Bearded Dragon Finds A Home

August 24, 2007 by Kimberly

Bearded Dragons…No, they don’t fly! They are very popular exotic pets, especially in the USA and Canada due to their small size, heartiness and omnivorous diet.

All species are native to Australia and live in woodland areas as adults. They are semi-arboreal when they are juveniles.

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Family: Agamidae
Subfamily: Agaminae
Genus: Pogona

There are many species of the bearded dragon: Pogona barbata, Pogona henrylawsoni, Pogona microlepidota, Pogona minima, Pogona minor, Pogona mitchelli, Pogona nullarbor, Pogona vitticeps.

With proper care, they are known to live from 8-12 yrs. Due to domestic breeding many different color varieties have arose, including brilliant hues of pastel oranges, violets, and reds.

These little creatures are docile and trusting, outgoing and curious. They quite like being handled and rarely bite, scratch or attack people. Never keep more than one dragon in a cage, as they compete for food, and one will always win.

A 20-gallon tank is what is deemed the minimum for a juvenile beardie, as they need quite a lot of room to move around.

It is important to know what to look for when choosing a “Beardie”, so I hope you take heed to this article I found!

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What to Look for when Choosing a Bearded Dragon?
By Florian Ross

Many times people get a beardie and just love the creature but unfortunately the animal dies in a couple of weeks or months. In fact, statistics show that more than 70% of beardies die in their first year of life, if they live together with a new owner.

So, when you want to get a Bearded Dragon, you should look it over carefully. Some things you should notice right away is how alert and active the Dragon is. Do not buy a Beardie which looks to be lethargic and is unable to lift its head.

Before deciding which Beardie to buy, do ensure that you check them for sores, burns, external parasites or any deformities. One of the most important things is to look at the size of the Beardie. If too young, bearded dragons can be very fragile and more apt to become ill or overly stressed. It is much easier to care for a more developed Bearded Dragon. If you are a beginner owner it is highly recommended to start with a juvenile rather than a hatchling.

Good signs

When buying a dragon, look for good signs. This is a good start. If the dragon can claim these signs, then you might have found your new pet:

1. No missing toes or tail nip

2. A tail curled up towards the head

3. An active animal or basking

4. Eyes are clear and open.

Bad signs

Also, check for these bad signs:

1. Lethargy

2. Any form of excretions around the eyes

3. Missing toes, tail nip

4. No movement

5. Depressions in back of head

You should also pay attention where the dragon is kept. If the place claims poor conditions, there is a good chance you’ll get an animal with a poor health.

Florian Ross is a freelancer and small lizard expert. For more tips on raising Bearded Dragons Lizards and having them live 3 times longer, go to http://www.pets-lovers.com/bd/beardeddragons.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Florian_Ross
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-to-Look-for-when-Choosing-a-Bearded-Dragon?&id=525700

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Wow, I learned a lot today about Bearded Dragons! They are pretty neat little reptiles.

I hope you enjoyed today’s installment of Exotic Animal Lover. Until next time…

Live Exotically,

Kimberly Edwards

References Cited:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearded_Dragon, 2007

P.S. Beardies even have special dietary requirements, and special foods have been formulated for them. From what I have researched, this is a good one: