Let TheBeardedDragons.Org give you some information! “What on earth is a bearded dragon?” you may ask. Essentially, they are lizards that look like they have beards. They make great pets. But I’m sure you’ll want more details than that. Read on for more information below.

Where are they from?

Bearded Dragons are naturally found in the arid central parts of Australia, although they can be found in other regions and habitats too. You might be wondering how they could fit into your home as a pet? Well, they love to lounge about in bushes and trees and an occasional bask on a comfy rock.

Perfect conditions for your bearded dragon can easily be met in your own home with a few basic pieces of equipment. They can live a great expat lifestyle away from their homeland, sipping on cricket cocktails and lounging on your coffee table whilst not working a day in their lives! Lucky bearded dragon. Read more on where do bearded dragons come from.

What do they look like?

Well, the name is a bit of a giveaway. They are from the lizard family. They have a big triangle-shaped head and a flat body. They have spines and scales arranged in rows along their body. The beard in their name comes from the cluster of spines on their throat and behind their head.

If a bearded dragon gets spooked or frightened, the spiny beard becomes more visible. This is an evolutionary trick to warn off predators. But don’t worry. They’re not very sharp and the little guys won’t be scared of you.

How do they behave?

These creatures have a few special moves that make them adorable. They often display a hand-waving gesture. Yes, you heard right. They wave! How cool is that? They’ll do this to show submission. If you see a dragon bobbing its head, don’t assume they want you to put on some death metal and rock out with them. This display is usually to show who the boss is between other dragons.

If two male dragons confront each other, it might look like there’s a techno rave going on. Why is this? Well, both dragons will be changing colour to display rivalry whilst bobbing their heads and waving their arms. You can expect their beards to turn jet black. Just join in and feel the groove.

Read more about different bearded dragon behaviours.

Do they make good pets?

Bearded dragons are great pets. They are a lot easier to care for compared to other reptiles. And guess what? Bearded dragons are the only reptiles that show affection. This is really a beautiful thing and lovely reward for looking after your bearded dragon well. They also won’t break the bank. Apart from the setup costs, they cost very little to keep happy and healthy. The food bill is very reasonable.

They’re also great for families because they can be considered non-aggressive. They’ll sometimes puff out their hipster black beards but this is nothing to worry about, just a natural reaction to feeling defensive. They are very self-reliant creatures and on average live 5 to 8 years without having to pay much attention to their health. They really are not much bother.

Read more on “do bearded dragons make good pets“.

What do they eat?

Like the majority of humans, bearded dragons are omnivores. This means they can eat a variety of things from vegetables to insects and some non-citrus fruits. Just make sure that this insect is bite-sized and can easily fit into the bearded dragon’s mouth. Their favorite bugs include butter worms, cockroaches, crickets and earthworms. Some of these you can find in the garden or even crawling around your house. They will munch them right up!

So there you have it. A bit of information for you. The bearded dragon is an entertaining, affectionate, unique, charming, and family-friendly pet that costs very little to look after. It really is a great alternative choice for a pet and there are also plenty of fun accessories to give to your beardie. Keep looking through this site for more specific information that will turn you into a bearded dragon information mastermind!

Read more on what do bearded dragons eat.

Behavior

It’s fun to keep an eye on your bearded dragon’s behavior. The little fellas can be pretty enjoyable to watch; even the lazy ones have their quirks. Some behavior can be positive and some can seem like their is something not quite right, whilst others are just simply perplexing. There could be different reasons for odd behavior; problems with setup and diet could be the root of the cause. Let’s find out more about what gives your beardie its mojo.

Usual Behavior

There are too frequent beahaviors from your bearded dragon that you should know: brumation and shedding.

Brumation – Brumation is kind of like what bears do in the winter. Your bearded dragon will also go into a semi-hibernation period. For how long this period may last; nobody knows. Each bearded dragon’s brumation cycle is different. Some don’t even show any signs of brumation. It is for this reason that burmation is a particularly confusing bearded dragon behavior for new owners. During brumation you’ll see your bearded dragon eat less and sleep more. They’ll be less active and you might think something is wrong when it is a perfectly normal bearded dragon behavior. One way to make sure that your beardie is just chilling out during brumation is to weigh it. A bearded dragon should not lose any weight during brumation. Be sure not to disturb your bearded dragon too much during this period. Let it relax and take some time out. Read more on bearded dragons brumation.
Shedding – Shedding comes as natural to bearded dragon’s as shredding comes to Slash. Bearded dragons will shed their skin somewhere from every few months to twice a year. A baby will naturally shed more often as it begins to grow. This process of shedding should be moslty left to its own devices. Trying to help the process by picking at the skin can damage the new skin underneath. If you really want to help, try bathing your beardieor exoliating very loose skin with a damp cloth. The signs of shedding are a discoloaration in the skin and puffiness around the eyes. Read more on bearded dragon shedding.

