Description

The Inland Bearded Dragon is a medium-sized terrestrial lizard from a desert climate that can reach a total adult length of 24" (60 cm). Ease of care for this lizard is average (compared to other lizards).

Basic Care

Diet:

The Inland Bearded Dragon is omnivorous, meaning he eats both vegetable and animal matter. Feed this lizard a variety of leafy greens, finely-chopped vegetables, fruit, insects, and a high-quality commercial food for omnivores. Insects can include crickets, superworms, freshly-molted mealworms, silkworms, and hornworms. Waxworms can also be offered, but should be reserved as a treat, because they are high in fat. Greens should mainly include collard, mustard greens, dandelion, turnip greens, escarole, and curly endive (sometimes labelled as chicory). Other greens that can be offered include kale, chard, Spring or Mesclun mixes, beet greens, and herbs such as cilantro, basil, and arugula. A few edible flowers can be offered as well, in small amounts, for color and variety. These include nasturtium, hibiscus, rose petals, dandelion blooms, daisies, pansies, red and white clover, muskmallow, and carnations. (Make sure these have not be treated with any herbicides or pesticides.) Vegetables should be finely grated or chopped; these should mainly include green beans, parsnip, winter squash, and sweet potato. For variety, vegetables such as summer squash, brocoli, corn, bell peppers, and mushrooms can be offered in small amounts.

Heat and light:

This diurnal lizard needs a heat lamp during the day to create a warm basking area, a source of full-spectrum (UVA/UVB) light and in some cases, a 24-hour light-less heat source to maintain the ambient temperature in his environment. Daytime light and heat requirements can be achieved by using a basking heat lamp (such as Zoo Med's Repti Basking Spot Lamp) in conjunction with a full-spectrum fluorescent tube (such as Reptisun 5.0 or Exo-Terra 8.0), or by using a mercury vapor bulb (such as Mega-Ray) which provides both heat and full-spectrum light. Undertank heaters are generally not recommended, because lizards naturally seek warmth from overhead (e.g. the sun). Hot rocks are not recommended under any circumstance; they are known to fail and cause severe burns that can sometimes be fatal. A nighttime heat source usually isn't needed, except during the winter if the temperatures in your home go below the recommended nighttime temperature. If one is needed, infrared lamps or ceramic emitters can be used.

The Inland Bearded Dragon prefers a basking area of 88-105°F (31-40°C) with an overall ambient temperature of 80-85°F (27-30°C) and a cool area of 75-80°F (24-27°C). Most important to note are the basking area and the cool area; usually, when those temperatures are maintained, the overall ambient temperature will usually also be within the proper range. Nighttime temperature should not go below 65°F (18°C). Your lizard can die if he gets too hot or too cold!

Environment:

The Inland Bearded Dragon needs an enclosure that is at least 24" (60 cm) long x 48" (120 cm) wide x 24" (60 cm) high. Because of his terrestrial nature, he needs an enclosure with plenty of floor space, equipped with flat basking rocks or driftwood and one or several hiding areas. His enclosure will also need at least two thermometers, one to monitor the basking area and one to monitor the cool end of the enclosure. A hygrometer is also recommended to measure the ambient humidity level. The recommended humidity level for this lizard is 30% or less.

When setting up your Inland Bearded Dragon's environment for the first time, you will need to take several temperature readings in several areas of the enclosure and make any adjustments to heat sources if necessary. For this reason, all heat sources should be placed on a rheostat or lamp dimmer, at the very least. Ideally, a thermostat should be used to acurately maintain proper temperatures. Once the heat sources are set up properly, you need to install a thermometer both in the coolest area and the warmest (or basking) area so that you can monitor any temperature fluctuations.

All lizards need a day and night cycle. For this reason, your Inland Bearded Dragon's light sources should be plugged into a timer. A simple, inexpensive appliance timer will do here. Set the timer to come on in the morning and off in the evening, so that your Inland Bearded Dragon has 8-12 hours of daylight; ideally, you should set the day lengths longer during the summer and shorter during the winter.

Behavior:

These lizards are among the tamest of all lizards, and their outgoing personalities, activity level, voracious appetites and interesting social behaviors make them a very captivating lizard to observe.

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