Frequently asked questions
Setting up your Dragons Enclosure
What can I put on the bottom of the enclosure?
Baby Bearded Dragons should not have any sand or loose substrate in their enclosure as it can cause impaction. Things that are safe to put in the bottom of your baby dragon's enclosure include : Paper towel, newspapers, reptile carpets, tile, linoleum, fiber floor, towels.
Should I leave the heat lamp on at night?
Unless the room temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheiht or 21 Celsius then you do not need to keep the heat lamp on at night. In fact, it is healthier for your dragon to cool down to a safe lower temperature than he is during the day. Letting the enclosure temperature drop at night will help prevent your dragon from getting dehydrated as well as helps your dragon to get a better rest. If the room temperature of the room your dragon is in drops below 70 degrees F or 21 Celsius at night then you should keep a heat lamp on at night that does not let off any light.
Do Bearded Dragons need a light at night?
No, its is best to have no lights on around your Bearded Dragon at night while he/she is sleeping. Bearded Dragons are Diurnal creatures and like to sleep in the dark.
Where should I place the UVB and Heat lamp on top of the enclosure?
Your heat lamp should be placed to one side of the enclosure to help create a warm side of the enclosure and leave the other side cooler so that your dragon can regulate his temperature externally. Your UVB shoud ideally be a long tube bulb that can span most of them length of the enclosure, if it does not then place it where your dragon spends most of his time regularily. It it very important that your dragon is exposed to UVB lighting during the day.
What shoud I use to clean the enclosure?
Water and vinegar can be used to clean your dragon's enclosure. Here at KBD we often use Dexidin 4 detergent dilluted in water to clean our enclosures with. There are also many cleaners that can be bought at pet stores that you can use to clean your Dragon's enclosure with. Please be sure to always rinse/ wipe down your enclosure with just water after using a cleaner to insure that no cleaner residue if left in the enclosure when you put your dragon back.
Care
How often do baby Bearded Dragons need to be fed?
Baby Bearded Dragons should be fed 2-3 times a day. We like to provide our baby dragons with fresh vegetables and a few bugs first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon we offer them some more bugs, and sometimes a few more later in the evening. Once your dragon is 1 years old you can cut down to feeding your dragon only once a day.
What can I do to help my Bearded dragon when he is shedding?
Misting your dragon daily helps them while they are shedding. You can also give your Dragon a nice warm bath to help loosen the shedding skin. DO NOT try to help your dragon by pulling off the shedding skin for him, this can cause damage to the new scales underneath.
Can I feed my Bearded Dragon bugs that I have found outside?
This is not recommended as it introduces the risk of your dragon potentially catching a a parasite from a bug eaten from outside as well as certain bugs from outside could be posinous to Bearded Dragons. Howver, if you take your Bearded Dragons outside and one of them happens to catch a bug, do not worry, chances are your dragon will be perfectly fine. One of our dragons once caught and ate a bee before we could stop him! To our suprise he had not ill effects from eating it!
Why should I give my Dragons Calcium Dust and how do I give it to them?
Calcium dust along with proper UVB lighting will help your prevent your Bearded Dragons from getting Metabolic Bone Disease and will help keep your dragons healthy. You can give them cacium dust by dusting their bugs with it. To dust cricklets: Take a bag and put the crickets you are about to feed your bearded dragon in the bag along with a few shakes of calcium dust, close the top and shake the bag to dust the crickets....just like shake & bake! You can also sprinkle some calcium dust on their salads if oyu do not want to put it on their bugs.
How do I know if I'm giving my Bearded Dragon too much Calcium dust?
If the white urate part of your Bearded Dragons feces starts to turn yellow this is often a sign that they have too much calcium in their diet, this can also be a sign of dehydration.
What is my dragon's feeding schedule currently?
Approx 6:45 am - Fresh salads are place in all our dragons enclosures.
About Bearded/Rankins Dragons
Do Bearded Dragons like to live in pairs or on their own?
Bearded Dragons are solitary creatures and therefore do best living alone. If two bearded Dragons are living together one will usually try to gain dominance over the other. Females can sometimes be sucessfully housed together, however they need to be watched closely for any signs of agressions towards each other in attempt to gain dominance.
Do male or female Bearded Dragons make better pets?
In our opinion both male and female bearded dragons both make good pets. The gender of your dragon will not determine its personality or whether or not he/she is going to be friendly. If you are planning to have more than one bearded dragon then females would be a better choice as they may get along well enough to be around each other. If you are planning to only have one bearded dragon then you may find that a male is a good choice for you since you will never have to worry about him needing to lay eggs.
Eggs
What are the symptoms of a gravid (pregnant) female?
A female that is gravid will usually have an increased appetite. You will notice her excessively digging in her enclosure. Her belly will get bigger, but you may notice the fat pads on the top of her head going down (gainning weight in the belly but loosing it elsewhere) as a result of her not getting enough food to suport both her and her eggs. You may be able to feel lumps in her belly or even see that her belly is bumpy, however, if the eggs are infertile you may not be able to feel or see them.
Do Females lay infertile eggs?
Yes, once a female is 1.5 - 2 years old, or reached maturity she can lay infertile eggs even though she has not mated. If your female has eggs to lay she needs to be offered a suitable place to lay her eggs. If a female canno't find a suitable place to lay her eggs she will hold onto the eggs until she finds a suitable spot to lay them. In most cases after a while if the female has not found a suitable spot she will get desperate and lay her eggs inside the enclosure (or if she is roaming the house she may find a slipper or somewhere around your house to lay them lol). It is not recommended that you put your bearded dragon in this situation. In rare cases if the female holds onto the eggs too long she can end up egg bound (essentially the eggs dry up inside her) and this usually ends up being a fatal situation.