# Bearded Dragon Help



## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Hi guys,

I'm thirteen and thinking about getting my first reptile/s, Bearded dragon and geckos sound like good pets (gecko forum help on my wall)

I need to know price range, time, food, viv sizes and health and care, (maybe breeding but probs not at 13 and because it would be my first reptile)

Many thanks,

Jack:snake:


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## beckyyjane (Nov 14, 2010)

jottog said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> I'm thirteen and thinking about getting my first reptile/s, Bearded dragon and geckos sound like good pets (gecko forum help on my wall)
> 
> ...



Hey  My advise would be to research loooooads all over the internet.
There's loads of great sites out there I personally watch alot of videos on YouTube on set up's etc.
Here is a great starter kit, I have used it for 3 of my lizards and swear by it! ..

Juvenile Bearded Dragon Kit by Pets at Home (Available in Store Only) | Pets at Home


Hope this helps a little


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Thank you very much :2thumb:


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## beckyyjane (Nov 14, 2010)

Welcome need any more, leave me a message


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

*beardie help*

price range-i don't know whether or not you're on about the full cost or just the dragon, for an adult and its set up you're probably looking around the £200 mark from your local reptile store. for a juvenile, which i presume you are looking to get, the dragon will cost around £50, and the setup could be anything from 80-130/40 depending on whether you're lucky or not. 

time-i genuinely have _no_ idea what you mean by this, except possibly lifespan, which is around the ten year mark.

food-A Beardies staple diet consists of brown crickets, fruit and veg (check on google), hoppers and occaisonally mealworms.

vivarium sizes-a juvenile bearded dragon should have a tank that is atleast 24"/18
2/18" (WxDxH) an adult should, ideally, be kept in a 48"/24"/24" however taking away half a foot here and there could be considered ok for a female. _check with some more knowledgeable people about this one just to make sure._

health- google this. 

care- Let me google that for you

as for breeding, its ok to read up on it now, but don't prioritise it, and don't even consider breeding until you've owned one for a while.

hope this helps a bit, good luck :2thumb:


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

Chunk247 said:


> price range-i don't know whether or not you're on about the full cost or just the dragon, for an adult and its set up you're probably looking around the £200 mark from your local reptile store. for a juvenile, which i presume you are looking to get, the dragon will cost around £50, and the setup could be anything from 80-130/40 depending on whether you're lucky or not.
> 
> time-i genuinely have _no_ idea what you mean by this, except possibly lifespan, which is around the ten year mark.
> 
> ...




A baby beardie can go straight into a 48x24" (4x2ft) viv. Getting the correct temperature gradient in a 24" viv is near impossible!

I'm not sure why a female would be ok in a smaller viv than a male?? The minimum recommended size for a beardie is 4x2 ft (8 square ft of floor space) regardless of the gender.


To the OP, read through this care sheet Caring for a Bearded Dragon - Hades Dragons UK and if you have any more questions at all after looking through that, please don't hesitate to as 

Also starter kits are usually overpriced and do not include everything you need. You're much better off shopping around and buying everything separately. The viv in the starter kit in the link above isn't actually much good for beardies anyway. All glass vivs do not hold haet well. 

Jenny


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Thank you very much, Erm time is about how much time they'd have to be under a light or something ? if they need that, cause my parents are divorced and I'm only aloud to keep them at my mums and she won't feed them bugs so I'll have to find away on completeing this, I'm just waiting


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

i prefer not to put my young straight into their adult viv because i don't want them getting stressed out, i know it can work but i just personally prefer not to. and i meant to point out that females don't grow as big as males/


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

if you can't feed them bugs, you're buggered (no pun intended...honestly!) and there should always be a heat lamp available for them to bask underneath, and a UV light should be on to replicate a night/day cycle.


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## Keto (Mar 28, 2011)

I don't see why they'd be stressed out in a large vivarium from the start - just make sure they have plenty of hides/rocks/brances/etc.


