INTRODUCTION



Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps, previously Amphiboluris vitticep) are lizards that belong to the agamid group. The species is of  "Least concern" status according to International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List (IUCN). They are up to 60cm long including the tail (SVL: 25cm, tail: 30cm) (Reptile Database) and are often confused with the smaller Rankin's Dragon (Pogona henrylawsoni) or the larger Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata), also found commercially. The care for these species is very similar.



Bearded Dragons are robust, active, inquisitive and quite placid generally and have entered the pet trade in recent years following the Green Iguana trend. These are smaller animals and ground dwellers generally (considered semiarboreal) which make them easier to keep in a vivarium. They may live around 8-12 years but there are reports of specimens living over 19 years of age (Muller, 2014) - this is closely related to husbandry.



They have a spiky beard that they can expand and their body colour depends on the type of terrain the come from, ranging from lighter colours to brown. In captivity there are numerous morphs available i.e. "Blood" or "Leatherback".



Males, like all agamids, have femoral pores that are more marked than those of females which are generally smaller, less robust and with smaller heads. Males have two hemipenes which are visible just caudal to the cloaca. Head bobbing is a behaviour found in agamids and iguanids, often displayed as territorial or mating behaviour.



Their habitat ranges from forests to deserts or scrub lands. They are considered a semi arboreal lizard that are often found basking on branches.



HUSBANDRY



TERRARIUM



A vivarium 90x45x45cm (LxWxH) would suit a young animal but soon a larger vivarium would be needed. Ideally as much space as possible should be given but a 120x60x45-60cm (LxWxH) vivarium would suit a larger animal. Experienced keepers and large zoological enclosures may keep this species in groups (taking in to account extra space) but this is generally not advised, especially as males often display intra specific territorial aggressiveness.



Aeration is important as is regular cleaning of the vivarium - these lizards will regularly pass large amounts of stools which ideally should be removed as quickly as possible.



A hide of some sort should also be provided, as should some branches to enhance semi arboreal behaviour.



SUBSTRATE



There are mixed opinions on types of substrate that can or cant be used. Animal Welfare Act 2006,



Natural option:



Based on the Animal Welfare Act 2006, where the animal should be able "to exhibit normal behaviour patterns" as one of the 5 freedoms of welfare needs, Bearded Dragons should be able to "dig".



Pros: A loose sand/soil mix which would enhance natural digging behaviour.



Cons: Increased risk of ingestion. Depending on the type of loose substrate used, this may also cause obstructions. This is something that we generally see when the husbandry conditions are deficient, especially temperature and diet/supplementation. A lack of calcium can cause geophagia or "pica" in reptiles where they ingest substrate to compensate for this deficit.



This type of substrate may be an option for large setups managed by advanced keepers or zoological setups under specialist reptile professional supervision i.e. curators in the US, or reptile veterinary specialists.



Safe option: 



This is based on the fact that gastrointestinal foreign bodies, causing obstruction and impactions where they need medical or surgical treatment, are a relatively common presentation in exotic animal practice in the UK.



A reptile carpet, tiles or artificial grass may be used.



Pros: They are very safe.



Cons: Unless there is a digging box, they are unable to display their natural digging behaviour.



A general consensus (and common sense)



There is no right or wrong answer but there is a natural or safe answer. Following the hundreds of gastrointestinal foreign body treatments and surgeries that I have personally performed in the last decade, I generally recommend the "safe" option - something they cannot ingest -  unless the setup is a large zoological or conservation project. Husbandry optimisation is paramount and when this has been proven and is long standing,  a digging box can be introduced.



LIGHTING



Ultraviolet (UV) lighting is important in this species and UV-A and UV-B should be supplied for calcium metabolism and behaviour/reproductive purposes, respectively. A photo period of 12h is recommended and Bearded Dragons will often bask under high intensity bulbs that also emit heat. UV tubes (especially T5s) and UV compact or basking bulbs can be used. This will depend on the size of the setup as basking bulbs can easily overheat the environment.



TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY



A heated vivarium should have a thermo gradient with a basking spot in the high 30's or low 40's (Celcius). A gradual night temperature drop to mid 20's will simulate their natural conditions. We must always remember that the reptile immune system depends on thermo regulation and therefore correct temperatures should follow the preferred optimal temperature zone (POTZ).



Relative humidity is usually kept low (30-40%) with no need to spray. Providing a small water bowl in the vivarium is always a good idea. Generally, there is no need to use a dehumidifier in a classic vivarium setup. A close eye should be kept on the water bowl as they can be dirty, either defecating in the water or dragging stools and contaminating the water.



DIET AND SUPPLEMENTATION



Bearded Dragons are opportunistic omnivores and tend to be more insectivorous as youngsters. In the wild they often live in habitats where food may be hard to find and therefore their large stomachs are adapted to take large quantities of plant matter, insects or occasional rodent. Approximately 20% of their diet in the wild is plant matter. Younger animals can be fed small amounts and frequent and although many will not take vegetable matter it is strongly advised to start them on these earlier on in life.



Insects readily available from pet stores include crickets, locusts, meal worms, morio worms. In captivity they may be fed insects and salads 3-4 times per week. This routine is followed by EAZA zoos.



Insects should not be fed "off the shelf" and should be gut loaded - this can be achieved by feeding vegetables or commercially available feed to the insects.



Supplementation with calcium carbonate and multivitamins is very important. Although they will synthesise vitamin D3 with the use of UV-B lighting, supplementing with a multivitamin supplement containing vitamin D3 is strongly recommended. This can be used 1-2 times weekly and calcium carbonate powder can be used with the other feeds. The latter will improve the Calcium/Phosphorous (Ca/P) ratio.



BREEDING



This species is readily bred in captivity and cooling periods are frequently introduced by breeders to enhance and start the breeding season. This is achieved by reducing the photo period to 8-10h progressively and a temperature drop down to around 24-26C is also started. This period may last 2-3 months until gradual increase to the previous lighting and temperature conditions is reached.



The male will show interest in the female by bobbing his head up and down at the female and, after a successful mating, the female will lay 10-25 eggs 1-2 months after a successful mating. The eggs are generally removed and placed in an incubator around 27-29C and will hatch 8-11 weeks after.



They young lizards will all hatch within 24h of each other and they are placed in a different setup to the parents. They will start ingesting food after 3 days and will reach sexual maturity after 8-18 months of age (Christal Pollock, DVM, DABVP).



PREVENTIVE CARE



Parasite testing is strongly recommended in this species as they frequently carry pinworms, coccidia and flagellated protozoa, which may cause problems. The numbers tend to build up gradually over time and will be strongly dependant on general hygiene.



Knowing the sex is important, especially after reaching sexual maturity as females may suffer with follicular stasis or egg laying issues.



Adenovirus status (positive or negative) is encouraged, as symptoms may not be present.