An adult dragon is usually considered at least a year old.

Caging:

For an adult, a minimum cage size is a 40 gallon breeder tank. Whichever tank you choose to use, make sure that it has tons of floor space, as dragons are not usually climbers. It is also harder to maintain correct temperatures in a taller tank. You can build your own tank, and most recommend a 4' x 2' x 2' tank. Do not use softwoods like pine, as they can be toxic to your dragon. For cage building ideas, check out Google.com.

Temperatures/Humidity:

Every dragon, whether a baby or an adult, needs a good temperature gradient available. This means that one side of the tank must be warmer than the other so the dragon can move to cool off or heat up if necessary. The "hot side" of the tank is ideally around 90-100 degrees, and the "cool side" from 80-85 degrees. A basking spot must also be provided, and an adult requires the temperatures of the basking spot to be from 100-105 degrees. These temps can all be acheived by using regular household lightbulbs, flood lights, reptile basking bulbs, or a combination. Basking spots can be made using slate rocks, hammocks, logs, or whatever else that the dragon can comfortably sit on without falling off, and the basking light directed at that spot. Dragons can take temperature drops at night into the low 70's, so night heat bulbs are not required. If you do need to raise your temps at night, a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) is recommended over night bulbs, as dragons need complete darkness to sleep. Temperatures need to be measured at floor level with a digital thermometer with a probe, or a temp gun that can easily be purchased online.

It is important to keep your humidity levels low, no higher than about 35%. You can measure this using a hygrometer that can be purchased at most department stores or petstores.

Lighting requirements:

From the day a dragon is born, it is very important to provide a brightly lit cage with a proper basking spot, UVB bulb, and preferably natural sunlight when temperatures and weather allow. You can use regular household lightbulbs, flood lights or reptile basking bulbs to brighten the cage, but you MUST purchase a UVB bulb from a petstore or online. You can use either a compact bulb, or a flourescent tube UVB bulb, and make sure that your dragon can get within 6-8" of the UVB when basking. At this time, it is recommended to use at least a ReptiGlo 8.0 bulb, and even better is a Reptisun 10.0 bulb. Without UVB, dragons cannot properly utilize the calcium, and can cause sickness, lethargy, and even death over time. Leave the lights on 12-14 hours each day, and have the cage completely dark at night for the dragon to sleep.

Cage Decorations:

Climbing logs, hammocks, slate rocks, bricks, and other areas to sit and bask are enjoyable for the dragon, but too many can cause stress or hiding places for food. If you decide to use decorations from outside, make sure to soak them thoroughly in a 10:1 bleach/water solution for at least 30 minutes, and then bake them in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes to kill any bacteria or bugs that may have been living in them. Also make sure to have the decorations cooled before placing them in a cage, and ample airing out time to release any fumes.

Cage Flooring (substrate):

Over the years, there have been many debates on what the proper substrate is for a bearded dragon. Although dragons do come from the Australian outback desert, this does not mean they live in a sandbox. The area is mostly hard packed rocks and clay, with only small amounts of loose substrate. It is recommended to use a substrate such as papertowels, newspaper, non-adhesive shelf liner, ceramic tiles, reptile carpet, indoor/outdoor carpet without loops, or anything else suitable that is solid. Not only does this decrease the possibility of impaction, but keeps the cage more sanitary, and is less expensive than sand. We here at Crix-n-Wiggles are advocates of using a solid substrate throughout a dragon's life for many reasons. Remember, just because the bag of sand, walnut chips, coconut fiber bedding or any other loose substrate says it is digestible, it is not; the calcium carbonate in the bag may be digested, but the sand builds up in the stomach and intestines, and can cause serious issues for your dragon, including death. If you do decide that sand is your substrate of choice, the safest sand to use is sifted and washed children's playsand you can purchase at any hardware store.

Calcium, Vitamins and other Supplements:

Calcium is very important to a dragon. There are different types of calciums available made by several companies, and there is no right or wrong choice on brand. It is important to have 3 types of calcium powder available for dusting your food items with, however - plain calcium, calcium with D3, and a multivitamin powder. You should be dusting one feeding a day, 5 times a week with plain calcium, one feeding a week with D3 calcium, and one feeding a week with multivitamin powder. You can substitute dusting your vegatables with plain calcium on days you do not feed staple bugs.

Feeding/Proper Diet:

An adult dragon needs a diet of approximately 80% vegatables, 20% protein (bugs). For staple feeder bugs (allowed daily), you can use crickets, feeder roaches, silkworms, or a combination. Dragons like variety, so feel free to combine or change the staple feeders around as you choose. You should an adult dragon staple bugs 2-3 days a week, as many bugs as they choose to eat in a 20 minute time period.

You can use other worms and bugs as treats for your dragon, including superworms, waxworms, and butterworms. Keep treat bugs down to a maximum of 2-3 a week, as dragons can and will get addicted, and will not eat their staple diet properly. Mealworms are NOT recommended for dragons at any stage, as the amount of chitin in their shells can cause impaction issues. Another worm on the market at this time is the phoenix worm, and although we have not personally tried them as staples, several reputable breeders have recommended them. Make sure to dust your bugs/worms on the schedule above, and you should have a healthy dragon.

For a good list of vegatables to feed to your dragon, click on the "Food List" button, and choose a variety of foods that are on the staple list. Again, use treat foods sparingly. Although baby/juvenille dragons may not eat their vegatables for awhile, it is important to offer them daily, as they will learn to eat them. A good schedule is to feed is to offer vegatables approximately an hour before the first cricket feeding, and keep them available all day from that point forward. Make sure to change the veggies out every day and offer new, fresh ones daily.

Although a water dish is not necessary, some people do offer their dragons a bowl of fresh water daily. You should be careful with humidity levels, as waterbowls can bring the humidity up to dangerous levels for the dragon. Daily mistings 2-3 times a day, and bathing your dragon in lukewarm water a few times a week will help keep them hydrated, as well as the water they get from the vegatables in their diet.

Handling/Temperment:

An adult dragon can be your best friend if hand-tamed correctly when young. They can still be quite fast, so a leash of some sort is recommended for outings where they can run free, but it is not necessary for being in the house hanging out. Dragons very rarely bite, and this usually only occurs if they get physically hurt or scared. The term "bearding" is a common occurance with adults, especially when scared, or in puberty or mating. You will notice their throat puff up, and usually darken to a very blackish color, trying to make themselves look fierce. Be very careful handling a dragon when bearding, as they are being moody, and even the nicest of dragons can turn at those times. For the most part though, dragons are friendly, loveable reptiles that can become VERY addictive to own!

Crix-n-Wiggles