Common Bearded Dragon Myths
Nov 15, 2020 18:24:32 GMT -5
BeardedDragonDude, dextersmom, and 1 more like this
Post by hoomanslave on Nov 15, 2020 18:24:32 GMT -5
Here's a short list of beardie myths you shouldn't believe. Not only can they make caring for your beardie a lot harder and more expensive, but they can also be downright harmful. Many of these are things that pet store employees will tell you, whether it's because they don't know better or because they are required to advertise the products. Do as much research as possible before purchasing so that You should also read multiple care guides. Avoid care guides that come in starter kits, as these usually just promote products you shouldn't get and are biased towards the brand producing them. The pamphlets provided at pet stores are made to sell the animals and products, not to keep them healthy. They usually contain misinformation that can help sell products and make the animal seem less complex than it is. Don't rely on a single care guide for all your information, and be wary of care books, as many are out of date. The Internet is your best friend when researching for a pet, because you can find the answers to specific questions and ask your questions on a forum like this one.
1. Your beardie needs a heating pad or hot rock
This is completely untrue! Beardies, like many lizards, can't feel heat coming from their bellies. If the heating pad/rock begins to overheat, they won't notice and move off of it until it's too late. Although some people use heating pads taped to the sides of their tank, this isn't very efficient. Heating pads an rocks only heat up a localized area, so you won't be able to achieve a proper heat gradient. Hot rocks are typically made from a ceramic type material. This material has varying thickness in different spots, which can lead to dangerous hot spots. It's best to go with a heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter.
2. Your beardie needs a friend! It'll get lonely otherwise!
No. No. Beardies are solitary creatures. They do not bond with other beardies. The only animal they will bond with is their keeper. Keeping beardies together is very stressful for all animals involved. The exception is babies and young beardies house together temporarily at stores/expos, or placing two adults together to breed. If you keep them together, they will do nothing but fight, and the submissive beardie will go hungry and be miserable. Although it may make a cute photo, when they stack on top of each other they are asserting dominance, not cuddling. It's stressful especially for the beardies on the bottom, who are being crushed and can't get heat.
If you keep a male and female together, they aren't going to get along. They will not become boyfriend and girlfriend or even love each other. In the wild, it's smash and dash. If you keep a male and female together year-round, the male will beat up the female and literally breed her to death.
3. Your beardie must have light at night, they'll get cold!
Beardies have a third eye that can detect light, regardless of the color. A reptile "night" heating lamp will disturb their sleep, and certain types can cause health issues such as burns or cataracts. There is no need to provide extra heating at night unless your house falls below 65F, in which case you should get a ceramic heat emitter.
4. Calcium Sand and Reptile Carpet are the best substrates available!
Calcium sand seems like the perfect substrate at a glance. It's got essential vitamins, it's inexpensive and easy to use, and it even comes in cool neon colors! First of all, your beardie doesn't care what color its substrate is. If you're concerned with aesthetics, there are many different colors of shelf liner you can choose. Calcium sand is actually more dangerous than normal sand. It can still cause eye issues. It can lead to excessive levels of calcium and other vitamins, and a beardie deprived of calcium will have no choice but to munch on its bedding, causing health issues. Plus, it still causes impaction. The fact that it can come in hot pink is a bit scary... What the heck is in that stuff? Pretty sure you don't want your beardie eating what looks like ground up crayons. Sand can even stain your bearded dragon's scales. Remember, beardies don't live on sand in the wild.
Reptile carpet, for those who are against loose substrates, seems like a great idea, and it is... sort of. First of all, if the weave isn't tight enough, it can catch your beardie's claws and teeth, possibly ripping them out. Second, it isn't as washable as the package says it is. Even after several machine washes, the bacteria sticks to it like glue. Save yourself the hassle and pick up some non adhesive rubber shelf liner, which is easy to clean and only needs replacing once a year.
5. Beardies don't get very big.
Out of all the beginner lizards commonly recommended, beardies are the biggest. They average 18-22 inches, and the German Giant morph can reach 30". Because of this, they need large amounts of food and a bigger cage than the one the pet store employee tells you. That cute, 6-inch baby at the store will grow into a Godzilla-sized beast very quickly, and it'll outgrow all the expensive hides, dishes, and tanks that you were instructed to buy.
6. Beardies are inexpensive.
Although often advertised as a cheap pet, the proper supplies can cost you a small fortune. My setup cost me $450, and that was from a discount store and not including the tank. If you buy things you don't need/shouldn't have, you'll have to put even more cash into replacing it. Beardies eat a LOT, easily racking up $30+ a month unless you grow your veggies and breed your feeders. There's also the ongoing costs of substrate changes, lighting replacements, vet trips, supplements, the electricity bill, and any treat insects you choose to purchase. Suddenly, they don't seem so budget-friendly. Expect to spend $350-800 in start up costs, depending on what you choose to feed and provide. This does not include the lizard.
7. Beardies can spend their lives in a 40 gallon tank
If you keep your beardie in a 40 gallon, they will be miserable. You might notice habits such as glass surfing developing. A 40 gallon barely has room for hides, dishes, and climbing branches, not to mention the lizard! Plus, beardies love to climb, and they'll be denied that opportunity in a tank that's only 18" high. Also, your beardie can easily grow to be 2/3 of the size of the tank, which doesn't leave them with much room to roam. This myth probably originated from pet stores, which usually don't carry vivariums larger than 40 gallons. An adult beardie will need something closer to 75-120 gallons. The important thing to note here is that with reptiles, the gallons do not matter-floor space does.
8. Beardies only need crickets/mealworms and a few veggies
Being opportunistic hunters, in the wild a beardie would eat anything it could get its claws on. Spiders, mice, insects, various fruits and plants (even grass), and whatever else can fit in its mouth. Although this varied diet can't be perfectly replicated in captivity, it's still important to provide a mix of food. For a good variety, try including multiple veggies and greens in the salad, with some fruit thrown in once or twice a week. It's a good idea to provide more than just crickets and dubias-black soldier fly larvae, superworms, hornworms, waxworms, silkworms, locusts, and grasshoppers all provide variety and have various benefits that your beardie would not get form only eating one or two different feeder types.
A pinkie mouse or two can be fed as a very rare treat-only one or two a year, because they can cause impaction and are high in fat. Your beardie can happily live its whole life without eating mealworms, which are high in chitin and fat and low in everything else.
9. Reptiles get scared if they have a big cage!
Although snake owners hear this the most, you may hear it with a beardie, too. Your beardie will not be scared if you give it a large cage, it will thrive. Your beardie will only be scared and overwhelmed if you don't provide hides for it. Any tank size should have one hide on each end, and if you have a larger tank consider adding more.
10. You don't need to take it to the vet.
Another myth that makes beardies seem like a great and inexpensive pet. They don't need any vaccinations, why bother? Your beardie, just like any other pet, can and will get sick/injured. Taking your beardie to the vet yearly can help you spot problems before they become life-threatening. Your vet can:
-Weigh your beardie and let you know if any dietary changes are necessary
-Check for signs of illness
-Trim its nails
-Run fecal tests for parasites (especially important if you feed crickets)
-Answer any questions you may have
-Check the eyes, nose, ears, cloaca, and mouth of your beardie for problems
-Sex your beardie
-Determine if your beardie is egg-bound, gravid, etc.
-Perform x-rays and blood tests when necessary
-Diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication
However, not just any vet will do. You should find a herp vet and get acquainted with them before you get your lizard, and then take your beardie in for a checkup so your vet can get acquainted with your beardie and learn its behavior and personality.
Before you find a good beardie, find a good beardie vet! You can find one near you here: arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661
11. Your bearded dragon can eat commercial foods as a staple
Most commercial foods can be fed to a bearded dragon, just check the label to make sure everything is healthy and that there are no fillers. Commercial foods refers to pellets, mixes, freeze-dried/canned insects, etc. Commercial food is fine in moderation, ideal as a treat or if you're in a pinch and run out of insects. A beardie should be getting a mix of veggies and live insects, not eating "complete" pellet diets from a jar. Many beardies won't even eat pellets or dead bugs.
Pellets work best when soaked and offered on top of a salad. Most pellets contain artificial colors, preservatives, and "scents" to make them more palatable to the beardie and more marketable towards the owner. Gel premixes and canned insects are better, as discussed below.
Why can't you feed freeze dried or canned insects as a staple? Freeze dried bugs have no moisture and loose their nutritional value during the freezing process. It's like candy-it should only be offered as a treat. Canned insects are better-they're moist, have relatively better nutrition, and they come in a convenient container. The downside is that a. they smell awful, and b. The labels have a long list of preservatives that aren't healthy long term. If you don't want to deal with bugs, choose an herbivore such as a uromastyx, or something that doesn't need as much live food such as a crested gecko or mourning geckos.
Another type of food you'll see on the market are powders that are mixed into water to form a gel or smoothie type food. These are excellent to have on hand for emergencies. Check the ingredients and reviews on all mixes carefully before purchasing. Repashy is a good premix brand. However, again, these do not offer all the nutrition and variety needed for a complete diet. They can make excellent supplements when used as part of the diet on occasion.
