I've recently acquired a bearded lizard. Not sure how to properly care for it. Does it require a constant

Question

heat source. Does it need a light on all the time. What should I feed it? What should I know to properly care for this pet. Thus far, all I know it that his name is George. I believe he's four.

Answer 1

I agree with wendi_just_me... They DEFINITELY need the UVB lighting, just sticking them where they can get "natural sunlight" in your house is worthless. Glass filters out UV rays. Also, not sure about the moss as a substrate, but sand works really well. I'm pretty sure if you feed them fresh greens every day you don't need to give them water. They are desert animals and are very good about getting water from their food. Any time I've offered water it's been ignored, or run through and then you have a very sandy lizard. It can't hurt to offer water every now and then to ensure they aren't dehydrated, but standing water in such a hot environment can actually cause the humidity to get too high for the dragon's long-term health. This site is worth checking out:
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

Answer 2

First off, congrats on you new friend. Bearded dragons are a joy and as long as you care for it properly, you will have a happy healthy friend.
So, his food requirements are this: feed him once a day. He will love crickets, madagascan hissing roaches and mealworms. You can also give him just weaned mice. You should be able to find these things at your local store. I used to have an escape proof 10 gallon fish tank to store his food in. I used to shop for mine 2x a week.
Give george a basking light set up at one end of the cage. Grab a timer so you you can program the light to go off after 10 - 12 hours. The cool end of the cage should be about 75 degrees and the hot end should be about 90 degrees. Try to position his home in a way that will let natural sunlight in.
Make a shade area in the cage so he can decide when he needs to cool down. Your floor should be sphagnum moss since it retains water very well. put a bowl of water in the cage that is large enough for him to soak in.
Get a spray bottle also so you can hit him with a cool mist of water - he'll LOVE it.

Answer 3

First off, you are getting some unreliable answers. They eat chopped fresh veggies, like carrots, zucchini, broccli and so forth as well as crickets and wax worms. You should dust his food with a calcium/phosphorus supplement. He also needs a ceramic heat lamp (they last for years and are convenient because they don't emmit light). YOu also need a 50 gal short aquarium. You also need a UV light designed for desert species. The heat lamp stays on 24/7 and the UV should be on during daylight hours. This stuff can be ordered online or found at a local pet store. He needs to eat a handful of insects and a fresh bowl of veggies each day. He also needs a large shallow water bowl. He should be misted with a spraybottle to ensure proper hydration once or twice a day. Calcium sand makes a safe, digestable substrate. Give him some little fat sticks to perch on. Fake foilage always spruces things up. I would also like to know more about his condition so I can help you further. Is he missing any toes? You can e-mail me at [e-mail]

Answer 4

The answer by poopy is great!!!! He knows his Beardy's.

Word of caution "Pinky's" baby mice are very high in fat and more than one every 6 weeks or so is too much. I have had Beardy's for quite a while and do not even feed with pinky's. My Beardy "Spikers" loves cantaloupe!!! I use a large plastic dog food bowl in place of the ceramic water bowls, it doesn't tip and he can dunk his whole body. Spikers is about the same age as George and is 18 inches nose to tail tip. Enjoy

Answer 5

CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW BABY. JUST KEEP CAGE CLEAN, FEED ONCE A DAY, FRESH WATER, AND TALK TO HIM. THEY GET TO KNOW THEIR OWNERS BY VOICE AND SIGHT. THEY ARE GREAT. I LOVE MINE.

Answer 6

bearded-dragons.com