Bearded Dragon Baby Secrets: Caring For Your Baby Bearded Dragon - YouTube

People seem to have lots of questions about raising a bearded dragon baby.

I don't want you to be confused any longer, so I'm just going to dive right in.

One of the number one questions is about the diet of your young bearded dragon; people

want to know what to feed them and how their diet differs from adult beardies.

So first let's discuss what you should never feed your bearded dragon, young or old.

Surprisingly Iceburg lettuce is a no-no.

As is broccoli and cauliflower.

These are calcium binders and will kill your bearded dragon.

Don't do it.

Avocado is another no-no.

But, there are lots of other veggies that you can feed your dragon and they should get

some veggies.

We'll talk more about that in a minute.

Suffice it at the moment to say that babies need about 80% protein and 20% vegetables.

Babies are less likely to like veggies as much as they do protein (imagine that!)

But the main thing your babe should be eating is crickets (baby crickets that is).

They should be small, as in no bigger than the space between the baby dragons eyes.

Basically they should be fed 2-3 times a day as many little crickets as he can scarf down

in about 10-15 minutes.

This could be as many as 50 or more crickets a day.

They also like horn worms, silk worms, butter worms, phoenix worms, micro-supers, and feeder

roaches.

DO NOT feed them mealworms.

They are hard to digest and very high in fat while being low in protein.

So, NO TO mealworms.

It's a good idea to dust your crickets first with a calcium and vitamin supplement.

Nutrabal is a good one.

So what about veggies?

The best way to think about this is your bearded dragon baby needs what you need – a dark,

leafy salad.

This includes things like collards, turnips, mustards.

Squash is also good.

Make this available every day, even if he doesn't seem to notice it at first.

As your dragon gets older his protein intake will decrease and his veggie intake will increase,

and you can start feeding him abut once a day once he's about 6 months of age.

He'll be fully grown at 18 months which is easy to remember as it's, you know, 18, like

us!

Then you can feed him bugs like every other or every few days, but he'll still need his

dark leafy veggie salad.

Another question folks seem to be asking is about baby bearded dragon cages.

First of all it's important to understand that they need heat.

But they can get too hot as well as too cold.

Because of this you should have a warmer side and a cooler side to your cage.

The difference between the two sides should be between 10-30 degrees.

You'll want to supply your beardie with a few spots to bask.

Basking rocks are good.

Add some driftwood as well for when the rocks are just to warm for him.

A place to hide or a cave is also good.

More about that later on.

You need a thermometer to measure the temperature and a way to measure humidity as well.

Some thermometers do both.

If yours doesn't, then get a humidity gage.

You don't want the humidity level to be too high as it can cause respiratory problems.

Typically though a good water dish and proper heat keep this healthy for your bearded dragon

baby at 30% to 45%.

Also you'll want to mist your dragon once a day.

It will prevent dehydration and they like it!

Just gently spray the dragon, not the cage.

Still another question has to do with the temperature your bearded dragon baby should

be kept at, using a heat lamp correctly.

This includes lighting as it is the number one source of heat.

First let me say that you should never use heat mats or hot rocks to met your bearded

dragon's heat needs.

These can burn your beardie.

They naturally enjoy a heat source called the sun which shines down on them from above,

but their undercarriage is sensitive and will burn with the use of these devices.

Now, back to heat lamps and temperature.

So there are two light sources to consider.

One is UVB.

You must have a UVB source.

It stimulates bone growth and Vitamin D. You don't want your baby bearded dragon to get

bone diseases, do you?

Enough said.

UVB.

Got it.

You should also consider getting a UVA light.

It isn't necessary, but it will make your beardie happier, and cause him to be more

active.

It gives you the bonus of an active and alert dragon.

One way to meet both of these needs is a mercury vapor bulb.

Some give off both UVA and UVB.

The UVB bulb should be within 12 inches of your dragon so he can absorb the light necessary

to his growth and health.

When it comes to temperature there are 3 temps to consider.

You can measure these with a thermometer or a heat gun.

(I already mentioned humidity gages.)

The 3 temps you need to be aware of are The cool side and the warm side of the vivarium,

and the basking spot itself.

The cool side should range in temperature between 75-80 degrees F. The warm side should

be 85-95 degrees F. While the basking spot, right under that warm, comforting light, should

be 100-103 degrees.

(Some folks say 110.)

It depends on where your viv is though.

Is it near a window or far away from any other light source?

Do you live in the North or South?

Is it naturally colder or warmer in your house, in other words.

Keep all that in mind and let your lizard be your guide!

(Boy!

That's something you don't get to say every day!)

People also want to know about how to handle their bearded dragon so it isn't shy or scared

to be handled.

This also has to do with the "hides" or "caves" you make available and the amount of light

they need to grow nice and strong.

The answer to this might surprise you, but I think it's good advice.

If you find that your sweet little bearded dragon is hiding from you all the time you

want to address this for sure because beardies are great pets, but you don't want one you

can't handle.

They are well known for being pets you can handle and that are good with children, so

don't let one who is scared call the shots here.

They like to have a place to hide of course, who doesn't like some privacy now and then.

But if your baby is using it to escape the world, you will need to remove it from the

cage during the day.

Put it back at night so it can relax and rest because it feels safer when it's hiding, but

remove it during the day.

Now, before you think you are being really mean you should know that there is a really

good reason to do this besides to make your bearded dragon learn to cope.

Now, I'm not saying this is true for every beardie, just the ones who spend most of their

time hiding.

Here's why: baby dragons need to bask under the UVB light for strong growth and bone development.

They also need that heat for proper digestion.

If they run off and hide all the time instead, their needs won't be met.

Believe it or not they actually need to bask in the light about 80-90% of the day (whew!

What a life, right?)

If you're dragon is not doing that, take out that cave or hide in the daytime and replace

it at night.

And the other frequent question people want to know about for their baby bearded dragons

is if they can have two of them in the same tank.

And the answer to this is absolutely – but I would not suggest having two males together.

They won't be a problem while they are young, but as they hit adolescence they are likely

to fight and may even fight to the death.

So, get a pair, or two girls if you like.

They actually enjoy the company and prefer to have a companion.

I hope that answered some of your most pressing questions about bearded dragon babies.

There are a couple of other really good sources of information on this topic.

I'm including the links in the description below for you to check out and up here on

the screen.

If you have a bearded dragon or are considering getting one I highly recommend both of these

resources.

The first is the Bearded Dragon Secret Manual.

The second is the Bearded Dragon Guide.

Both of these are very helpful and chock full of helpful info you will refer to over and

over again probably before you even get your dragon.

And, if you are considering breeding these friendly reptiles, I also recommend both the

Basic and the Advanced Bearded Dragon Manual.

These two cover everything you could possibly want to know or encounter when breeding for

fun and profit!

So, until next time!

Happy Lizards!