12. It's just a lizard.
A beardie is more than "just a lizard". It is a living, breathing thing and a long-term commitment. It will need daily feedings, regular vet visits, and attention and love. You can't put it in a tank and forget about it. It isn't a toy for children, and it's not a dog or cat that can tell you when it needs something. Your beardie relies on you for protection, food, and love. Beardies feel stress, anger, and fear, and they all have distinct personalities.
Not only will you find yourself showering your scaly best friend with attention and treats, but you'll also fall in love with these quirky reptiles. Best of luck with your reptile!
1. Your beardie needs a heating pad or hot rock
This is completely untrue! Beardies, like many lizards, can't feel heat coming from their bellies. If the heating pad/rock begins to overheat, they won't notice and move off of it until it's too late. Although some people use heating pads taped to the sides of their tank, this isn't very efficient. Heating pads an rocks only heat up a localized area, so you won't be able to achieve a proper heat gradient. Hot rocks are typically made from a ceramic type material. This material has varying thickness in different spots, which can lead to dangerous hot spots. It's best to go with a heat lamp or ceramic heat emitter.
2. Your beardie needs a friend! It'll get lonely otherwise!
No. No. Beardies are solitary creatures. They do not bond with other beardies. The only animal they will bond with is their keeper. Keeping beardies together is very stressful for all animals involved. The exception is babies and young beardies house together temporarily at stores/expos, or placing two adults together to breed. If you keep them together, they will do nothing but fight, and the submissive beardie will go hungry and be miserable. Although it may make a cute photo, when they stack on top of each other they are asserting dominance, not cuddling. It's stressful especially for the beardies on the bottom, who are being crushed and can't get heat.
If you keep a male and female together, they aren't going to get along. They will not become boyfriend and girlfriend or even love each other. In the wild, it's smash and dash. If you keep a male and female together year-round, the male will beat up the female and literally breed her to death.
3. Your beardie must have light at night, they'll get cold!
Beardies have a third eye that can detect light, regardless of the color. A reptile "night" heating lamp will disturb their sleep, and certain types can cause health issues such as burns or cataracts. There is no need to provide extra heating at night unless your house falls below 65F, in which case you should get a ceramic heat emitter.
4. Calcium Sand and Reptile Carpet are the best substrates available!
Calcium sand seems like the perfect substrate at a glance. It's got essential vitamins, it's inexpensive and easy to use, and it even comes in cool neon colors! First of all, your beardie doesn't care what color its substrate is. If you're concerned with aesthetics, there are many different colors of shelf liner you can choose. Calcium sand is actually more dangerous than normal sand. It can still cause eye issues. It can lead to excessive levels of calcium and other vitamins, and a beardie deprived of calcium will have no choice but to munch on its bedding, causing health issues. Plus, it still causes impaction. The fact that it can come in hot pink is a bit scary... What the heck is in that stuff? Pretty sure you don't want your beardie eating what looks like ground up crayons. Sand can even stain your bearded dragon's scales. Remember, beardies don't live on sand in the wild.
Reptile carpet, for those who are against loose substrates, seems like a great idea, and it is... sort of. First of all, if the weave isn't tight enough, it can catch your beardie's claws and teeth, possibly ripping them out. Second, it isn't as washable as the package says it is. Even after several machine washes, the bacteria sticks to it like glue. Save yourself the hassle and pick up some non adhesive rubber shelf liner, which is easy to clean and only needs replacing once a year.
5. Beardies don't get very big.
Out of all the beginner lizards commonly recommended, beardies are the biggest. They average 18-22 inches, and the German Giant morph can reach 30". Because of this, they need large amounts of food and a bigger cage than the one the pet store employee tells you. That cute, 6-inch baby at the store will grow into a Godzilla-sized beast very quickly, and it'll outgrow all the expensive hides, dishes, and tanks that you were instructed to buy.
6. Beardies are inexpensive.
Although often advertised as a cheap pet, the proper supplies can cost you a small fortune. My setup cost me $450, and that was from a discount store and not including the tank. If you buy things you don't need/shouldn't have, you'll have to put even more cash into replacing it. Beardies eat a LOT, easily racking up $30+ a month unless you grow your veggies and breed your feeders. There's also the ongoing costs of substrate changes, lighting replacements, vet trips, supplements, the electricity bill, and any treat insects you choose to purchase. Suddenly, they don't seem so budget-friendly. Expect to spend $350-800 in start up costs, depending on what you choose to feed and provide. This does not include the lizard.
