How to Care for a Bearded Dragon Lizard

Bearded dragons are lizards that are native to Australia. They are growing in popularity as pets because of their docile, friendly and sociable nature and relatively easy care. The size of this lizard also makes it easy to keep as a pet. Bearded dragons measure approximately 1 foot when full grown.

Instructions

1. Choose a tank that is large enough to allow for each bearded dragon to have approximately 4 square feet of space. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper, reptile rug or child's play sand. Do not use bark chips or other large pieces of material because crickets can hide in the chips making it hard for the lizard to find and catch his dinner.

2. Provide ultraviolet light for your bearded dragons for at least 14 hours out of every day. These lizards need to bask in the sun. The daytime temperature in the basking area should be allowed to reach 100 to 110 degrees. The rest of the tank should have a daytime temperature in the 80s and a night time temperature in the 70s.

3. Feed your bearded dragon a healthy diet of both vegetables and insects. Crickets and meal worms are favorites of the bearded dragon lizard. Live food should be offered to babies 3 to 4 times a week and to adults every 7 to 10 days. All bearded dragons should be given fresh plant matter daily. You can also feed them frozen vegetables such as peas, carrots and green beans.

4. Mist your lizards with fresh water every day. When they are young you might want to do it several times a day. It is also a good idea to place the lizard into a shallow bowl of lukewarm water once a week. Allow the dragon to soak for around 10 minutes. They get most of their water intake from the vegetables they eat but can also benefit by absorbing it through their skin.

5. Check your bearded dragon for parasites on a regular basis. They can pick up parasites from the crickets and other insects you feed them.