Current Husbandry in Bearded Dragons

[jarich]

Hey everyone,

I know this will probably lead to all sorts of silliness but I thought I would put it up for discussion. Im having issues with the common line of thought regarding Bearded Dragons and their husbandry.

Everything I have read so far states that humidity is bad. It is generally accepted that they require no added humidity, that you shouldnt mist the enclosure, even that a water dish might add too much humidity. However, the same people say that they need to be misted directly and regularly, that they need a soak in the tub once a week, and that you should spray their vegetables/greens in the morning. This seems counterintuitive to me, and likely based on a 'give and take' regarding the cleanliness of the enclosure.

For instance, these animals come from the interior of Australia. Even in the semi-arid interior, where most of the dragons in the reptile industry here come from, the usual humidity is around 35-40% during the day. With it being even higher in the morning and evening when they usually are out and about. (Due to it being winter, the humidity in a house here can drop to around 10-15% without a humidifier.) They also will normally retreat into a burrow to sleep at night in the wild, which would again up their humidity levels by quite a bit.

Also, why spray something daily if its fine with such low levels of humidity? That screams out that in fact they probably arent ok with the low levels, especially given the fact that we are supposed to give them a good soak every week.

Just let me be clear in stating that Im not saying that I have changed my set up from the recommended way yet. And yes, I do understand that they poop a ridiculous amount and that any other substrate that holds more humidity also runs the risk therefore of harbouring and promoting bacteria. It just seems like we are compensating here rather than creating the best possible environment. What do you think?

[Valvaren]

Jarich, this is my opinion. They really don't need a water dishes or a spraying, I've never done or had either for my dragon. I bath her to get her hydrated and she gets anything else she needs from her veggies. Her urates have always been perfect and she has never had any issues. People like to keep water in there because they find their dragons drink it, but I also find they usually do when they aren't being bathed or being fed veggies. My dragon will sometimes have a drink in the bath (usually if she hasn't had one in a bit but that isn't often as she will only poop in her bath).

You are right and there is a lot of mixed information about dragons out there, and I see more unhealthy dragons due to that problem then I do healthy. If what you are doing is working for your dragon, keep at it, if you want to try and see if something else works go ahead but generally I wouldn't try and change your humidity as it can really cause some problems.

[jarich]

Yours craps in its water dish?! Ohhhhhh how I wish mine would do that. My monitor does and its perfect; cleaning is so easy that way. I have to say I think the dragon poop is the worst smell Ive got. I literally have to clean it out immediately as it makes the entire room stink instantly.

[red ink]

Hey everyone,

I know this will probably lead to all sorts of silliness but I thought I would put it up for discussion. Im having issues with the common line of thought regarding Bearded Dragons and their husbandry.

Everything I have read so far states that humidity is bad. It is generally accepted that they require no added humidity, that you shouldnt mist the enclosure, even that a water dish might add too much humidity. However, the same people say that they need to be misted directly and regularly, that they need a soak in the tub once a week, and that you should spray their vegetables/greens in the morning. This seems counterintuitive to me, and likely based on a 'give and take' regarding the cleanliness of the enclosure.

For instance, these animals come from the interior of Australia. Even in the semi-arid interior, where most of the dragons in the reptile industry here come from, the usual humidity is around 35-40% during the day. With it being even higher in the morning and evening when they usually are out and about. (Due to it being winter, the humidity in a house here can drop to around 10-15% without a humidifier.) They also will normally retreat into a burrow to sleep at night in the wild, which would again up their humidity levels by quite a bit.

Also, why spray something daily if its fine with such low levels of humidity? That screams out that in fact they probably arent ok with the low levels, especially given the fact that we are supposed to give them a good soak every week.

Just let me be clear in stating that Im not saying that I have changed my set up from the recommended way yet. And yes, I do understand that they poop a ridiculous amount and that any other substrate that holds more humidity also runs the risk therefore of harbouring and promoting bacteria. It just seems like we are compensating here rather than creating the best possible environment. What do you think?

You don't need to spray, heck you don't even need to bathe the little buggers. In terms of humidity they have no specific range, the only thing detrimental to them in terms of humidity is high humidity over prolonged periods of time...

I have been keeping Pagonas for well over a decade and not once have I ever sprayed an enclosure, neither have I ever had a water bowl in one. I have bathe dragons but only for cleaning purposes never for hydration so that would happen probably 3-4 times a year (if that).

If your house humidity over winter drop over a prolonged period there is no need to buy humidifiers... you yourself already alluded to the solution. All you need to provide is a moist burrowing tub.

[Valvaren]

I don't have a water dish haha, I bath mine in our bathroom sink, its how she has pooped since I first got her, now when she poops she does her poop dance which involves running around like mad and I put her in the bath and she poops. I haven't had to smell it in a while. I just scoop it out, flush it and wash the sink out thoroughly.

[beardeds4life]

Lucky! Mine is a nervous wreck in the tub and does not do anything but fight me to get out. I have found that mine after she poops she runs in it and gets covered in her urates so I bathe her to get it off. I have also heard horror stories of how people who had even 45% humidity there dragons got an ri and died so I would not risk it. They need water IN there bodies but if the air has water in it it can be detrimental. Mine never drink in the tub and I do not spray so the only way mine gets water is through veggies. Whatever is working I would keep doing that because dragons have been found living in forests so every dragon is different but they all will do fine in low humidity. I do not know if this makes any sense but....

[Valvaren]

How is your dragon getting covered in her urates. Healthy urates should be solid, not hard, should look like a piece of chalk.

[beardeds4life]

she had some issues a while back with the amount of water she was getting and they got kinda gross and she steps in them and the nail pierces it and it gets all on her toe

[AaronRiot]

I had the pleasure of keeping a pair for about 8 years. At first they were in our room, lol, that didn't last long.

I only bathed when they got dried poo on themselves (the male was worse).
I always made sure the wide selection of veggies was fresh and wet. I found if I didn't they'd be ruined in a very short time by the heat.
Substrate was a hard-packed dirt-sand-clay mix, I removed poop/urates with a cookie-cutter pooper-scooper I made from a piece of sharpened PVC, and kept the substrate "not bone dry" so although I never measured the humidity it always had an "outside feel"..
No water dish.
I dribbled water on their heads ever few days, they'd drink a few drops that way now and then.
I made it rain every few weeks-ish, sometimes once a month with my sprayer. Only to keep my substrate at my desired consistency
Never had a problem.

I DID get them with parasites however, a lovely gift from PJs Pets.

Humidity vs Hydration. They're two different monsters. Spray the animal, moisten the lips. Spray the enclosure, moisten the lungs. Not so counter-intuitive..

Just my thoughts :)

[AaronRiot]

--her poop and urates are back to normal now, yes?

[beardeds4life]

yes her urates have always been good I meant poop but sometimes they are not like today she woke up from brumation (or burmation?) so I fed her and a couple hours ago she took a big old poop but it was not THAT bad but it does smell horrible but before sometimes her poop was green :(