7. Beardies can spend their lives in a 40 gallon tank
If you keep your beardie in a 40 gallon, they will be miserable. You might notice habits such as glass surfing developing. A 40 gallon barely has room for hides, dishes, and climbing branches, not to mention the lizard! Plus, beardies love to climb, and they'll be denied that opportunity in a tank that's only 18" high. Also, your beardie can easily grow to be 2/3 of the size of the tank, which doesn't leave them with much room to roam. This myth probably originated from pet stores, which usually don't carry vivariums larger than 40 gallons. An adult beardie will need something closer to 75-120 gallons. The important thing to note here is that with reptiles, the gallons do not matter-floor space does.
8. Beardies only need crickets/mealworms and a few veggies
Being opportunistic hunters, in the wild a beardie would eat anything it could get its claws on. Spiders, mice, insects, various fruits and plants (even grass), and whatever else can fit in its mouth. Although this varied diet can't be perfectly replicated in captivity, it's still important to provide a mix of food. For a good variety, try including multiple veggies and greens in the salad, with some fruit thrown in once or twice a week. It's a good idea to provide more than just crickets and dubias-black soldier fly larvae, superworms, hornworms, waxworms, silkworms, locusts, and grasshoppers all provide variety and have various benefits that your beardie would not get form only eating one or two different feeder types.
A pinkie mouse or two can be fed as a very rare treat-only one or two a year, because they can cause impaction and are high in fat. Your beardie can happily live its whole life without eating mealworms, which are high in chitin and fat and low in everything else.
9. Reptiles get scared if they have a big cage!
Although snake owners hear this the most, you may hear it with a beardie, too. Your beardie will not be scared if you give it a large cage, it will thrive. Your beardie will only be scared and overwhelmed if you don't provide hides for it. Any tank size should have one hide on each end, and if you have a larger tank consider adding more.
10. You don't need to take it to the vet.
Another myth that makes beardies seem like a great and inexpensive pet. They don't need any vaccinations, why bother? Your beardie, just like any other pet, can and will get sick/injured. Taking your beardie to the vet yearly can help you spot problems before they become life-threatening. Your vet can:
-Weigh your beardie and let you know if any dietary changes are necessary
-Check for signs of illness
-Trim its nails
-Run fecal tests for parasites (especially important if you feed crickets)
-Answer any questions you may have
-Check the eyes, nose, ears, cloaca, and mouth of your beardie for problems
-Sex your beardie
-Determine if your beardie is egg-bound, gravid, etc.
-Perform x-rays and blood tests when necessary
-Diagnose illnesses and prescribe medication
However, not just any vet will do. You should find a herp vet and get acquainted with them before you get your lizard, and then take your beardie in for a checkup so your vet can get acquainted with your beardie and learn its behavior and personality.
Before you find a good beardie, find a good beardie vet! You can find one near you here: arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661
11. Your bearded dragon can eat commercial foods as a staple
Most commercial foods can be fed to a bearded dragon, just check the label to make sure everything is healthy and that there are no fillers. Commercial foods refers to pellets, mixes, freeze-dried/canned insects, etc. Commercial food is fine in moderation, ideal as a treat or if you're in a pinch and run out of insects. A beardie should be getting a mix of veggies and live insects, not eating "complete" pellet diets from a jar. Many beardies won't even eat pellets or dead bugs.
Pellets work best when soaked and offered on top of a salad. Most pellets contain artificial colors, preservatives, and "scents" to make them more palatable to the beardie and more marketable towards the owner. Gel premixes and canned insects are better, as discussed below.
Why can't you feed freeze dried or canned insects as a staple? Freeze dried bugs have no moisture and loose their nutritional value during the freezing process. It's like candy-it should only be offered as a treat. Canned insects are better-they're moist, have relatively better nutrition, and they come in a convenient container. The downside is that a. they smell awful, and b. The labels have a long list of preservatives that aren't healthy long term. If you don't want to deal with bugs, choose an herbivore such as a uromastyx, or something that doesn't need as much live food such as a crested gecko or mourning geckos.
Another type of food you'll see on the market are powders that are mixed into water to form a gel or smoothie type food. These are excellent to have on hand for emergencies. Check the ingredients and reviews on all mixes carefully before purchasing. Repashy is a good premix brand. However, again, these do not offer all the nutrition and variety needed for a complete diet. They can make excellent supplements when used as part of the diet on occasion.
12. It's just a lizard.
A beardie is more than "just a lizard". It is a living, breathing thing and a long-term commitment. It will need daily feedings, regular vet visits, and attention and love. You can't put it in a tank and forget about it. It isn't a toy for children, and it's not a dog or cat that can tell you when it needs something. Your beardie relies on you for protection, food, and love. Beardies feel stress, anger, and fear, and they all have distinct personalities.
Not only will you find yourself showering your scaly best friend with attention and treats, but you'll also fall in love with these quirky reptiles. Best of luck with your reptile!