 degrees F. Babies need up to 105 to 110 degrees F. To be sure of the temperature use a thermometer or temp gun which you can buy at many pet stores or order online. Please never guess, and never use heat rocks! Dragons can unknowingly jump or move quickly onto a hot surface and burn there bellies. Heat rocks are well know for becoming very hot in a certain area instead of heating evenly. Dragons also need a cool side to there enclosures. Anywhere from 70 to 80 degrees F. on the cool side will help them regulate there body temperature. All babies and juveniles should have their lights kept on for at least 12 to 14 hour a day. Adults need a 12 to 14 hour light time in the spring and summer and only need to have 6 hours a day of light in the fall to winter months. Of course lights go out at night and dragons can cool down 20 degrees F. with no ill affects. Timers are the best way to be as accurate as possible. |