Bearded Dragons

If anyone wants to read my report, here it is. I might be adding a bit more to it, but it's almost done:





Introduction

Bearded dragons are a type of reptile, originating from Australia. Bearded dragons are increasing in popularity for pet owners, due to their docile nature [1]. The most common type of bearded dragon is the “Pogona vitticeps”, which is what this informational report will be covering.

Behaviour

Head Bobbing

Bearded Dragons bob their heads when displaying dominance [6]. Males head bob more than females; however females have also been seen doing it. When female bearded dragons head bob it is normally slower than a male’s head bob, and they won’t move their heads quite as much. This is not a trait unique to bearded dragons, other lizards (such as Iguanas [5]) head bob to display dominance [5] as well.

Arm Wave

Arm Waving is common for female bearded dragons[6]. Often when males display dominance by head bobbing, females will respond by waving one of their arms ‘in a circular motion’[6] to display submission to the male [6]. Some bearded dragons will also use an arm wave to signify appreciation after the owned just fed it [6]. Males will rarely use an arm wave[6], and when it does happen it is normally because they were intimidated by another male[6].

Bloating/Flaring beard

Bearded dragons actually do have a sort of large beard under their chins. They have the capability to bloat their beards to appear bigger than they actually are [6]. They do this as a sign of aggression [6], but normally it’s a bluff and they won’t actually bite [6]. However, if the bearded dragon ‘appears to be on alert with tense body shaping and up on their legs’ [6], then it’s more than a bluff, and the dragon could bite you. Bearded dragons are normally very docile [4], so it’s easy to see the possibility of a bite coming and avoid it.

Opening Mouth Widely

The most common [6] reason for a bearded dragon opening their mouth widely is because they are trying to cool off [6].
‘If this occurs regularly it could mean there isn’t enough ventilation in your vivarium.’ [6]

Raised Tails

Often when a bearded dragon ‘is on alert’ [6], they will curve and raise their tail. This typically happens when the bearded dragon is stalking prey that the owner set loose into its cage.
 
Changes in Colour

If a bearded dragon changes to a darker shade (‘especially in the beard area’ [6]), that most likely means the bearded dragon is either distressed, or feeling aggressive. If a bearded dragon looks a lighter shade (compared to its normal shade), that could mean they are either cold or stressed [6].

Diet

Bearded dragons eat a variety of foods, and they’re in fact omnivorous [3]. Insects and Vegetables are popular foods to feed bearded dragons, but adult bearded dragons can also eat pinky mice or smaller lizards [3].
‘They (bearded dragons) tend to do best on a varied diet based primarily of vegetables.’ [3]

Vegetables

Any vegetables fed to a bearded dragon have to be cut up. The smaller the reptile, the smaller the pieces of food have to be [3].
‘A good mix of vegetables for these lizards are raw shredded carrots, collard greens, dandelion greens, mus**** greens, kale, and frozen vegetables like carrots, peas, and beans.’[3]
Make sure not to feed a bearded dragon spinach or broccoli, because too much of either of those can be harmful to the lizard [3].
Vegetables are very easy to obtain (especially in comparison to insects), since vegetables are sold in many grocery stores. Vegetables should be fed to your bearded dragon daily [3].

Insects

There are a wide variety of insects that can be fed to a bearded dragon. Some of the most common insects to feed a bearded dragon are ‘crickets, mealworms, superworms, and wax woms.’ [3]
Insects should be fed to a bearded dragon approximately once every two days, and it’s recommended that the insects be gut loaded [3]. Gut loading an insect means leaving them in a container with nutritious food in it (ex. baby food or tropical fish food [2]) for 48 hours, which the insects feast upon during that time. After the 48 hours, the insects jam packed full of nutritional goodness, which is then in turn passed to the bearded dragon that eats it [2].

Supplements

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is a disease that some reptiles get when they lack D3 and/or calcium. MBD means the bones are too thin, and causes tremors in the lizards and paralysis, which can be fatal if left unchecked [3] [4]. To prevent MBD, it’s suggested to buy dietary supplements [3] for the lizard. Feeding the lizard is simple; as all that needs to be done is the insects that are being fed to it have to be coated in the supplement. This can be done by putting the insects into a bag with the supplement and shaking it around.

Cage

The cage itself

For baby bearded dragons, a 10-gallon tank should be fine for a 4-5 inch baby [7]. As the bearded dragon grows into an adult, a suitable cage would be about 36” by 12”, but the bigger the better [7].
If you want more than 1 bearded dragon, it’s recommended to have them in separate cages [7]. Bearded dragons can be very aggressive with each other, and ‘fights can result in anything from sc****s to severed limbs.’ [7].
Cages are suggested to be made of see-through plastic or glass, as bearded dragons like to be able to see what is going on outside their cage [7].

Bedding

A variety of bedding (also known as substrate) can be used, but some types can be harmful [6]. Sand is controversial, because if it is eaten by the reptile it can be harmful. Tiles, Newspaper or Carpet are all good choices since they can all be relatively easy to clean/replace [6], however if using Newspaper or Carpet, a natural-looking environment for the lizard is sacrificed [6].

Heating

Heating is very important when it comes to any type of cold-blooded lizard. Two kinds of lights will be needed for a bearded dragon; a florescent light and an incandescent light [7]. The florescent light provides light similar to that of the sun, and helps the body produce Vitamin D3. As mentioned earlier, Vitamin D3 is important in preventing Metabolic Bone Disease. An incandescent light is used for providing heat to the reptile, and the temperature of the light should reach between 95 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit [7].

Conclusion

Bearded dragons have a variety of interesting behaviours, they don’t only eat insects like some reptiles so it’s easier to feed them (vegetables are normally not hard to find), and if you take care of them, you should be more than happy with a pet bearded dragon.

[MOD]9 wrote: »

You should include its scientific name: Pogona
Aka what Dead_Dany said

Oh it's the genus. You gonna report them all on a broad level or is this specific on a certain species
Apparently the Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is the more well known one.

"Introduction

Bearded dragons are a type of reptile, originating from Australia. Bearded dragons are increasing in popularity for pet owners, due to their docile nature [1]. The most common type of bearded dragon is the “Pogona vitticeps”, which is what this informational report will be covering."

Read the first paragraph lol