Inland Bearded Dragon . Bearded dragon is the common name applied to a few different types of lizards, all in the Pogona family, the most common type of which is the inland bearded dragon, which also goes by the nickname “beardie.”There aren’t any officially recognized subspecies of the inland bearded dragon, but there are two related species of bearded dragon called Eastern bearded dragons and Lawson’s bearded dragons. There are a few different kinds of bearded dragon morphs, animals that are bred to achieve certain appearances or characteristics not found in nature. The types of bearded dragon morphs include the normal brown and tan dragons, German giant dragon morphs, vivid orange- red sandfire morphs, pale hypomelanistic pastel morphs and snow/ghost dragon morphs. Inland Bearded Dragon Size. Inland beardies are usually just under 4 inches in length when born and can grow to a length between 1. The exception to this estimate is the German giant morph, which can reach a length of 2. Inland Bearded Dragon Lifespan. The average captive- bred inland bearded dragon will have a lifespan between 5 and 8 years, with some living to the ripe old age of 1. There have been reports of a twelve- year old specimen, but they were unauthenticated. Wildlife Online, Natural History of the Red Fox (Vuples vulpes). A prerequisite for breeding spiny-tailed iguanas, of course, is healthy animals. Ctenosaura as young as 14 months have laid fertile eggs, but I wouldn’t recommend. Inland Bearded Dragon Appearance. Bearded dragons have triangular shaped heads, long tails, and plump round bodies that look slightly flattened, becoming even more pronounced when the animals are alarmed. They are covered with spiky spines running along the head, throat, and body. They got the nickname “bearded dragon” from their ability to puff out their throats when threatened, giving the appearance of a full grown beard of pointed spikes. In a state of agitation bearded dragons can look quite fierce. But fear not—unlike porcupines, the spikes are stiff but not dangerous. The original inland bearded dragon is a brown and tan/yellow, with small amounts of yellow and red found mostly on the head. German giant morphs come in browns and tans and have smaller heads than typical dragons. German giants typically have silvery- gold irises and can be more aggressive than “normal” inland beardies. Red/gold morphs are a type of German bearded dragon that has been bred to show more red, orange, and yellow colors. They began to appear in the early 1. Hyperxanthic bearded dragons are bred for extensive saturation of red/orange or yellow colors. The first established hyperxanthic line of bearded dragon is called the sandfire line, or morph. Sandfire dragons are characterized by bright orange to orange- red coloration throughout the upper body and limbs, so much so that it masks most of the typical bearded dragon patterning. Tiger dragon morphs are relatively new and are characterized by a barred pattern that runs the width of the beardie’s body. Hypomelanistic beardies exhibit a bleached appearance, with clear- colored nail bases. Unlike true albino animals, however, the hypomelanistic dragons retain normal colored irises. Due to its extreme popularity, you can expect many more dragon morphs to be bred in the future. The most common you’ll find will be the Pogona Vitticeps and although naturally they are a variety of browns and beige after decades of breeding in captivity a.Inland Bearded Dragon Care Level. Most reptile experts rank bearded dragons as one of the best reptile pets around. They are attractive, active, entertaining, moderately sized and easy to handle, and relatively easy to keep. Bearded dragons also have, for the most part, a naturally tame temperament, making them a great pet—for beginners up to advanced herpetoculturists. They are hardy and robust, yet safe enough for children to handle—as long as proper hand washing is practiced (which goes for all ages). Bearded dragons in particular need to have their nails clipped to prevent overgrowth, which can lead to unnaturally, and uncomfortably, bent toes. If you do not feel comfortable clipping your beardie’s nails on your own, talk to your veterinarian about it. Inland Bearded Dragon Diet. Feeding Your Bearded Dragon. Bearded dragons are relatively easy to feed, with one exception: young beardies require live food. Without an adequate amount of live prey, a young beardie can suffer from malnutrition, stunted growth, and even death from starvation. There are commercial diets that exist for bearded dragons, usually in the form of pelleted food. However, even if a food is marketed specifically for bearded dragons, you should always supplement a dragon’s commercial diet with insects, produce, and other naturally sourced supplements. Bearded dragons are healthy eaters that enjoy variety. As far as live food goes, bearded dragons prefer the non- flying type of insects, like crickets, mealworms, giant mealworms, superworms, wax worms, and juvenile Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Larger beardies also relish eating small live lizards from time to time, and these can help provide nutrients like calcium and other trace vitamins and minerals not readily available through insects and vegetables. A good rule of thumb is to feed your dragon as many crickets as it can eat in ten minutes. Note that when feeding your dragon live prey like crickets, never feed it a cricket that is longer than the width of its