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The bearded dragon isn’t actually a dragon, neither does it have a beard, but it does have something called a gular fringe that at least looks like a beard. These lizards are found in Australia and are usually found on branches and basking on rocks.
Bearded dragon appearance
Bearded dragons have a gular fringe. These are the spikes found around the collar of a bearded dragon. And what gives the bearded it’s name? Bearded dragons will flare their skin around their neck called a gular pouch. When they do, it looks almost like they have a beard because of the spikes and they were named “bearded dragons” because of this.
Size of bearded dragon & weight
When they’re hatchlings, they’re usually pretty small at 3-4 inches in length. When they’re juveniles they’re about 8-23 inches long and when they’re full grown they are usually about 12-24 inches long and can weight about 10-17 ounces. This may not be the perfect way to predict how big your lizard will grow as there are multiple factors for a lizard to be a certain size or weight, but it could give you at least an idea of how long these lizards are.
Recommended terrarium size for bearded dragons
A lot of bearded dragon keepers recommend a terrarium called a vivarium. A vivarium is like a terrarium, yet the environment is monitored daily. Here’s a small chart for the recommended vivarium size.
VIVARIUM SIZE
Babies (3-4″) – about 10-20 gallons
Juveniles (10-16″) – About 40 gallons
Small adults (16-20″) About 75 gallons
Large adults (longer than 20″) About 100-120 gallons
Recommended diet for bearded dragons
All bearded dragons should have some insects (such as hornworms, silkworms, superworms, and black soldier fly larvae) as well as vegetables such as orange and yellow colored vegetables and leafy greens. When your bearded dragon is young, try to feed it more insects than vegetables as young beardies will grow faster. When your lizard is older, more vegetables and less insects are recommended.
Supplements
It is recommended to give these lizards calcium powder mixed with vitamin D. You can dust your bearded dragons insects or vegetables, whichever you prefer.
Heating
Bearded dragons enjoy both a basking side and a cool side and in the chart below, it will show you the temperatures recommended for the two sides.
TEMPERATURES
Basking side – 95-105F or 35-40C
Cool side -80F or 26C
Lighting
A UVB light should cover about 2/3-3/4 of the terrarium and should be replaced about every 6-12 months. Remember, this light needs to be at a certain fixture. Your bearded dragon will also need a basking light, a light for the cool zone as well as a area heated by a lamp for night. Feel free to read this article to get more in depth.
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