Unusual Behavior

Bowel movements – A healthy bearded dragon will have healthy and regular bowel movements. You’ll know when something is up is the bowel movements are either too frequent or too infrequent either through diarrhoea or impaction.
Dehydration – It’s amazing that these creatures aren’t like wrinkly old dried prunes. Wait. They kind of are in many ways. Anyone who spend so much time in dry and hot environments needs water. Dehydration is a serious issue. You’ll be able to tell if a bearded dragon is dehydrated by pinching its skin ans seeing if it falls back to the starting position quickly. Good elasticity in the skin shows good hydration. Wrinkly skin, sunken eyes and lack of activity can all be signs that your bearded dragon needs a little more water.
Paralysis – This could happen if your beardie literally bites off more that it can chew. If you see your bearded dragon unable to move after eating something large you should contact your local vet immediately.
Sad eyes – Otherwise know as droopy eye. This may be a sign of kidney problems. Again, contact your local vet immediately to get things checked out by a professional.

The right care for your bearded dragon will see it behaving in usual ways. Any signs of distress in your beardie that you’re unsure of should ultimately be passed on to a professional to put your mind at ease.

Care Tips – Top 5

Here we’ll talk about the 5 most important bearded dragon care tips for looking after your beardie. Although they are pretty tough cookies they still need some care and affection.

Care Tips 1 – Hold your bearded dragon with care

We all love to grab these awesome creatures and there’s a right and a wrong way to do this. The wrong way would be to grab a hold of its tail to pick it up like a crazed kid playing with a stuffed dinosaur; that’s just not cool. TheBeardedDragons.Org suggests that you slowly reach under your bearded dragon and gently lift it up with the palm of your hand and rest it’s tail on your forearm. Imagine a butler holding a bearded dragon silver tray of champagne with a bearded dragon white cloth draped over their foreman and serve your friends some Bearded Dragon love. Mmmmmm…. Bearded Dragon champagne. Thank you, butler! Now run along and run me a bath.

Care Tips 2 – Turn the lights off

We’re not that different from our fellow bearded dragons. Like us humans, they also need their shuteye. Remember to turn those terrarium lights off before bedtime so that your bearded dragon can count his crickets before snoozing off into dragon dreamland. You should also note that by tuning off these lights a significant heat source will be lost. There are solutions to this such as a heat pad or incandescent bulbs that emit heat yet are no bright enough to disturb your bearded dragon’s sleep pattern. See more about temperature in our next tip. More about bearded dragon cage lighting and How long do you leave the lights on for a Bearded Dragon?

Care Tips 3 – Be aware of temperature

Bearded Dragons are not great pets for Eskimos. Unless you want a bearded dragon ice pop, keep the temperature to its liking. The bearded dragon can be found in its wide array of natural Australian habitats; from deserts to woodlands. A safe temperature for bearded dragons to thrive are between 75 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 25 to 32 degrees Celsius.

Care Tips 4 – Bathe your Beardie

Splish, splash, give your beardie a bath. If your bearded dragon has had a long day, why not set out some scented candles, play some relaxing meditation music, and run it a nice a bath. This can be done about once every 5 days. A more frequent bath will also help a bearded dragon when they begin to shed their skin. If you’re thinking of cuddling up to your beardie in the bath then be aware that there is a high chance they will poop in the water. Bad beardie. If this happens, scoop that poop out quickly. Nobody likes a bath tub of poop, and since bearded dragons will likely drink their bath water it’s in their best interests to make sure they don’t slurp on their own brown poop smoothie. Yuck.

Tips 5 – Be House Proud

Coming from the arid and subtropical woodlands and shrub lands of central Australia, the bearded dragon is going to want a pretty pimped out set-up for it to enjoy life. Remember to carefully research the correct habitat for your bearded dragon and try to replicate that in your own home. This site will help you find all the information and products to do this.

Choosing a Baby

We all want our bearded dragons to be healthy and happy. A big part of this is providing the right care. If you take the time to research the correct diet and setup, a lot of your bearded dragon care will have been completed. One often overlooked aspect of their care is choosing a healthy baby. Taking some time in the initial stages of choosing a baby bearded dragon could ensure a strong and healthy dragon for many of the years to follow. More on how to select the perfect pet bearded dragon.

