we want to buy a baby bearded dragon but need info!!!!

[jenn&ryan]

hey guys were new at this stuff...please help.
we need books but cant seem to find any and if you guys could just give us info that would be great!!! also we are looking for a breeder in edmonton.
thanks

[Auskan]

People here are pretty helpful, but also help yourselves. Use the search function and search for info in the forums. (Sorry, I know nothing about beardies - I'm strictly a snake keeper!).

[drewlowe]

What information do you want to know??? There are several books on the market, check on amazon.com

[Matt_K]

You can also try www.amazon.ca (as you're in Canada) another good idea, would be to try and get in touch with Scotty Allen, he's on this site (flatwound scotty) as he could more then likely tell you what book you would wanna get and what ones to stay away from.. He could also possibly have it in stock :D

[Meka]

First off, You should be commended for doing your research first :) That is the smartest move possible. Especially doing it before you purchase the dragon.

It would help us if you asked what you want to know.

There are alot of excellent caresheets out there for dragons.
One site: http://www.geocities.com/borderviewdragons is a good one. You could browse thru the posts on the Yahoo group Pogona, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pogona

A good book is The Bearded Dragon Manual, i don't have it handy so I forget the author.

HTH.

[tHeGiNo]

For conveiniences sake, I will tell you what you need to know.

Heating: this should be achieved with a bulb of some sort. Which bulb to use is your choice, so long as the proper temperatures may be achieved. For young bearded dragons, keep the basking spot at 100ºF. For older bearded dragons, keep the temperature at the basking spot closer to 115ºF. Have the cold side around 85ºF.

Lighting: a source of UVB/UVA is mandatory when keeping bearded dragons. This may be achieved through UVA/UVB bulbs which are sold at your local pet store. The ZooMed light is the most effective. These bulbs should be replaced every six months at which point the rays are depleted. Again, UVA/UVB bulb is mandatory, and is essential for their health. It is their source of Vitamin D3, and without it are unable to process calcium properly.

Supplementation: supplementation is also mandatory with bearded dragon husbandry. Young bearded dragons should have their feed insects dusted with a calcium supplement on a daily basis. Adults may be cut back to 2 dustings weekly. With proper gutloaded crickets, and with vegetables provided, multivitamins are not needed.

Feeding: Bearded dragons should be provided vegetables on a daily basis. For best results, feed vegetables first thing in the morning, before any insects. This ensures that the dragon is not filled up on insects without taking in vegetable matter. Small bearded dragons should be offered as much food as they are willing to take. Feed them at least two times daily, not including vegetables. As adults, follow the same procedure however moderate if you notice the dragon becoming overweight. A varied diet consisting of different worms along with crickets should be provided. The healhiest of these being silkworms. Wax worms should be offered only once weekly, as they have a high fat content. Avoid feeding small beardies mealworms, as their hard exoskeleton is hard to digest; they have high levels of chitin.

Housing: an adult bearded dragon should be housed in a tank at least of at least 40 gallons. As suggested, a bigger tank is always better - especially with bearded dragons. They will definitely occupy and appreciate a bigger environment.

Substrate: young bearded dragons should be housed in a relatively empty enclosure. Avoid using a substrate. Paper towl or similar items will be most efficient. This allows you to properly monitor your new dragon, as well as avoids impactions, which are much more potentially harmful to small beardies. At 12 inches, they may be moved onto sand.

Watering: mist babies at least twice daily. For adults and larger beardies, provide a water dish. It should be removed before the lights go out, and be shallow enough to avoid potential drownings. This should be offered 4 times weekly.

Other Important Information: bearded dragons may be housed together upon certain crudentials. They go as follows: there should only be one male per cage. There may however be multiple females with one male. If you choose to do so, watch carefully for dominance upon eachother. If this occurs, separate immediately. With multiple dragons, a larger cage should be provided.


I hope this helps. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

[tHeGiNo]

What I forgot to mention was that a caresheet, nor my information I just provided, is NEVER an exception for a good book.

[meow_mix450]

a good book that i own, that i like is "The Bearded Dragon Manual" by Philippe de vosjoli, Robert Mailloux, Susan Donoghue, V.M.D., Roger Klingenberg, D.V.M. and Jerry Cole, this is in my opinion and a very helpful book. $20.95 CDN. I would go to google, type in bearded dragon care sheets, read some, and if your not sure about some stuff, ask questions, very nice people here

Meow

[jenn&ryan]

thanks guys, its awesome that we got replys so helpful!!! we will check out the sites and hopefully we will be able to get one soon

[Big Mike]

Are you in Edmonton? Are you a member of ERAS? (Edmonton Reptile & Amphibian Society)

We have a "Library"...it's a bunch of books & magazines that members can sign out. For the price of buying the book, you could join ERAS and read the books for free. Plus you get all the benefits of being a member.

Check out the ERAS forum on this site. ERAS (http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26185)