BP's and Bearded Dragons

[Thomas S]

Does anyone own both a B.P and Bearded Dragon at this time? Do you keep them in the same room? Have they ever been known to "spook" each other? I am Thinking about buying a Dragon?

[nikkubus]

I did at one point. They weren't super close to each other and it seemed to be okay. It was adult BPs and an adult beardie though. Not sure if a more active baby beardie would bother them more, or a younger BP would be a lot more scared of it.

[Bogertophis]

Years ago I took in a rescue (sick & unwanted) bearded dragon- if I got near his tank while holding an adult snake, he definitely went on the defensive, but by the same token, a good-sized bearded dragon will eat a baby snake in the wild. So either way, they don't mix well, but as long as they're not close to each other in the same room, it's just fine. Give them at least 6' apart, more if you can, & you can also block their view by covering one side of the tank.

Please do lots of reading on bearded dragons though, before you're "dragon" one home- they're labor-intensive & need daily care, unlike snakes.

[Thomas S]

Yes dragons need a well mixed diet, EVERY day, veggies, crickets meal worms and fruit, weekly baths too, a lot more work!

[Bogertophis]

Yes dragons need a well mixed diet, EVERY day, veggies, crickets meal worms and fruit, weekly baths too, a lot more work!

Of course the upside is that they're personable & interactive. The one I rescued really loved to be cuddled- he'd snuggle on my shoulder & go to sleep. He could also be pretty silly when he was awake- like attacking his image in a mirror (thinking it was a rival male dragon he had to fight).

Make sure you're providing the right lighting to keep his bones strong too- real sunshine works best, but it's not practical for pets, except occasionally & with supervision. The artificial lights need replaced about every 6 months to be effective as I recall (unless they've been improved?)- as their output diminishes, even though they still illuminate- so be forewarned on that to avoid MBD.

[Hugsplox]

Please do lots of reading on bearded dragons though, before you're "dragon" one home- they're labor-intensive & need daily care, unlike snakes.

Yes dragons need a well mixed diet, EVERY day, veggies, crickets meal worms and fruit, weekly baths too, a lot more work!

This, and their diet changes as they grow as does their temperature requirements, so it's incredibly important to research them prior to bringing one home. You'll also need to gut load and dust your feeders, have proper heat and lighting (including UVB which is a whole other thing to learn about), and they're going to need a big enclosure, or at least as far as lizards go. I kept mine in 4x2x2s when they were full grown. There's also a lot of veggies and fruit that they shouldn't be given, and a lot of insect feeders that aren't as nutritious as others, so don't go in blind.

A lot of big reptile youtubers and pet websites suggest bearded dragons as beginner animals, and really once you get the hang of it there's nothing to it, but just starting off there's a lot of variables you need to be aware of. On top of all that, you'll find that much like caring for BPs, opinions vary wildly on the internet in regards to care for these guys, so be sure if you're going to go that route, to read multiple care guides on multiple sites and ask plenty of questions.

[Bogertophis]

...There's also a lot of veggies and fruit that they shouldn't be given...

I'd recommend going to a forum that's all about beardies & search for a comprehensive list of do's & don'ts for feeding them, as some things on the list surprised me. I no longer have the list though.

[Thomas S]

yes from what i read, Dragons are a lot more work to take care of than B.P's....Daily they need: a vegetable dish of food, live crickets and meal worms, plus a constant UVB bulb..Unlike B.P's, Dragons are VERY social and need more handling, did i miss anything else?

[Thomas S]

oops, i missed it, Dragons stink and need weekly baths....

[arpowell]

oops, i missed it, Dragons stink and need weekly baths....

In my experience, not necessarily. I think it's best for you and your beardie to decide on the best bath schedule for you - once a week is a pretty good rule of thumb, but my beardie hates bathes, so we do them less often. The only time it's really necessary to bathe your bearded dragon (unless they just enjoy it, which many do!) is if they're having a troublesome shed, if they're struggling to go the bathroom, or if they've gotten themselves dirty. I usually only bathe my boy when he's in shed because he dislikes it so much, and we live a very humid environment so for us frequent baths are just asking for a respiratory infection. Bath schedules really depend on your individual bearded dragon.

If you're worried about hydration, you can spray their greens with water and put water drops on their nose so they can lick them off.

Also, bearded dragons really shouldn't stink at all. A healthy, clean bearded dragon should have no smell.

Good luck! Beardies can be much more work than snakes, when I got my ball python she was honestly a walk in the park compared to when I got my beardie. The best advice I can give you is that you should try to buy a bearded dragon who is older than the tiny babies you see at pet shops. Most beardies are prone to going off food when they're young, and a baby that small going off food can easily kill it before you can get it eating. A lot of chain pet stores sell them when they're absolutely tiny. I honestly recommend getting a juvenile if you can for your first beardie, it'll be much more forgiving to any mistakes.