Care Sheet

Caresheet for Bearded Dragon Hatchlings
If you are thinking about purchasing a bearded dragon, and haven't done so already, I suggest the first thing you do is to purchase a book called "The Bearded Dragon Manual", by Philipp ede Vosjoli and Robert Mailloux. Raising healthy baby bearded dragons is easy as long as their needs are met. With some planning and a little reading, you can make your baby dragons life as healthy and as stress free as possible, and find it a rewarding experience. The care plan below is what we basically follow, with great success. Following the care plan below, we have consistently raised groups of dragons to 14 inches and over , within 4-5 months. We have found during the first 4 months, the average grow rate to be approximately ½ inch a week.

Bearded Dragon Hatchlings should be raised in a small (15 gallon) aquarium for optimal growth. This way they do not have far to look for their food, as crickets tend to stay away from bright spots - and that is where your dragon will spend most of its daylight time. Use a 40 or 60 watt spotlight at one end above a basking rock (Not a heat rock, just a plain rock). The height of the rock or the wattage of the bulb need to be adjusted to get the top (surface) basking spot to a 105 - 115 degree range, for the baby dragons need to get very warm to digest their food. Set a temperature gauge on the highest part of the rock for an hour and check the temperature.. (Please do not guess.) Basking under a light is a more natural way for dragons to receive heat. ( Not only does the dragon receive heat from above, but the light also warms the rock, creating heat for their belly, which aids in digestion.) Make sure the other side of the tank stays cooler, around 80-85 degrees. This will provide the baby bearded dragons with a suitable environment to let them regulate their body temperature. Night time temperatures can safely drop into the sixties.

For optimal growth, the lights should be left on for 12-14 hours (set on a timer). Ideally a full spectrum light (ReptiSun 5.0 ) should be suspended over the cage but this is not vital... The UV-B bulb should be within 6-10 inches of the basking area, so they can absorb the UV-B to assist in manufacturing their vitamin D3 for bone formation. If this bulb in too far from the basking area, the UV-B will dissipate before reaching the dragon therefore null. Once again, UV-B bulbs are not vital AS LONG AS there is proper calcium/vitaminD3 supplementation in their diet and enough light intensity. If you choose to bypass the UV-B bulbs, a regular fluorescent should be used for brightness. Please see below information on supplementation.

The substrate can be playsand or newspaper. **If using playsand, the sand will need to be sifted through a screen to remove any of the larger pebbles. Failure to do so could result in death due to a blockage caused by the ingestion of the pebbles. The cage should be simple for the first 4 months or so. There should be no hide spot for they will burrow when needed. There should be limited decorative items in the cage to prevent the crickets from hiding.

Bearded dragons require a dry cage, but need to get alot of water from sprayings and fresh vegetables. The hatchlings should be sprayed once daily on their heads, keeping the spray directed onto their heads as long as they keep lapping up the water. If they dont like to be sprayed directly, you can spray the side of the cage or the rock. This simulates the natural way dragons get water by licking up drops of dew they find on plants in the morning. Some do learn to drink from a shallow water pan, but if they get thin or dehydrated it will be necessary to get them to ingest more water by increased spraying and by misting their fresh vegetables. If using a water dish, the water MUST be changed daily and immediately if the dish has been deficated in - it must be cleaned immediately. Dragons vary on their water intake; some drink daily, others may not drink for days if they are aggressive feeders and getting the needed moisture through their diet.

Bowel movements must be removed daily. If keeping more than one dragon in a cage, 'Scooping poop' must be more frequent to keep up on the cleanliness of the cage.

The hatchlings should be fed gutloaded crickets at least 2-3 times a day for optimal growth. Feed the babies 1-2 hours after the lights have come on to give the babies a chance to warm up. The last feeding of the day should be a couple of hours before the lights go off to give the dragons time to digest their meal. Start with 2-5 crickets 9per dragon) for the first feeding. Excess crickets in the cage, crawling all over the dragon can stress them out. Remove any uneaten crickets before the lights go out at night. Babies should be fed #2 crickets ( 1/4-3/8 inch long) up to approximately 2 months of age, as too big of a prey item can kill a baby dragon. A good rule of thumb is the prey item should be no longer then the width of the dragons mouth. Babies can be fed small 1/4 inch mealworms a few times a week. They will have to be mail ordered as petshops do not usually carry mealworms this small. As the size of the dragon increases, so should its prey.

