Temperament
Bearded Dragons tend to be on the more aggressive side but can't cause any harm.
Venomous?
NO
Habitat & Temperature
Native to Australian in - lands.
Ambient temperature of 85 - 95 degrees F.
Basking surface area temperature of 105 - 115 degrees F.
Weight
300 - 500g
Size
18 - 24 inches in length
Life Span
10 - 15 years
How old should my Bearded Dragon be before feeding mice?
A Bearded Dragon should begin feeding on whole prey such as pinky mice after 6 months or when it's reached around 10 inches or more in length.
Bearded Dragons are omnivores in the wild!
In the wild Bearded Dragon diets are naturally comprised of about 75% animal matter and 25% plant material. It's unhealthy for a bearded dragon to have anymore then 10% fruit in its diet. Collard greens, carrots and other vegetables can be very beneficial to its diet. However feeding whole pinky mice and not ones that have been cut into pieces can also be a very healthy addition to a bearded dragons diet as they do naturally eat whole prey in the wild.
Don't mice have too much fat content for Bearded Dragons?
Bearded dragon diets should consist of low fat content and high calcium. Mice as they age past what people call the "fuzzy" stage or when they start to grow hair are considered too high in fat content. Pinky mice or new born mice are much healthier for bearded dragons as they have less then 5% crude fat and a build up of calcium on their stomachs which is what's required for a healthy bearded dragon diet.
How often can I feed my Bearded Dragon mice?
You can actually feed your bearded dragon mice pinkies on a regular basis. Any larger sizes of mice will begin to contain to much fat content for your them.
Feeding live vs frozen?
This goes for all reptiles and not just Bearded Dragons, feeding live rodents to captive bred reptiles who haven't gained the same instincts that they normally would in the wild is a recipe for disaster. Live rodents can be very aggressive when cornered and can easily injure and some times fatally harm a reptile in captivity. Live rodents can also carry disease that frozen rodents wouldn't normally have since the temperature helps to pause or prevent growth of any pathogens or harmful diseases. Make sure to thaw out your frozen rodents in a bucket of luke - warm water for 15 minutes and not in the microwave unless you want a mess in your microwave.
How to thaw frozen feeders?
DO NOT use a microwave to thaw out your frozen rodents as it can cause harmful bacteria to start growinginside them which can be detrimental to your Bearded Dragons health! Cooking your rodent in the microwave can also take away from the nutritional value of the rodent itself.Step 1
Find a zip-lockbag.Step 2
Place feeder inside bag and seal it shut.
Step 3
Place bag in a bucket of warm water, make sure it's NOT boiling hot.Step 4
Leave bag in bucket for about 10 - 15 minutes or until the rodent feels squishy.step 5
Make sure the rodent isn't cold to the touch as digesting cold feeders can be very harmful to your cold blooded reptile that can't regulate its own body temperature like we can.Step 6
Grab a pair of tongs and swing the meal back inforth in front of the Bearded Dragon in order to get its attention. No need to cut up the mice into smaller pieces as the lizards are completely fine eating mice pinkies whole.
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