Bearded dragon info?

[magpie]

We had a new friend over last night and she said she has a bearded dragon that she got for her son a while back but she feels bad because he doesn’t get as much attention as he should.

I’ve always been into lizards so I expressed some light interest. I think there’s a potential she might give him and her setup to me if I was really into it.

Just starting to research to see if this is something I actually want to do.

So far I know that adults need about 20/80% insects/veg, that they need high temps in a basking area and a place away from the heat to regulate.

How challenging are they? (I’ve never owned a lizard)
Are they interactive/able to be handled easily?
Would you recommend one or no?

Anything else I should know?

I’ll definitely do more research before I even consider it but I thought I would throw it out here because this forum is always full of such great info.

 

[tlindsey]

We had a new friend over last night and she said she has a bearded dragon that she got for her son a while back but she feels bad because he doesn’t get as much attention as he should.

I’ve always been into lizards so I expressed some light interest. I think there’s a potential she might give him and her setup to me if I was really into it.

Just starting to research to see if this is something I actually want to do.

So far I know that adults need about 20/80% insects/veg, that they need high temps in a basking area and a place away from the heat to regulate.

How challenging are they? (I’ve never owned a lizard)
Are they interactive/able to be handled easily?
Would you recommend one or no?

Anything else I should know?

I’ll definitely do more research before I even consider it but I thought I would throw it out here because this forum is always full of such great info.

Only issue I see is your electric bill . Never had a Bearded Dragon but always wanted one. Had a Mali Uromastix a few years ago was comfortable with 120 degree heat lol. I think the Bearded wouldn't be a challenge for you.

 

[tlindsey]

Only issue I see is your electric bill . Never had a Bearded Dragon but always wanted one. Had a Mali Uromastix a few years ago was comfortable with 120 degree heat lol. I think the Bearded wouldn't be a challenge for you.

Uromastyx is the correct spelling.

 

[magpie]

The Uromastyx looks nice - did you have one of the black ones? They're striking.

I have no idea what color this dragon is.

Another question I have is when we go on vacation... Does someone have to go in every day to feed? Maybe I could get the current owner to do that for me.

 

[tlindsey]

The Uromastyx looks nice - did you have one of the black ones? They're striking.

I have no idea what color this dragon is.

Another question I have is when we go on vacation... Does someone have to go in every day to feed? Maybe I could get the current owner to do that for me.

Yes very docile reptile it would hiss but would inflate itself and swing it's tail side to side lol but never attempted to bite. Loved that little lizard

 

[tlindsey]

Yes very docile reptile it would hiss but would inflate itself and swing it's tail side to side lol but never attempted to bite. Loved that little lizard

As far as feeding while on vacation I personally would ask her and see if she would care for it.

 

[PYRU]

It all depends on how much they handled and how they did on diet/supplements.

Beardies are awesome. Very tame and predictable when raised properly. My buddy has one somewhere around 10yrs. I can pick it up and hand feed it no problems. Very aggressive eater when small, but lazy knot on the log when older. Do yourself a favor and get a dubia colony going.

His kids can handle it as well. The only time it gets pissy is when outside and you stand over it.

 

[magpie]

I've been reading about bioactive substrate which really appeals to me, because I also like planted aquariums. It makes sense to me in that regard - animal enrichment, and some balance to the ecosystem once it's established.

Anyone have any experience with this?

I've been in 2 bearded dragon forums, one which gives great info on it, and in the other I was immediately told by a couple of people that it shouldn't be used for dragons, it's more likely to cause problems than help. (But is good for skinks, geckos, etc.?)

It seems like a very polarizing topic and I am so new to reptiles that I don't want to be dumb.

I've read on here that some people use it, or a soil/sand mix... like Vicious_Fish and Experiment397 .... Can you shed some light?

I'm happy to stick with tile if that is truly best.

 

[magpie]

Too late to edit... I was looking for setup ideas and saw that one person made a digging box for the enrichment piece... might be another option if I don't do a dirt substrate?

 

[Experiment397]

I have kept beardies on a 2 parts sand 1 part coconut fiber or ground spagnum moss mix for over 10 years now and still love it. my current beardie is actually on a slightly different mix. 2 parts white reptisand and then equal mixed parts of coconut fiber, ground spagnum and organic topsoil. No issues for me. beardies get to dig all they want. can spray it with a little water and pack it down and they can dig away. as long as they are fed from a bowl ive had no issues. my current beardie eats out of a ceramic dog/cat food bowl and has learned that the bowl means food and he basically ignores anything else. i also use this same mix of substrate for some of my snakes, scorpions and arid tarantula species. just slightly vary the composition for their individual humidity and burrowing needs. as far as bioactive i have experimented with adding small invert species- native isopods, tiny millipede species, springtails, even dubia nymphs all with great success. in one of my tarantula enclosures i mixed in some ground pillow moss and with regular misting in the tank moss has begun to grow in some places and helps maintain the humidity of the tank.