Setting up the housing for your new Bearded Dragon lizard is an important part and will help ensure they live a healthy and enjoyable life. It is strongly recommended that you buy all the required equipment and set up the tank before purchasing the lizard.

Housing (Vivarium): You can either build your own or have one built. The most common type of Bearded Dragon enclosure makes use of three wooden sides and glass sliding doors on the front allowing easy access into the tank. When housing baby Bearded Dragons, please be careful that the housing is not too large as they will struggle to find their food. Having said this, it is advisable to have the tank built to house the lizard when fully grown as this will save you having to have another tank built later on in life. A Bearded Dragon vivarium should be of a minimum size of 4ft by 2ft, to comfortably house 1 or possibly 2 adult lizards.

Lizard Lighting / Heating: Both of these are extremely important. You will require a heat lamp (e.g. a normal reflector light bulb can be used) which will bring the tank up to the high temperatures required. You will also need a florescent bulb probably stretching the length of your tank as a substitute for day light. This will also provide them with the vitamins and minerals which would otherwise be gained from sunlight. Temperatures should reach 95-100 f around the heat lamp and this should be situated towards one end of the tank. Towards the other end – temperatures should be a max of 80f allowing the lizards to escape the high temps when required.

Food / Drink: Lizards (Bearded Dragons) require a varied diet consisting of 1day live food (e.g. crickets / locusts etc) and the next greens (e.g. lettuce, dandelions etc). The bugs must be fed alive and will need to be bought frequently – probably weekly. These will also need coating in calcium supplement on alternative feeds. A fresh bowl of tap water is expected everyday. They will not be seen to drink much so to ensure they stay hydrated, they should can be sprayed with tap water daily. Also spray around the tank as they are more likely to drink water that is dripping off things or running down the sides etc than that sat in a bowl.

Inside the vivarium: The vivarium will require some form of substrate on the floor. You may find that different people recommend different things however in many cases 'play sand' or small 'wood chips' are suitable. This can be purchased in bulk and at very cheap prices. Be careful of other forms of sand as this my harm the Bearded Dragons and should be avoided. The lizards will also require some method of wearing down their nails – such as a rock or stone of some kind. A log should be provided allowing them to climb nearer to the heat lamp to bask during the hottest part of the day. Plants can be provided to make the tank more attractive however be aware that some plants are poisonous and also many plants will soon get battered by the lizards as they climb on them and eat them. There are a couple of suitable plants for example cactuses or in some cases Yuka plants as they are quite hardy.

'BASIC Bearded Dragon Manual' - Beginners guide to a happy, healthy pet Bearded Dragon

'ADVANCED Bearded Dragon Manual' - Your complete guide to a happy, healthy pet Bearded Dragon

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