When it comes to finding a pet for your family, your first instinct might be to go for a cat or a dog, or even a bunny rabbit.
Not many people think about taking home a bearded dragon.
However, bearded dragons offer so much more than you might think and are actually very popular in the US.
Not only are they calming to watch, but they make for a great companionship while offering you plenty of peace and quiet.
If this wasn’t all, they also are very affordable, personable, and are easy to care for.
This doesn’t mean to say that you shouldn’t find out as much as possible about how to look after your new pet.
Unlike a cat or a dog, you may not be aware of what a bearded dragon needs to have a good life. This article aims to point you in the right direction of bearded dragon care.
What will they need to eat and drink
It is essential to know exactly what is the right food and drink for your bearded dragon to consume, just as it is with any pet.
Bearded dragons will need feeding three times a day and require this to be a hearty diet of plants and bugs.
The ratio of what they eat will depend on whether they are young or an adult. An adult will eat around 80% of plants and 20% of insects, while a younger dragon is the opposite.
The insects you can provide them with include superworms and dubia roaches, while the plants can include dandelion greens and collard.
Bearded dragons will also need a bowl of water.
Make sure this bowl is big enough in case they want to take a bath, which they more than likely will, and fill it up as and when necessary.
Providing the right ‘house’ for them
Bearded dragons can grow up to 24 inches in length, so you need a tank that is going to be big enough to accommodate your pet when it is at its biggest.
A 55-75 gallon tank is usually big enough for one single adult bearded dragon.
With the tank in place, you then need to set about making it the perfect home for them.
Landscaping
As tree-dwelling animals, they love to perch off the ground, so provide them with plenty of rocks, logs, and branches for them to climb and sit on.
Top Tip: Place a hollow log so that your dragon can hideaway when they are in need of some alone time. This can make them feel more comfortable.
Heat and humidity
You could provide the perfect home for your bearded dragon, regarding food, drink, and landscaping, but if you don’t get the heat and humidity right, then they won’t be happy.
You need to ensure that it is around 78 to 88 °F during the day and around 70 at night.
It is entirely up to how you want to heat the tank, and it might take some trial and error to find the ideal one, but it is an important step to carry out.
The humidity needs to be around 35-40%. This might seem like a fairly low percentage, but it is typical of their home country, Australia.
Good ventilation is the key to reducing the humidity and maintaining it.
However, your water dish can also make a difference, so the bigger, the better!
However, be sure to place this away from the heaters. You don’t want to evaporate the water and increase the humidity, after all.