Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons are mid-sized agamids found throughout Australia. They are social animals and feed on a wide range of insects, small vertebrates and plant materials. Averaging about 18" they are extremely popular with hobbyists. Several color phases are available. I currently work with the yellow phase. These are delightful lizards and will thrive provided you meet some pretty specific requirements.
CAGE SIZE
Lizards are generally more active than snakes and require more space. Though dragons are not what I would call crazy active they need more space than many breeders will lead on. A ten-gallon tank may be great for starting them out but in the end you'll need a cage at LEAST the size of a 40-gallon breeder tank.
HEAT
Dragons require a hot spot in their cage of about 100º for ten to twelve hours a day to ensure complete digestion and assimilation of their food. They also need enough room to get away from the heat if they feel too hot. There are numerous ways to accomplish this "temperature gradient". The most common method is to suspend a heating element at on end of a long cage.
LIGHTING
When kept under artificial lighting dragons can develop a depressed demeanor. I utilize full spectrum VitaLights for my dragons. These lights are designed to emit the full spectrum of visible light and promote healthful lizard behavior. There are more expensive bulbs on the market that emit the high levels Uvb radiation that help in the formation of Vitamin D3 which is important for calcium uptake however, I have found that dietary supplements can be used effectively to compensate for the low levels of Uvb. Since you'll likely need to use these supplements anyway I find VitaLights to be the most effective and economical light on the market.
DIET
Unlike snakes, dragons should be offered food on a daily basis. Shredded collards mixed with chopped carrots and yellow squash is a great base mixture. I'll add whatever fresh veggies are seasonally available to provide variety. Since getting the dragons we eat lots more fresh veggies. You can also vary the greens but there are two you should avoid iceberg lettuce and kale. The lettuce has ZERO nutritional value and the kale will give your dragons gas. Trust me when I say there is NOTHING worse than dragon gas! Dragons also need to have protein in their diet. This can be done with insects. I give my dragons insects every other day and have found that super worms are the most economical insect for feeding dragons. Super worms are inexpensive and are easily maintained in a plastic shoe box so you can keep your trips to the pet or bait store down to a minimum. Keep in mind however that variety is the spice of life and your dragons will appreciate you giving them some crickets every now and then. If you've got the time to catch them dragons LOVE grass hoppers.
SUPPLIMENTS
Unless you keep your dragons under the high Uvb emitting bulbs (and change the bulbs frequently) you'll need to provide vitamin and mineral supplements. I have found that as long as your dragons are eating plenty of high calcium, beta-carotine rich veggies you can get by with a scant dose of RepCal calcium & vitamin D3 supplement twice a week.
When choosing young dragons you will be faced with the issue of price. Keep in mind that you get what you are paying for. Older, well cared for, dragons are going to cost more but are well worth the extra investment. Our prices will vary according to age and coloration with most falling in the $35 - $75 price range.