15/06/2022
γJust a Little Dragon advice for you all γ
HOUSING π
π¦ Bearded dragon's are solitary animals and should be housed on their own, otherwise you will face dominance and aggression issues between dragon's.
This can result in missing limbs.
Give your baby a few days to settle in before handling as his or her environment is new and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming.
It's quiet normal for dragon's to not eat for the first few days though most likely if they're hungry they'll eat π
ENCLOSURE.βΊπΏ
π¦ Bearded dragon's require a 120x60x60cm enclosure that will last them a life time. A 90x45x60cm will do them temporarily whilst they are juvenile.
A heat globe (incandescent or halogen) and a UVB globes should be replaced every 3-6 months. T5 light fittings is the best option for uvb.
its always good to take your beardies out for some natural Uv rays. You can buy puppy play pens to have out in the sun though you need to all so provide half shade to prevent over heating.
The thermostat should be set at 28-30 degrees on the cool side whilst the basking should sit around 42 -45 degrees.
12 hours of heat & Uvb with lights being turned off at night as bearded dragons need a day and night cycle.
For bedding i use Bunning's play sand ( dried out) there is nothing better then what they have in their real habitat π ( Do not use- small rocks/pebbles, or any type of wood bedding as ingestion from this can cause serious harm.
The enclosure can be furnished with rocks, basking logs a back ground and a feeder dish.
If taking anything from the bush please soak in a bath of hot water.
If you have sand and large rocks your bearded dragons walk over this should work as a filing aid to maintain nails. You don't have to cut nails unless you notice them over grown or you are using paper as a bedding (which i don't recommend unless it's advised from a exotic vet due to parasite issues.
MAINTAINING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTπ§Όπ§Ή
Maintaining good husbandry is key to a dragons health.
Sifting sand when ever your dragon goes to the toilet. Full sand sifting every 3 days for anything else.
When should you do a sand change over?
By personal choice I like to change my sand over once a month or 1 -2 months depending. During my sand change over I will f-10 the enclosures, rocks logs ect.
With f 10 diluted please still ensure you are rinsing your whole enclosure off properly.
Make sure you dilute your f 10 correctly to the instructions. If you are thinking the strong the solution the better it will clean this is not the case. It can actually cause respiratory infections if its made up more then it should.
NUTRITION πͺ³π¦
π¦ Babies require live food 2 times a day. Crickets or woodies. ( Dusted with reptile calcium dust )
REPTILE REALM is a great business to order your live food from and are delivered quiet fast.
Meal Worms should not be feed as a staple and only as a treat. Please don't feed meal worms as a treat until 6 months old. TREATS that can be fed as a baby are black solider fly larvae. They are nutritious and I offer my bearded dragons BSF larve 2-3 times a week.
β πSalads are to be offered everyday! πβ
I like to do, baby rocket, bok choy kale & carrot.
Adults should be fed live food 3ish times a week with salad offered every day.
STAYING HYDERATEDπ§
Normally bearded dragon's will get enough water from daily salads all though I like to offer droplets of water on the snout just to make sure my dragons are well hydrated.
BRUMATION π€
Adult bearded dragons who are past 1 year of age will typically brumate around winter. Please make sure your bearded dragon has pooped before brumation. If you live in a really cold area like myself, you can get che globes for winter so the temp doesn't drop too low for your dragon. Please do not let your baby dragons brumate. Any age past 1 year is fine.
HEALTH β₯οΈ
If you notice your dragon is not displaying normal behaviour please consult with your vet.
Yearly check ups of dragon's health is something you should do.
I strongly advice adv testing if you are purchasing from a breeder who doesn't test just to rule out any future problems.
For instance I test straight away from the day I pick up a dragon I book prior to get them in to adv test and then quarantine the dragon in a different room and tank. Wash hands in between and never use the same feeder tools between dragon's. If you are breeding dragons you should test again prior to breeding.
Always a pm away if you ever need advice π