I have had cats, dogs and fish, but never a reptile. Any help that you can give will be appreciated.
2006-08-05 17:56:31 · 7 answers · asked by loves_being_outside 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html
Bearded dragons make great reptile pets & are relativley easy to keep. Check out the above site for general care info. I disagree with the heating pad suggestion - heat from a lamp is much better.
One of the most important things to remember is that lizards need UVB rays either from sunlight or special reptile UVB lamps - they are not cheap either. Some pet stores will try to sell you useless lamps as "UV" lamps or something similar - they are usually cheaper than true UVB lamps but they are useless & potentially deadly for your lizard. Good UVB florescents are ZooMed 10.0 or 5.0 ReptiSun. Good incandescents are TRex Mercury Vapor or Active Heat UVB self ballasted mercury lamps.
Good luck
2006-08-06 03:11:37 · answer #1 · answered by carl l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bearded dragons are great for first-time reptile owners. I would suggest you try to find an older dragon, as babies can be fragile and your child will probably want to hold and play with it.
Dragons are best kept in a large terrarium designed for reptiles. You can find everything you need for these critters at stores like Petsmart and Petco. I would suggest a 40gal reptile terrarium. You can use sand, reptile bark, or reptile carpet for the bottom of the cage. They will need a heat lamp, water dish, and a place to hide. Always keep the light on one far end of the cage, so he can cool down at the other end if he wants to. Dragons eat a varied diet of crickets, mealworms, commerical pellets, fruits, and veggies.
Most dragons are sweet and don't bite, and they are one of the sturdier pet lizards. They are not mean and don't smell, and are not slimy. I think it would be an educational experience for your child. I was 12 when I got my first snake, and I now have many reptiles including frogs and lizards. They are so much fun to watch and work with, and I'm sure you'll learn to love him too!
2006-08-05 18:06:24 · answer #2 · answered by Dreamer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Beardeds are great as first time pets, however I disagree with the person who said to get an adult. I would get a young bearded, not nessacarily a baby but a juvenile would be good. I am thirteen, but I got my beardeds years ago and loved them! But you can't be careless with them. It has to be fed mostly veggies and fruit and occasinally crickets, never mealworms! mealworms can eat the dragon from the stomach out. yes it's true! if you need more help feel free to email me. sapphireserpent4evr@yahoo.com
-Tiffany
2006-08-06 07:23:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
bearded dragons make grate pets buy it as a baby that way it wont have any bad habits reptiles are excellent pets i started with a bearded dragon now i have 2 ball pythons one of them even liked to sleep with my son who was a baby at the time
2006-08-05 18:07:53 · answer #4 · answered by steamroller98439 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
beardies are a great reptile to start with...but i would suggest you get all the information bout the diets and such so you will be prepared..here is a site that might help you..it has info care sheets and just about anythin you want to know on beardies or other reptiles..good luck
http://www.repticzone.com/
2006-08-05 19:16:56 · answer #5 · answered by ozzkat2002 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are a good lizard to start with. they tend to have a better temperment than geckos. if you know anyone that has one who wants to get rid of it, it may be a good way to start out. if not, then a juvenile beareded dragon should be allright for your 13 year old if they put in some research before getting the pet. they are costly and it helps to have some knowledge of them to start out with. usually pet stores will have care sheets or books that may help you out when deciding if it is a good pet for you.
2006-08-07 03:10:30 · answer #6 · answered by Nate 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just say no,that is no fun
2006-08-05 18:01:08 · answer #7 · answered by Sherry H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