Inland Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
The names Pogona barbata, Pogona nullarbor, and Pogona henrylawson are also considered bearded Dragons. They require similar care and living conditions.
One of the best features of the Bearded Dragon is its manageable size. An adult male can grow up to 23" in length. The females are smaller and reach about 16" in length. This makes them an animal you can handle quite easily. There is a special breed of Dragon called a "German Giant" that reaches up to 30" in length. They get the name "Bearded" from the inflatable pouch that runs under the jaw line. When stressed or challenged, the mouth opens and the beard puffs up causing the spikes to bristle out. The beard turns a black color that offers an interesting contrast to the yellow mouth lining. The body flattens out to make the Dragon look bigger. Add a little bit of hissing and you have a very impressive display although it is rarely seen in tame pets. A different sort of display is shown in "hand waving". This is more commonly observed in females as a sign of submission. Their colors range from brown, tan, orange, red, pastel, gold, to sometimes grey-green.
Captive Breeding Status:
Bearded Dragons are extensively captive-bred for many reasons. They are easy to breed and can lay up to 26 eggs. The offspring were once expensive but now have become quite common. You are more likely to get educational value than money value from breeding them. There are many new color morphs being bred regularly. It is best to have two males with three or four females to induce breeding. Unlike many herps, bearded Dragons will breed without their keeper doing much of anything. The eggs will hatch in about 45 - 60 days. It is important to feed the babies well. They have high metabolisms and can starve quickly. Also, underfed babies will nip at toes and tails of their brethren.
Native Range/Habitat:
Bearded Dragons originated from the deserts of Eastern and Central Australia. Since Australia has strict laws on exporting wildlife, all the bearded Dragons in the hobby are captive bred. They are diurnal (active in the day) and spend most of their time basking on logs and stumps.
Diet/Feeding:
Bearded Dragons love to eat. They will readily consume both plant and animal matter. An adult Dragon's diet should be 50% plant and 50% animal. Recent research has brought this balance into question. The possibility exists that 75% of their diet should be plant matter. Since they grow rapidly, it will be necessary to dust their food with a calcium and multivitamin supplement. Adults should get supplements once or twice a week while juveniles need supplements every other day.
The primary food of choice is usually crickets but they will eat mealworms, king mealworms, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, silkworms, and wax worms. It is important to note the size of your Dragon in relation to its food; generally, feed the Dragons insects that are no more than 1/3 the size of their heads, especially babies. Baby Dragons will eat pinhead crickets and wingless fruit flies. Feeder insects are often suffering from malnutrition by the time they are purchased so it is a good idea to feed for 1-2 days with a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement such as Tetra ReptoLife Plus. Crickets are high in phosphorus, an element that can interfere with proper calcium uptake. Crickets and all insects should be dusted with a calcium supplement such as Tetra ReptoCal.
Dragons will eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Try mustard greens, collard greens, kale, and dandelions. You can also feed them green beans, peas, grated carrots, corn, chopped apple, orange, broccoli, and grated yams.
You can avoid the hassles and expense of feeding live foods and vegetables by using a commercially prepared diet. It will give the Dragons all the essential vitamins, minerals, etc. for healthy growth. It will also greatly reduce the chances of getting metabolic bone disease.
Housing:
For one adult Dragon, plan on having a cage the size of a 55-gallon aquarium (48" long X 13" wide X 20" high). You should have a sloping branch or rock under a heat lamp. An alternative is a heating pad. Whichever is used, the hot spot should reach 105ºF with a cool zone of 75-80ºF. It will be fine if temperatures drop to 65ºF at night. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperatures.
Dragons also require an ultra-violet light to help synthesize vitamin D, an important co-factor in calcium metabolism. You will not be able to use a UV light designed for plants, it does not have the proper frequency your reptile needs. Get a full spectrum light specially designed and labeled to provide UV-B wavelengths. The UV light should be kept on for 12 to 15 hours a day. Make sure a hide box is available to shade the Dragon from the light when desired.
The substrate for the Dragons can be a reptile safe sand, newspaper, astro-turf, etc. Sand is a favorite since it is more like their natural environment. It also makes for a nice looking set-up. Gravel and non-reptile friendly sand can cause the Dragon to get impacted in the intestines. Newspaper, colored astro-turf, and paper towels will work fine but their appearance is not very appealing. These items are easy to maintain and are unlikely to block the digestive tract of the reptile. It is possible to used sterilized potting soil that does not contain perlite. Potting soil will be good for live plants but it is not a mess-free choice. Also, you are better off using artificial plants, unless you can positively identify and avoid poisonous plants and are willing to replace ones that get eaten or are damaged by digging and climbing Dragons. Add some decorations such as rocks or logs as well.
General Comments:
Bearded Dragons are readily tamed and easy to handle. They are one of the few reptiles that seem to enjoy this type of attention. For the novice and the expert, the Bearded Dragon is one of the best pet lizards to purchase. They are active reptiles that display a lot of personality. They rarely bite or show aggressive behavior. They come in many colorful phases and have a fairly simple upkeep. The iguana may be most popular reptile for now but the Bearded Dragon is more suitable pet for reptile hobbyists.