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fatmanforprez · 01-24-2008, 09:35 AM

I kept a bearded dragon for a number of years, the only pet in the house I ever considered mine or cared for.

Buy it as soon as it is safe to transport (mine was 2 weeks) and handle it soon and often in the begging. Yes it is safe to let the young ones to handle the lizard when it is young and fragile (I would also call it necessary), just make sure they know not to squeeze when it moves and keep the doors shut and towels under then for that encounter. When it reaches decent size buy a leash. Yes, I said leash (they make um just for lizards). I have rarely had more fun than taking this 3 ft long (with tail) lizard for a walk down the street or going around town with a lizard on my shirt (they love that BTW). You will get asked where you got that realistic shirt, until the lizard re-adjusts it's position which usually results in a freaked out bystander.

Bearded dragons are hardy and will survive a child's forgetting to feed and clean up after them routine. They will need a vitamin D lamp however, and no heat rocks (for any herp, I don't know your experience so it's worth throwing in). I tried to give mine a bath once, which was funny, never re-attempted. That was the only time I ever saw the lizard freak or go into scared animal mode (I gave it a get out of scared animal mode free card for the first time it was handled, which actually went pretty smoothly considering). I left a large bowl in his cage from then on and changed the water once a week. You may catch your lizards running through it (and yes they will leave droppings in it).

Bearded dragons are true omnivores, choice foods being meal worms, crickets, and pinkies for the large ones. For veggies I used kale, yellow squash, and carrots I believe. I hope you like the sound of crickets (and you eat lots of eggs in your household) as breeding crickets seems to be a common theme. The good news is that they are dead simple to take care of (I can elaborate if need be) and to this day the sound of crickets (avg. colony for 1 dragon was like 2000 crickets [by weight, this was overkill]) is something I reminisce over.

Any other specific information you need?

01-24-2008, 09:35 AM	#13 (permalink)
fatmanforprez Tilted	I kept a bearded dragon for a number of years, the only pet in the house I ever considered mine or cared for. Buy it as soon as it is safe to transport (mine was 2 weeks) and handle it soon and often in the begging. Yes it is safe to let the young ones to handle the lizard when it is young and fragile (I would also call it necessary), just make sure they know not to squeeze when it moves and keep the doors shut and towels under then for that encounter. When it reaches decent size buy a leash. Yes, I said leash (they make um just for lizards). I have rarely had more fun than taking this 3 ft long (with tail) lizard for a walk down the street or going around town with a lizard on my shirt (they love that BTW). You will get asked where you got that realistic shirt, until the lizard re-adjusts it's position which usually results in a freaked out bystander. Bearded dragons are hardy and will survive a child's forgetting to feed and clean up after them routine. They will need a vitamin D lamp however, and no heat rocks (for any herp, I don't know your experience so it's worth throwing in). I tried to give mine a bath once, which was funny, never re-attempted. That was the only time I ever saw the lizard freak or go into scared animal mode (I gave it a get out of scared animal mode free card for the first time it was handled, which actually went pretty smoothly considering). I left a large bowl in his cage from then on and changed the water once a week. You may catch your lizards running through it (and yes they will leave droppings in it). Bearded dragons are true omnivores, choice foods being meal worms, crickets, and pinkies for the large ones. For veggies I used kale, yellow squash, and carrots I believe. I hope you like the sound of crickets (and you eat lots of eggs in your household) as breeding crickets seems to be a common theme. The good news is that they are dead simple to take care of (I can elaborate if need be) and to this day the sound of crickets (avg. colony for 1 dragon was like 2000 crickets [by weight, this was overkill]) is something I reminisce over. Any other specific information you need?