Meet the Bearded Dragon

 

The bearded dragon is a gentle reptile species from genus Pogona. These reptiles hail from Australia, and are quite popular with reptile enthusiasts in the United States. The most popular species is Pogona vitticeps. Pogona vitticeps can be purchased from pet shops and private reptile breeders around the country.   Compared to other pet reptiles, the bearded dragon is often regarded as “the beginner’s lizard,” because you can easily take care of them even if you have never really kept a reptile as a pet before. So, before you move on to more exotic reptiles, try taking care of Pogona vitticeps first.   Of course, there are other bearded dragon species; the requirements of Pogona vitticeps’ cousins are similar. Bearded dragons are relatively small compared to other domestic reptiles, which makes it perfect for kids, too.   Its average adult size is only 20 inches long, from the dragon’s head to the tip of its tail. The first thing that you have to take into consideration before buying a bearded dragon, or any other reptile for that matter, is your personal ability to take care of a reptile.   Reptiles are quite different when it comes to their individual needs. Taking care of a reptile is different from taking care of a dog or cat. For example, reptiles are cold-blooded and therefore, they require a heating and lighting system inside their habitats. If a reptile does not get sufficient UVB, it can die within a few months.   A reptile can also suffer from a myriad of health conditions if it does not receive the right mix of foods. Impaction can also be an issue, if the substrate you’ve chosen for its habitat is accidentally consumed by the reptile. If you think you can adjust to a reptile’s needs, and you can invest some money so that it will be able to live a long and happy life, then by all means, get a bearded dragon.   The second thing that I want you to think about is commitment to your reptile’s health. Once you get a bearded dragon, you will also want to find a good veterinarian in your area (preferably one that specializes in reptiles).   All veterinarians have some knowledge of treating reptiles. But you will want to go to someone who already has a lot of experience with treating reptiles. You should have your bearded dragon checked out at least once every twelve months just to make sure that it is not harboring any harmful parasites. Like other domestic reptiles, bearded dragons can get nasty bugs in its GI tract. These parasites can easily be detected through fecal analysis.   Now, a lot of people ask: is it hard to take care of a reptile? Is it difficult to adapt to the needs of a bearded dragon? For me the learning process was really bumpy in the beginning, simply because I wasn’t aware of all the things that I needed to know prior to buying a bearded dragon.   Of course, things are different now because I’ve made some effort to read and apply the best practices related to the care of bearded dragons. So, the answer to “is it hard to take care of bearded dragons” is really no.   I say “no” because bearded dragons are really very low-maintenance creatures, especially if they are healthy and all of their needs are taken care of. As long as your bearded dragon is stress-free, and is eating well, you shouldn’t have too much trouble taking care of it.   If you take good care of your bearded dragon, that one dragon you have at home can probably live up to a decade in captivity. That’s right: a total of ten years in your habitat.   That’s the beauty of artificial habitats for reptiles. You can do so many things to improve the lifespan of the critter living inside the artificial habitat.   Of course, I can’t say that all artificially assembled habitats are good for reptiles. In fact, I’ve seen many cases where the reptile owner just dumped his pet reptile in a small aquarium and just left it there with a few bits of lettuce.   I have to emphasize that just because a reptile is breathing doesn’t mean that it’s happy and healthy in its habitat. A reptile can’t talk to humans to tell us what it’s experiencing in an artificial habitat, so you have to know in advance what it needs before buying it from a private breeder or a pet store.