Vegetables are an important part of a bearded dragons diet and should be offered daily in bite size pieces in a shallow dish or lid. Arrange the dish or lid filled with vegetables within the dragons view from his basking spot.You should mainly stick with leafy greens, such as collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, chicory, chard, escarole, and endive - alternating when possible. Remove any hard veins. Do not feed your bearded dragon iceberg lettuce as this can give them 'the runs' and dehydrate them. Just a few of the foods you can supplement with as your dragon grows are, radish tops, broccoli flowers, parsely, shredded carrots, bell peppers, kale, peas, and red cabbage. Please check the USDA Data Base for exact nutrient content of any given fruit/veggie in question... and please remember, bite size pieces.

Supplementation should consist of dusting the crickets every 3-4 feeding with a phosphorous free calicum powder, like Rep-Cal with Vitamin D3. A good vitamin supplement such as Herptivite should be used only once a week. Failure to use the calcium regularly and overuse of the vitamins can both cause problems. If not using a UV-B bulb, you must be faithful in giving the proper calcium/D3 supplements to prevent possible health problems; namely MBD.

To dust crickets - put them in a sandwich bag... add repcal... shake until the crickets are white... and serve. To GutLoad your crickets - We use 1 part Gutload, 1 part fortified baby cereal... We also offer a cut up orange and carrots for moisture.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep your hatchlings environment as stress-free as possible for the first few months. Here are a few tips on reducing the stress for your beardie.
- Keep a regular schedule for feeding and watering.
- Put your lights on a timer to keep daylight hours consistant.
- Supplement appropriately with Rep-Cal... and once weekly with Herptivite.
- Feed only gutloaded crickets/prey items as they are more nutritious.
- Avoid excessive handling when they are very young.
- Maintain a temperature gradiant of 105-115 (hot) to 80-85 (cool).
- Is the cage a 'basic' setup? keep it simple for the first few months... making sure there are no hiding places for the crickets during the day. The 'leftovers' will pester the dragon while it is trying to sleep if not removed.
- Make sure their cage is not placed in overly noisey area. (like next to your 100 watt stereo.)

As a final note, babies kept in the same tank will need to be segregated by size, as the larger ones will dominate and stress out their smaller siblings... even when not feeding.

**After receiving your dragon, it is common for them not to eat immediately. The stress from transporting and inspecting its new environment may put eating on the 'back burner' for a day or so. After 3-4 hours of allowing your dragon to adjust to its new home, offer it a few crickets and some chopped greens on a shallow lid. Avoid trying to handfeed until the dragon is eating well for a few weeks and has adjusted to its new environment.

If your dragon does not eat the few crickets by the end of the first day, remove the crickets and offer some water. Try covering the sides of the dragons enclosure partially with paper to eliminate environmental stress. The next day, wait until mid-day to offer it crickets again. Hopefully, by not seeing any food items for a 1/2 day and becoming more comfortable in their new home, this will stimulate their appetite. If your draon does not eat by the end of the second day, offer it water again and please give us a call.

**Things that could hurt or possibly kill your Dragon -
*Lightening Bugs - There have been many reports of Bearded Dragons dying after being fed lightening bugs. These should be avoided.
*Pebbles - If using sand, you MUST sift it through a screen to remove any of the larger pebbles.
*Too large of a prey item - Appropriate sized mealworms and crickets are a must for hatchlings. Crickets should be NO LONGER than the width of their mouth. And if using mealworms - mini or small should be used. Approx. 1/4 inch long.
Recommended Reading
Check out our FAQ - chances are, the answer may be there... http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html
The Bearded Dragon Manual - Philippe de Vosjoli & Robert Mailloux.

Overall, bearded dragons make excellent pets and and do very well in captivity given the appropriate amount of care.