HANDLING:
     Bearded Dragons are very social, curious reptiles and can become            extremely tame with proper care. It is a good idea to handle your
     new bearded dragon as little as possible for the first few days (up
     to two weeks) until they become used to their new surroundings,              family, and are eating well. Once this is established the idea is to            handle them frequently for short periods of time, gradually
     increasing the length of time.

     To pick up your beardie, gently slide your hand under his or her
     belly and lift them up. They like to feel supported and secure.
     This can be achieved by ensuring their entire body, including tail,
     is supported. Beardies dislike being squeezed and picked up with
     your hand overtop of them squeezing their ribs. If your bearded            dragon is skittish when you pick him or her up, hold them until they          are calm and them put them down. If you put them down when they
     are squirming they will learn to squirm to be put down.

     HOUSING:
     Baby and juvenile bearded dragons can be housed in a 20 gallon              aquariums or similar sized enclosures. This will be big enough until          they are about 12 inches long. Adults should be housed in nothing              smaller than a 40 gallon aquarium although larger is preferable as
     it allows some extra ground space for them to roam around. Placing
     a small bearded dragon in an enclosure of this size can cause undue          stress as it is overwhelming and can make it difficult for them to
     find their food. To save costs on purchasing two separate
     enclosures you can place a divider in a larger enclosure until your            beardie grows. Screen lids should be used for your enclosure to
     allow for proper air circulation and to allow the lights to do their            job. UV rays do not penetrate through glass.

     SUBTRATE:
     There are many different subtrate options available:
     For juveniles, Paper towel, newspaper and shelf liner are the
     cheapest and easiest to clean.

     Another option is sand. This is not recommended until they are at            least 6 months old as they are curious and will taste the sand. This          can cause impaction if the sand is ingested. When using sand as a              subtrate ensure it is sifted to remove all small pebbles and large            particles before adding to the enclosure. Children's pre washed
     play sand is the best option and available at your local hardware              store. Sand needs to be replaced every six months to 1 year                    depending on how many bearded dragons are in the enclosure.

     Astro turf, or indoor /outdoor carpet is also suitable, attractive
     and easy to clean. When going with this option it is best to have
     more than one piece of the carpeting so they can be changed and              cleaned. Ensure any loose ends and frays are removed to avoid                ingestion.

     Yet another option is tiles. They are both attractive as well as
     easy to clean.

     CONTENTS:
     Don't need much here...less is better as it won't give the crickets            anywhere to hide! The basics needed are a subtrate of your choice,
     a dish for their food, a rock and/or stick for basking under their            heat light and maybe a branch or two to climb. DO NOT use heat            rocks as they can cause thermal burns on your beardies belly.
     Rocks and branches can be purchased at your local pet supply
     store or gotten from your back yard. Ensure anything from the                outdoors is parasite free by baking in the oven for about 30
     minutes. You can try a small water dish however most beardies will          not drink form one and instead get their moisture from their food
     and daily misting.

     LIGHTING:
     Bearded Dragons require full spectrum lighting for 10-14 hours
     a day. We use the Repti Glo 10.0 fluorescent bulbs in addition to
     a heat light. Your beardie should be able to come within about 8-12          inches of these light sources (see manufacturer specifications) in            order for them to work effectively. Alternately you can purchase
     a UVA/UVB producing heat light that is an "all in one" bulb. They
     are also called mercury vapor bulbs. We have used the T-Rex
     Active UV heat light and found it suitable but will be trying out              Mega-Ray lights when we need to replace them. I believe Zoo med
     also has a mercury vapor bulb but we have yet to try them out.
     The UV light should be placed over the top of the cage (on screen
     not glass as UV rays are unable to penetrate through) or directly
     in the enclosure depending on your set up. Follow the directions
     on the package of the bulb for replacement frequency. Most UV              producing lights need replacing every six months to a year
     depending on the brand. Replacing the bulb is vital to the health
     of your bearded dragon…ensure they are replaced even if they
     have not burnt out as the effectiveness of the UVB production will          diminish over time.

     If you are using a heat light separate from your UV source replace
     as they burn out. Wattage of the bulb required will depend on
     the size of your enclosure and time of year as the temperatures
     in your home fluctuates. Ensure you have a good thermometer to
     gauge temperatures and change wattage of bulb as necessary.

     HEAT AND TEMPERATURES:
     Both a basking and a cool down area are required by bearded
     dragons in order to thermo regulate. Juveniles require a basking
     area of around 110 degrees while adults require a slightly lower              temperature of about 95 degrees. In order to achieve this place
     your basking (heat producing) light in one are of the enclosure
     about 6 - 12 inches from their basking rock or branch. Check                  manufacturer directions for recommended distances and check
     the temperature with a reliable thermometer...adjust distance                  accordingly. The cool end of the tank should be around 85 degrees          during the day and can safely drop to about 65 or 70 degrees at            night. The best way to ensure your temperatures are correct is
     with a thermometer in each end of the enclosure. Please note
     variances of a few degrees will be fine.