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

Chunk247 said:


> i prefer not to put my young straight into their adult viv because i don't want them getting stressed out, i know it can work but i just personally prefer not to. and i meant to point out that females don't grow as big as males/


:lol2: baby beardies do not get stressed in a 4x2 viv!! The only problem you may encounter is them finding it difficult catching their food. This problem can be solved by putting live food in the fridge before giving them to the beardie, or feed in a separate, smaller container such as a plastic storage tub. 

And females can grow just as big as males, and bigger!!


Jenny


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

Chunk247 said:


> if you can't feed them bugs, you're buggered (no pun intended...honestly!) and there should always be a heat lamp available for them to bask underneath, and a UV light should be on to replicate a night/day cycle.


Um...the heat lamp, as well as the UV, should be on 12-14 hours a day. Heat should be off over night, not always available?!

Do you actually own any beardies?


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

i was just talking about the average sizes, and i am just telling the guy what i have heard alot of people say about the tank sizes.


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Would it be bad for them to move every week :/ ?


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

yes, they can get easily stressed when moving about that often.


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

jottog said:


> Would it be bad for them to move every week :/ ?



Yes it would I'm afraid. Beardies can suffer badly from relocation stress, which often involves them going off their food for long periods of time. If moved weekly the beardie would be in a permanent state of relocation stress, and it's health would go down hill rapidly.


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Would I be better off with something like a creasted gecko as they don't need heat and me mum could feed them ?


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## Chunk247 (May 30, 2010)

you can't get a reptile just hoping your mum's going to feed it, you need to be properly dedicated, and although cresties don't need as much heat as most reptiles, the temperature does need to be monitored to make sure it doesn't get too cold.


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

jottog said:


> Would I be better off with something like a creasted gecko as they don't need heat and me mum could feed them ?


I expect that would probably be a better idea from the sounds of it. You will need to make sure your mum does as much research as you though if she is going to be caring for it half the time!

Just make sure you do both do plenty of research!


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

Yes, i'll sit down and look through my options thourghly, erm help would still be apreciated, thank you


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## thunder_cat (Feb 19, 2011)

ok, as someone who's had to get people to help with keeping a beardie I'd honestly advise waiting until you can get things sorted before you get a reptile. I don't think it's fair to get someone else to look after your pet that much especially if you'll have issues with the feeding. I have a beardie which, because of a job change, my partner has to help feed and clean during the week and it's still not working fantastically. I've had to train him a fair bit (partner that is) and he's had to retrieve the dragon a few times when it's made a bid for freedom. 
mostly I'd advise doing shed loads of research and reading about other people's pets and problems then having a good talk with your 'rents so they understand what the pet would involve.
good luck


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

I don't have problems feeding any animals, my mum does, I'm working out a plan at the moment.


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## Fionab (Mar 28, 2010)

jottog said:


> I don't have problems feeding any animals, my mum does, I'm working out a plan at the moment.


can I ask what your parents think of you getting it?

are they/your mum willing to take on the responsibilty of owning an animal.


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## jottog (Apr 3, 2011)

I'm getting at at my dads, he seems to like the idea, but hes still asking for my mums premisson, cause, she like, hates anything he does with out like asking her so yeah....


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## babybutch (Apr 2, 2011)

i thought beardies werent supposed to have hides??


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## babybutch (Apr 2, 2011)

Keto said:


> I don't see why they'd be stressed out in a large vivarium from the start - just make sure they have plenty of hides/rocks/brances/etc.


forgot to quote this :S


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## thunder_cat (Feb 19, 2011)

I got told not to put a hide in, i think the upshot it that they shouldn't have somewhere that's completely sheltered from the lamp and the uv when they're small incase they just stay in there and don't get the heat and light they need. but you can set the viv up so that they get a bit of shade and privacy from us without hiding completely. i set his branch up with a fake cactus near the front so he can semi-hide while still getting all the light


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