Bearded Dragon information and facts

Bearded Dragon and veggies

You should give greens, veg, herbs, flowers and plants from that very first day, and continually afterwards. This helps your Beardie see these as parts of their diet.

From new born until around 6 months old, a dragon’s main goal, is growth and internal strength for muscles and organs. So live-food and proteins take centre stage here. But giving greens, veg, herb, flowers and plants from that very 1st day, and continually afterwards, even before any live-foods if needed, helps the dragon see these as important part of eating. And not just a secondary food source.

Of course. You may already have an adult dragon, whom is already a ‘salad dodger’, as they say.

How to get your Bearded Dragon to eat veggies

The first method: Hold off live food

I only suggest this IF the dragon has been checked by a herp Vet. And is deemed of a healthy weight to allow this process

• You don’t feed any live foods. Only the veggies, daily. The idea being, hunger prevails, and they will eventually eat the veggies. And it definitely does work. I’ve done it over the years successfully, without any issue at all.

Monitor weight: It’s also a good idea to monitor weight during this period, as generally they only lose a few grams over what can be a good month or so. As their body will use any fat reserves to help keep things in healthy working order.

The second method: Rotate the food process

For example, you feed veggies at 9am in the morning. And of course, they don’t get eaten. So you then feed live in the afternoon. They get eaten without issue….

So, don’t feed the veggies at 9am and instead feed them at the time you’d feed the live-food normally in place of the live-food (so no live-food is fed).

As our dragon’s are reptiles of habit and routines in captivity, swapping food source here may confuse them at first. But as they “expect” a good meal in the afternoon, they often end up tucking into the veggies instead.

This method, again, has been very successful for myself, and those I’ve recommended it to via my Facebook groups, or at meetings.

Like the first method. You may have to persevere a week or so.

Method three: Pre & pro-biotic stimulant

Again, under vet guidance. This has also proven very successful for me. It involves offering veggies in the morning as normal. But instead of live-food in the afternoon provide a pre/pro-biotic drink. Ideally, both together. But either or will work. I use Vetark Avi-Pro Plus, and Reptoboost.

What ideally will happen is, these ‘biotic’ bacteria naturally stimulate the stomach and digestive system. Blasting it with goodness, in turn, stimulating hunger. And that, often gets that fussy dragon eating what’s in front of it.

Which Dragon gender is more aggressive?

Having been a dragon keeper for 30+ years now I can honestly say, I’ve not seen anything to swing it for either gender here.

I’ve had aggressive males, and females. Often ones I’ve taken on or rescued.

If you provide that dragon, be it male, or female, with the absolute best equipment available to make its life as close to the conditions to which they have evolved over millions of years to need. And provide it within that vivaria set-up, the dragon should be as happy as a dragon can be.

With optimal temps within, mental, visual, and physical enrichment inside, a varied and full diet, all should work out just fine. Regardless of gender.

How can you tell the gender of your Dragon?

The best way is to stand your Bearded Dragon on a flat surface and shine a bright torch through the top of the tail at the tail base. If you see two prominent, separate ‘bulbs’, then you have a male. If its a more longer, ‘one’ bulb. Then you have a female.

This can be done from birth. Although it IS more reliable to wait a couple of months to be 100% certain.

My article on Sexing your Bearded Dragons explains more.  

Why does a Dragon bob its head?

Many say head bobbing is a strictly male dragon thing. This is incorrect.

Granted, males are far more likely to be doing this behaviour. And primarily, it’s linked to dominance. But there is a ‘submissive’ bob of the head also.

The faster, more aggressive head bob happens when two dragon’s see each other.

This could result in both bobbing their heads, fast, and frantically, usually until one submits. Either by a slow wave of the arm. Or, a much more slower, graceful head-bob.

The slower head-bob is also something that females will do, if accepting the dominance of a male for mating.

If you witness your solitary dragon doing this, just ignore it.

Many dragon’s will do this at times, as if to rekindle the fact that, their vivarium is just that. Theirs. So they will let all whom are willing to witness their head-bob know about it.

Its nothing to worry about at all.

When a Bearded Dragon turns black

A Bearded Dragon turns back to attract more heat and UVB, to warm up and energise much quickly. Or should I say, far more efficiently.

You will notice, first thing in the morning, either before, or just after the heat and UVB have turned on within your vivaria, that your Bearded Dragon is a far darker, almost black like colour along its back.

We all know that you wear darker colours to gain more external heat benefit (sun). And you’ll wear white to be cooler, to reflect the heat and UV rays.

Well, it’s the same with our dragon’s.

So to counter this, when fully heated up and UVB energised, they will become a far brighter colour along their backs. Again, this is to reflect heat and UV.

Think of this as part of their own heating and cooling system. Their way to aid thermoregulation.

Now, when it comes the the front of the dragon, meaning the beard and belly, this is a different matter altogether.

Why does a Bearded Dragon’s neck turn black?

Any darkening of the beard is primarily linked to their communication.

It can mean that they’re not happy about something.

Or it can be shown along with some head-bobbing in regards to a dominance display to another.

If your dragon’s beard is dark for extended periods of time in its viv I would do this:

1. Go over your set-up parameters first. Check the UVB and heat and that the UVB tube is in date. Also check they’re at the manufactures recommended distance.
2. Check the heating: Make sure that heat bulb is giving the optimal heat for that basking spot. I always aim for 38 – 42c with the cool end around 10c cooler. 
3. A vet visit: If the darker beard continues, and you’ve conducted the above checks, then I’d recommend a vet visit. A prolonged display could be a sign of illness.

This article was written by Pete Hawkins for ExoticDirect

Winner of The Reptile Reports, Readers Choice, Lizard Personality of the Year 2016.

You can find Pete via his Facebook groups: Bearded Dragons Network; Chameleon Network; Snake Network; Amphibian Network; Lizard Network, and in multiple publications worldwide.