Photo Essay- Buddha

Bearded Dragon is the common name given to Australian lizards of the Pogona genes. Their name comes from their habit of puffing out their throat when they are angry or excited, giving the appearance of a "beard".
There are seven species in total but the most common pet is Pogona vitticeps commonly referred to as the Inland Bearded Dragon which is what I have. Their color varies from a dull brown or gray to a bright yellow or fiery orange-red. They are one of the best family pets because they are extremely gently, they love attention and they are decently small.

Taking care of a bearded dragon isn't as easy as some people think. Before purchasing one, you should make sure that you have the time to give them everything they need and be sure to have all the necessary equipment for a proper living environment. When choosing one, you should pick the one that's the most alert and active, you don't want to pick one that can barely lift up it's head.

For a baby, under 10 inches in length, you should have at least a 20 gallon tank, but they will outgrow that in about 3-4 months. When provided with the proper habitat, heating and UVB lighting, young bearded dragons are capable of growing up to 1 inch or more per week. An adult bearded dra
gon needs at least a 40 gallon tank because it has more floor room and they will need that to be able to properly turn, sleep and to fully grow. When fully grown, they can reach up to 16-22 inches in.

When housing a bearded dragon, here is what you will need:

1) You will need a substrate to put on the bottom of the tank. For a baby, it is preferable to tape paper towel or plain white paper to the bottom of the tank so that they don't digest any little pieces that can clog their intestines. For an adult, it is better to use play sand that you can buy at your local hardware store, like Home Depot instead of sand that you can buy at a pet store because there are more little pieces in it that won't digest properly and that could cause an impaction (a build up of sand in the digestive system). PS, be generous with the sand, they love to dig!

2) You will need to have three kinds of lights. The two heat lights will need to be put on both sides on the tank. You will need to have a basking light that produces heat that's about 150 watts, another heat light that's about 100 watts and a UVB fluorescent light that should be put in the middle of the tank. They will need these two lights at different temperatures because they need one area of the tank that's hot and another that's cooler in case they need to cool down. The UVB light is NECESSARY because it sends out rays that helps the bearded dragon absorb the calcium powder that you will need to give it, which is what helps it grow at a proper rate. These lights should be on for about 12-14 hours a day and all turned off at night.

3) Once you have all the necessary lights, you will need to be able to keep tract of the temperature levels so that your bearded dragon doesn't freeze or burn to death. You should get two thermometers, one on the hot side of the tank and one on the cool side. On the hot side, the temperature should be around 95-105 degrees F and the cool side should be around 80-90 degrees F. At night, when you turn off all the lights, the temperature should not go anywhere below 60 degrees F or else it can freeze to death over night. Bearded dragons need their heat to keep their system flowing and to help digest their food.

4) Once you have all that covered, your bearded dragon will need to eat and have water available for him whenever he needs. Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that they eat insects and veggies. As babies, dragons eat mainly crickets and need to be fed about 2-3 times a day. As they become adults, their diet consists mainly of leafy greens ( collard greens, kale, and chopped or grated veggies like carrots) and should be fed about 1-2 times a day. Every morning when your about to feed your dragon crickets, you should dust them with calcium powder with vitamin D3 to ensure that your dragon grows big and strong.

5) There you have it, all the necessary equipment to keep your bearded dragon healthy. But one last thing you should know is that, as your bearded dragon is growing, it will shed, just like a snake. Don't be alarmed, this is normal for it's new skin to come in and make more room for it to grow. Your dragon should shed about once a month as a baby and only every few months when it's an adult. If your dragon isn't shedding enough, you can give it warm baths once a week to help moisturize their skin. If you have any worries about your dragon, you should consult a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles.