How to Raise Baby Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragon babies need a special diet.

Bearded Dragons are Australian natives with a reputation as gentle and easy to care for pets. They aren't picky about what they eat, they don't get much larger than 20 inches, and they are active during the day when the kids want to see them play. A baby is about 3 to 4 inches long when it hatches. The young ones are prone to stress and need to be handled infrequently. They also need a special diet plan to stay healthy.

Instructions

1. All bearded dragons, regardless of age, need to be handled with care. You also need to wash your hands after handling a dragon, especially before you eat.

2. Baby dragons don't need big portions of food, but do need to eat twice or three times a day. Its feeding bowl should be no more than 2 to 3 inches wide, and no portion should be larger than a third of the animal's head. They should be fed gut loaded insects, molted mealworms and wax worms. Most of these are available in pet stores. The insects need calcium powder on them, and some vitamin and mineral powder on them a few times a week. They also need to be introduced to vegetables. Chop green vegetables to fine, small bits and give them a green meal once every other day. When the dragon reaches 9 months old, it should get vegetables every day and insects just a few times a week.

3. Check the baby frequently for anything abnormal like discoloring or mold growths. Keep a clean but shallow bowl of water in its cage at all times. The baby may need to be forced water through a medication dropper until it learns to lap the water.

4. Start with a 12 gallon tank. The dragon needs a daylight bulb to bask in, and substrate consisting of paper towels, aquarium gravel, pebbles or reptile carpet. The baby does not adapt well to play sand. If you have more than one baby, don't put them in the same cage. They may try to eat each other.

5. Pick up the pet at least once a day. Don't take one out of its cage until it has had at least three days to get used to the new surroundings. Slowly approach the dragon, and raise them up from its sides and not its head. Get it on the palm off your hand so it feels the support before you lift it out of the cage.

Tips & Warnings

• When raising baby bearded dragons, never mix the large babies with small ones or they may eat each other.

References

• Bearded Dragon Guide
• Bearded Dragon Care Net