Pets are very important part of our daily lives. They are like a family member and hence there care should be of prime importance. We are familiar with dogs, cats, and birds as pets, however if you have or you wish have some exquisite rare creature as pet, then a bearded dragon can a fine choice. They are the most attractive kinds of pets one can own. One may not be very fond of lizards, yet a bearded dragon is quite an interesting, calm and distinct creature due to which you may wish to have one as pet.
Dragons are actually wonderful pets but special care is required for their healthy living. They are one of the excellent choices for the hobbyists. They usually do not require high maintenance, but there are certain things they need and which the owner should give. If proper care is provided, a bearded dragon can live up to fifteen years. Their care included a correct enclosure, food, water, substrate, lighting and environment. Here are the few guidelines for the beginners for the Bearded Dragon Care:
The Food for Bearded Dragon
The need of correct diet is quite important. Dragons eat fruits, insects and vegetables which imply that they are omnivorous. One can purchase the diet of insects for their pet from a local pet store but ensure that they are not exposed to poisonous stuff. If so then catching some insects for your dragon pet yourself is not at all a bad idea. The dragons usually like to have earth worms, king worms, wax worms, meal worms and cockroaches etc. They are also fond of crickets. They should be given plenty of food they can eat in ten minutes thrice a day. There should also be a meal of fresh vegetable in a day.
To make the diet more effective one can dust a pinch of calcium on the food which in essential for the growth. Water should be given to them in a fixed quantity as too much water is as dangerous as giving no water at all. This is because they actually come from desert. The dragons generally are not able to make out standing water. So for the purpose one may have to haze the food and the water in the right amount.
The right kind of living space for the Dragon
The bearded dragon usually requires a lot of space. A terrarium of 10-15 gallons is of right size for the young hatchlings where as adults may require 50 to 55 gallons size of terrarium. Also there living space should be rectangular as they are semi-arboreal in nature which implies that they require more length than height.
The required Lighting
Another important factor in Bearded Dragon Care is the amount of light they are exposed to. In day time, you may need to provide a UVB bulb for your pet along with the natural light as it is essential for the production of vitamin D3 which helps in the calcium metabolism. In addition to this 14 hours of bright light is required for appropriate care and rest of the day should be spent in darkness.
