Want to buy a bearded dragon Help!!?

Question

I would like to know how to take care of them and iff i should buy one
also should i buy a baby or adult

Answer 1

The people at the pet store should be able to tell you how to take care of them. I checked on getting one before. All I really know is that you will need a glass aquarium with a heat lamp to keep him in and that they eat live crickets. Also, I would buy a baby that way he be handled young by you and probably least likely to bite ya.

Answer 2

DON'T ask at a pet store - some employees know what they're talking about, but many do NOT! It's best to research how to take care of them yourself. Here are a few websites for good info:

http://www.wnyherp.org/care-sheets/lizards/bearded-dragon.php
http://www.kingsnake.com/gladescs/bearded/
http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

If you decide to get a beardie, have a list of things you need when you go to buy your supplies. Get these first, then you can have everything set up and working for when you bring your dragon home.

As far as age goes, try to get one 8-10 inches long. They have a life span 5-15 years, so if you get an adult, you may not know just how old it is when you get it. For babies (6-8 inches) can be hard to find properly sized food (crickets). If you get one in the 8-10 inch range, you'll have it for several years with proper care, plus feeding will be easier!

Answer 3

I would suggest reading the care sheets on both retile rooms and repticzone. They are both really good sites and have a wealth of knowledge. There is just too much info to list here, all that info fiils a whole book. Don't take too much stock in what pet store people tell you, they are often young kids who are getting paid hourly or a comminsion and who are just interested in making a sale. I would not suggest that you put 2 (no matter what sexes) together since problems can occur with any combination.
As far as a baby or adult goes, that would be up to you. There are pros and cons to both. A baby is cute and watching one grow up is a wonderful thing but they eat a LOT to fuel their rapid growth and there are potential health problems that could happen while a baby or young. Health wise they are much more fragile. While you may not get to watch an adult grow up, you will know that you are getting a sturdier animal and 80% of their diet switches over to vegitation as adults so it become smuch cheaper to feed.

Answer 4

1. Don't ask the petstore people. They may or may not know what they are talking about.

Buy or check out from the library these two books:

1. Terrarium and Cage Construction and Design (read the desert terrarium section, and the bearded dragon section in the desert section)

I so love this book. Reading it once will save you tons of money on the cage by building one right the first time instead of buying an aquarium and finding out they aren't the best thing for the lizard and spending more money on a suitable cage.

2.A specific book on bearded dragons.

Answer 5

I have had several Bearded Dragons. Once you have their vivarium set up they are fairly simple to look after (as long as u dont mind feeding them crickets!).

Either adult or baby beardies are just as good. they live upto 15years + so you will have it a long time. They are very tame and would never harm you/bite.

You will need a good sized vivarium (tank) with a special UV bulb for dragons (this lets off a gas that helps them grow) , a basking lamp (for high temperature heat), a heat pad (stays on constantly under the tank), calci sand/chips for bottom of tank, plants, feeding/water bowl and a basking rock (they need this to help digest food) Thats the basics you need to start up. Once you have it all set up its easy to take care of ur dragon. they need fresh water everyday and crickets (they can last upto 3 days without crickets but must be supplimented with veg/fruit (no lettuce) also you will need a skooshy bottle to spray the dragon daily to keep cool and some calcium supplement in which you pour over the crickets/mealworms.

I used this website when i first got my dragon it helped alot with what veg/fruit you can give them and has usful tips. Ive had dragons for 2 years now and i love them. they are great pets but must only be kept in male/female pairs as 2 males will fight or nibble at each other.

Hope this helps and goodluck
xx

http://www.beardeddragonsecrets.com/tips.html

Answer 6

Do your homework first. The set up is expensive and you have to keep up with maintenance. Get a book on Beardies and read it first. Too many people get lizards and don't take care of them properly and the animal will get ill if he does not have what he needs.

Answer 7

you should buy a baby that way to can mare sure that it is tame. you should also buy a mesh cage not a glass tank. the glass creats to much bacteria that can harm it. you need to do alot of research to make sure it is what you want and you know how to take care of it. when you do get one buy cricket dust for the crickets that way the beardie gets more vitamins that it needs. good luck.

Answer 8

Get on google or kingsnake.com and find out when you might have a herp show coming to your area..this would be the best place to get a beardie. You're most likely buying from the breeder and they'll have more color choices available, and a bigger selection!
Otherwise, the internet is your best friend as far as info goes...the Latin is pogona vitticeps.