Caring For Your New Dragon
When dragon arrives unbox and place in warm cage with greens and start feeding roaches about 30 minutes later, no meal worms ever. Make sure you have the proper size cage, lighting (UV and Heat), liner, thermometer and other necessary items ready when they arrive. A great resource on how to care for your Bearded Dragon is: www.thebeardeddragon.org
New dragons need to stay calm and settle into his new home before a lot of handling. Settling in, relocation stress can take a few hours most cases to a couple weeks extreme cases. This is normal but they may start eating usually within a few hours of arrival. Eating will increase over the first week of arrival. Be sure to soak your new dragon on second day of arrival and NOT STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX. Can soak on first day if weather is hot in your area to hydrate the dragon from shipping and stress later on in the day.
Dragons need to regulate their body temperature and need a cool side as well as a hot. These temperatures are for all size dragons and all size cages.. Their lights should be on timers, set to be on 12-14 hours a day. Make sure lights are coming on and going off the same time everyday. Dragons need a set routine.. Do all of your heating from above. No Heat Rocks or heating pads under dragons.
Dragons will not need any night time heat unless your home is below 68 degrees at night. This means no lights of any kind or any type of under tank heater. If your house does go below that can use a red bulb sold at pet stores for night time heat. Only need the temp to be around 70-74 degrees IN THE CAGE FOR NIGHT TIME TEMPS. NOT 80'S or 90'S Dragons need to cool at night to stay healthy.
Under no conditions should you house a dragon on Sand and NEVER USE WALNUT SHELLS . Walnut shells are like rocks and can't be digested. This will kill a small dragon quicker than anything. I can't stress this enough, use paper, reptile carpet, tile or the like.
Water bowls are not needed in the cage. They can be misted a couple of times a week but it is not required. In drier climates you may want to do this. Soak your Dragon in warm water to drink and hydrate once or twice a week for 10-20 min. Dragons will drink from their bath water at bath time. This is perfectly fine and good for your dragon. If it poops however in the water, Drain it out and put fresh warm water in.
Once your new Beardie has acclimated to their new home, enjoy taking them out of their cage and hanging out with them. They make great pets and enjoy your company just as much as you enjoy them!