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About Pam
Expertise
I can answer 98% of all questions regarding the husbandry of most desert to temperate climate omnivore and herbivore lizards. This would include bearded dragons, and skinks. I can also answer questions regarding iguanas. I can not help with snakes,amphibians,crustations or arachnids. For tortoises I will only refer you to the World Chelonian Trust. I am not a vet, but I've had enough medical (human) training to know that when a reptile is showing symptoms he needs definitive care. That means a vet, period. I can help with a few conditions, such as prolapse, so that the animal has the best chance at the vet to treat and recover. The answer to having two species sharing the same habitat will always be no. Just because you don't like my answer does not mean I'm wrong. As for breeding animals, especially bearded dragons who already have a weak gene pool as it is, you will get all the reasons why you shouldn't. There are enough inexperienced breeders out there, filling pet stores with undersized sickly babies, I will not add to their number. If you need a lizard identified, please give me an idea of where you live and a description of the animal.

Experience
I own and breed bearded dragons (pogona vitticeps). I've been a member of several e-mail lizard care groups, I am both a forum chat moderator for Reptilerooms.com, and forum moderator for Pogona and Babyiguana Yahoo Groups. I have soaked in the knowledge of some of the best researchers, rehabbers, and herp veterinarians from those groups

Organizations
Long Island Herpetological Society International Reptile Conservation Society

Education/Credentials
SUNY @ Farmingdale - Animal Science Univ. of GA - Pre-Vet

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Reptiles > Bearded Dragon

Reptiles - Bearded Dragon

Expert: Pam - 10/31/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi

I would like know if it is natural for bearded dragons at 7-8 month's that they usely don't eat every day(must the food have calcium powder over it?)and does his below lip grow longer as the one above.

ANSWER: 7-8 month old dragons should eat every day. A good calcium rich salad of greens, not lettuce, and veggies. Collard greens, turnip tops, dandelions, mustard greens, and arugula. Veggies like grated winter squashes and sweet potato. Only the first dozen crickets need to be dusted, three times a week at their age. Sounds like you have lighting/heating issues. A bright white light from any plain incandescent bulb will emit good light and heat depending on wattage. Make sure the basking spot is around 100F measured with a digital thermometer, analogs and stick-ons are just not accurate. Also, a dragon's jaws should meet evenly, How is his UVB source? If you don't have a proper UVB, under 6 months old, a misalligned jaw may be a sign of metabolic bone disease which can be helped with good UVB like from a Reptisun 10.0 LINEAR fluorescent tube or a Mega-Ray mercury vapor bulb. Do not use coil or compact types as they can damage reptile eyes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hallo

Can you pleas tell me if a bearded dragon from 7-8 month's needs to be fed by hand or should he catch/eat his own food and if it is a bad idea to feed him and he doesn't wants to eat by his own what must I do.Must the dragons have an infra-red light and if so what is the effects of the infra-red light.Does a bearded dragon move alot in his enviroment or does he lie at the same spot for the whole day

Answer
They should be eating their salads from their food bowls and hunting their food. I would check the temperatures since it is getting cooler, and that may be why they are pokey. A dragon needs a bright white light and a proper UVB source. A red light is not needed. If the ambient temperature of your house goes below 65 F at night, a ceramic heat emitter on a rheostat should keep him warm enough. They sleep better in total dark.

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