head. In fact, never feed your dragon anything that’s longer than the width of its head. Beardies have died from attempting to consume prey animals that are too large. Another important note: Never leave live prey in the cage with your dragon overnight. An understandably frightened prey animal can cause injury to your dragon, sometimes severe enough for emergency care. Young dragons will have bigger appetites than older dragons. While young bearded dragons are fed mostly insect matter, they should be offered plant based foods as well. As they grow older, bearded dragons’ diets tend to shift to mostly plant matter, but they will still require some amounts of live food. As they age, the amount of salads should increase as live insect matter decreases. Greens and produce should be fed to your bearded dragon in appropriately sized pieces, usually fine chopped. Always ensure the greenery you feed your pet has been untreated by pesticides and herbicides. Bearded dragons enjoy the leaves and blossoms of clover, dandelions, and mustard, as well as rose petals, hibiscus flowers, and calendula. Fruits and, especially, vegetables can be fed to them as well, but keep the sugary fruits minimal. Feed your bearded dragon during the daytime, when it is active, offering the bulk of its food in the morning. Bearded dragons get a second meal, too, which you should feed about 1- 2 hours before lights- out. Adult dragons may only need to be fed once per day or once every other day. There are countless colors, many different types. See which one you have. The bearded dragon is arguably the most common lizard kept in the pet trade today, the most common type of which is the inland bearded dragon, which also goes by the. Common Name: - Bearded Dragon Latin Name: - Pogona Vitticeps Origin: - Australian Deserts and Savannahs Adult Size: - 18 - 24” Life Span: - 10 – 15 Years. Don't be alarmed, its perfectly natural for a Bearded Dragon to shed it's skin, just remember not to pick at their loose bits of skin. Observe and follow your dragon’s lead and report any abrupt changes in appetite to your veterinarian. Do Bearded Dragons Require Extra Nutrition? Bearded dragons require reptile supplements; specifically, supplementation with a powdered vitamin/mineral supplement and calcium. There are plenty of reptile supplements available at your local pet shop, just make sure to carefully examine the labels to choose one that has the right formulation. Ideally, you should select a source of calcium, like calcium carbonate powder, plus a supplement with vitamins and minerals. The supplements should be dusted occasionally over the beardie’s food, whether that is the salad portion of its meal, or even the insects (shake the powder in the bag with the crickets). Inland Bearded Dragon Health. Common Health Issues in Bearded Dragons. Bearded dragons are an extremely hardy species—once thought to be “bulletproof,”—but no pet is invincible. Parasites, nutritional disorders, kidney disease, prolapses, egg binding, and respiratory infections are some common health concerns to be on the lookout for in your bearded dragons. The following is a short summary of bearded dragon diseases and disorders. Infectious Diseases and Parasites. Parasites can be quite troublesome and can multiply quickly, so if you suspect your dragon is infected you need to seek veterinary help immediately. Coccidia is the most common parasite disorder in beardies and manifests itself in the small intestine. Other common parasites your dragon may attract are pinworms, tapeworms, microsporudua and pentastomids. You can rarely spot these and most other parasites in your dragon’s stool as they are microscopic. External parasites like mites are less common and often come from other infected reptiles, most often snakes. Remedying a mite infestation starts with an entire cage cleaning combined with an ivermectin- based spray. If your dragon appears listless or has white moving dots all over its body, take it to the vet to check for a mite infestation. Nutritional & Metabolic Disorders. Nutritional disorders in bearded dragons most commonly stem from calcium and D3 deficiencies, called metabolic bone disease. This can happen when beardies are fed excessive amounts of meat. Feeding your dragon a diet heavy with crickets may seem good, but many crickets bought from pet stores aren’t “gut loaded,” meaning they haven’t been fed the proper nutrients or dusted with nutritional supplements prior to being fed to dragons. Another cause of metabolic bone disease is due to improper ultraviolet lighting. If your dragon begins to twitch, it probably needs calcium immediately. Sometimes a lack of calcium will also cause dragons to become constipated. If this is the case, they can be given a gentle enema by your vet. Always consult a veterinarian if you believe your dragon is suffering from a lack of nutrition or otherwise. On the other hand, too much calcium or D3 can cause a dragon to develop gout or kidney disease. This is another reason why it’s extremely important to maintain proper nutrition levels and to always have clean drinking water available. Egg Binding. Female bearded dragons can lay eggs even if there is no male dragon present. Of course, these eggs are not fertile but they still can create health problems. If a dragon produces eggs, she can use up her reservoirs of calcium, so diet, uv lighting, and supplementation become even more important.
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