Look Out For These Signs

One advantage of choosing a baby bearded dragon is that you know it hasn’t had a previous owner that might have neglected it. There is less chance of a baby bearded dragon taking on negative aspects of care given to an adult. You’ll get a chance to really bond with your baby lizard and grow together. However, this does bring in extra care duties to take into consideration. Baby bearded dragons will be more fragile and will need extra attention. They’ll also require a more intense diet of bugs. Look out for these signs when buying a new bearded dragon:

Injuries – Take some time to glance over your bearded dragon for wound or injuries. There may be scars that are still healing or may require future attention.
Missing Limbs – A lot of lizards have the awesome ability to grow back limbs. However, bearded dragons do not (but they do have awesome beards!).
Eyes, mouth and head – Have a look around their face to see if there are any infections. They eyes should be bright and there should be no lacerations or puss around the mouth.
Reactions – Your reptile should be alert and sprightly. See how they react to eating a bug. They can be pretty quick.

Setup

If you’re thinking of getting a bearded dragon or have just added a new one to your family then you’ll be wondering about a perfect setup for your home. This page will answer all of your concerns about the best setup for you and your pet.

Vivarium

The first thing you’ll need is a home for your bearded dragon. A pet’s house is often called a vivarium. It could also be called a tank, a cage, a terrarium, a house. Whatever word is used, we get the picture; it’s somewhere your bearded dragon can call home. Here is our recommended list of best cages for bearded dragons.

A space for a bearded dragon should be at least 4 foot in length. The height of the vivarium still plays an important roll even if bearded dragons aren’t know as the most prolific of climbers. Giving at least 2 foot in height for your reptile will give it some fun options to play around with. Perhaps you’ll see it climb up some rocks to bask nearer to a heat source. All of this space is essential for your bearded dragon to get its daily exercise. Nobody wants a couch potato bearded dragon.

Temperature

The size of your vivarium will have an effect on the temperature. You’ll need to take this into consideration when setting up a heating source for your pet and keeping the temperature stable. Bearded dragons thermoregulate themselves naturally by moving from colder to warmer spaces and vis-versa. However, you’ll still need to provide adequate heat to keep your lizard comfortable. It’s likely the temperature of your home will fall below the required temperature. Therefore, an additional heating source is required. Find out more about the perfect temperature solutions by following the link.

Lighting

Light up your bearded dragon’s life by placing the correct UVA and UVB lighting systems at the right temperature for your vivarium. It really is important to find the right fit for your own bearded dragon’s space and allow for warmer and cooler zones. The bearded dragon should be able to get closer to a heat source if necessary. The right lighting is a necessity for their health and happiness. Remember, in the arid deserts of Australis you won’t need a winter coat. The bearded dragon like it hot.

Substrate

Once you’ve gone to the effort of finding the right vivarium and lights for your bearded dragon setup, you’ll need to lay down a welcome home rug for your new pet. The stuff that goes on the floor of your bearded dragon vivarium is know of as substrate. There are a few different options to consider. Replicating it’s habitat of sand and small pebbles might not be the best choice if you’ll worry about your pet swallowing small lumps of the stuff. There are other cleaner and safer options. Find out more about bearded dragon substrate.

Accessories

The final step in your setup. It’s time to give your new lizard crib some homely touches. There are some great ideas for bearded dragon accessories here for both inside and outside your vivarium. Some are more essential than others and some are just for fun. Mr Bearded Dragon like the occasional treat and is a proud house owner. It really wants to show off it’s new territory with some funky accessories.

Read more about Bearded Dragon Habitat Accessories.

Bearded Dragon Diet

As kids we were always told to eat our greens. Perhaps you remember being rewarded for doing so and couldn’t wait for the treat that would follow. Although eating those greens could sometimes be a chore, the best interest of our health was always the concern. Now you’re in the same boat; you’re starting to think about how you can take care of your bearded dragon. You want to see it grow strong with the best possible diet available. This is a great page to find out everything you need to know about a diet.

First of all, bearded dragons are omnivores. This means they eat a variety of food including delicious bugs, fruit and vegetables. There are several vitamins and minerals that are essential in keep that spring in the step of your bearded dragon. Good nutrition is needed to ensure a long and healthy life.

Diet Overview

Mr Bearded Dragon has provide you with all the essential information about your bearded dragon’s diet. Be sure to follow the links on this page to answer any of your concerns. There is a frequently asked questions section to get a quick answer to anything that you’ve been curious about.

Bugs

Find out the best bugs to feed bearded dragons here.

Fruit

Want to treat your bearded dragon? Give it some of these diet friendly fruit.

Vegetables

Make your bearded dragon grow up strong and tall, well, long at least. These vegetables are perfect.

Nutrition

Sometimes bearded dragons need that extra bit of nutritious goodness. A multivitamin could be useful.

More about bearded dragon diet.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many other questions that follow diet that owners have. This section will keep growing to provide easy access to frequently asked questions.

How Long Do Bearded Dragons Live?

How Big Do Bearded Dragons Get?

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas?

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Watermelon?

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Kiwi?

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples?

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes?

Store

You’ll find all the bugs you’ll need and more by visiting our Store at amazon.

Keep it beardie!