     FOOD:
     Bearded Dragons are omnivorous and require both "prey" and                  "greens". "Greens", should be made available daily and can include          collard and mustard greens, dandelion greens, kale (in small
     amounts), carrot tops, bok choy, radicchio, escarole, chicory,
     parsley, endive and more. Spinach should be avoided as it blocks              calcium absorption. Some finely chopped or shredded fruits and              vegetables can also be added into the mix. Examples of these
     include squash, green beans, parsnips, sweet potato, snow peas and            carrots (in small amounts). As for the fruits pretty much anything
     but citrus will go. Variety is the key here and will offer a more              balanced and nutrient rich diet for your beardie. Misting the
     greens with water will allow them to stay fresh longer in the                    enclosure and provide an additional source of moisture for your              bearded dragon.

     Now for the "bugs"! The general rule of thumb when selecting
     prey is it should be no larger than the space between their eyes
     to avoid digestion problems and impaction. Crickets are a staple
     and should be offered 2-3 times daily until about six months of
     age, and once a day between the ages of six months and 18 months.            After this time if they are not slowing down their intake you will            need to do it for them feeding them every other day or twice a
     week depending on your dragon. Offer your beardie all they will
     eat in a 5 - 10 minute period. Other prey items that can be
     offered, using the rule of thumb, are, silk worms, butter worms,
     super worms, phoenix worms, and horn worms. Wax worms and
     pinky mice can be offered as an occasional treat for an adult and
     for gravid females or beardies emerging from brumation.

     All prey items need to be removed immediately after your bearded          dragon has finished eating...hungry prey will munch on sleeping                dragons and cause undue stress.

     BATHING:
     When bathing your bearded dragon ensure the water is no higher
     than their chest, approximately halfway up their front arms. Test
     the water with your wrist or elbow before putting your beardie in.          The water should be warm but not to hot. Beardies will often                  defecate in the water while having a bath. Some owners prefer to            bath their beardie to induce a bowel movement before handling
     them. Bathing once a week will help with the shedding process as
     well as keep them hydrated and clean.

     Bathing can also be useful in producing a bowel movement if
     impaction is suspected or before brumating your dragon.

     BRUMATION:
     This is a state of semi-hibernation that affects all bearded
     dragons differently. Generally bearded dragons will not brumate            their first winter, and occasionally not until their third winter if
     they were born late in the year. This semi-hibernation can be
     quite a shock to a new beardie owner who will suddenly find their            dragon sleepy, unresponsive and with little to no appetite. This
     state can last a few days to a few months each dragon is different.          Some dragons will brumate lightly, sleeping off and on occasionally          waking for a bite to eat or a drink, others will be down and out for          the count! If you notice your dragons hiding out in the back corner
     of his enclosure, avoiding the light or using any hides you may have,          and reducing his or her food intake here are some things you can
     do to help them along:

     -If they have not had a bowel movement in the last day you can try          giving them a warm bath to induce one

     -Once a bowel movement has been produced you can begin to
     reduce the light cycle in your enclosure. Turn your lights on two
     hours later and off two hours earlier every few days until you
     have reduced the light to a few hours per day or nothing at all                depending on what you and your beardie are comfortable with.
     (A lightly brumating dragon may not mind the lights on a few hours          each day where as a deeply brumating dragon may want complete              darkness)

     -Some beardie owners prefer to put them in comfortably lined
     shoe boxes (with an opening!) in their enclosures, while other
     owners prefer keeping them in their enclosure and turning on
     lights or offering veggies and water once a week...again it's all
     up to you and your beardie and what works best for you

     **If your beardie does wake up intermittently for veggies, ensure          adequate basking time to digest the food and that a bowel movement        is produced again before the lights go out again. Undigested food
     and sitting bowel movements can rot in the stomach.

     Healthy brumating dragons will not lose any noticeable amount of            weight as they will also reduce their activity level and be using
     little to no energy. If you notice your dragon loosing weight,
     becoming lethargic and not eating as usual please contact you                  veterinarian.

     When they are ready they will begin eating again and become
     more alert...just be patient and enjoy the break from the seemingly          never ending eating...it will begin again soon!

     CLEANING:
     Any feces should be removed immediately with a thorough cleaning
     of enclosure and contents weekly. Use a mixture of diluted bleach
     (1 part bleach to 5 parts water) and let it soak for about 10
     minutes. Ensure everything is rinsed well and you can no longer
     smell the bleach before returning items or your beardie to the                enclosure.

     Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer nearby or some antibacterial soap.
     As with any pet hand washing is important after handling.