Bearded Dragons and Uromastyx

The bearded dragon and the uromastyx are recognized as wonderful pets due to their calm, easy to handle, domestic nature. Full grown, these lizards reach approximately one foot, making them a moderate and reasonable size. Both the bearded dragon and the uromastyx are colorful, and can be extremely impressive in a uniquely designed vivarium. These easy to care for animals are becoming one of the top selling lizards in today’s reptile trade.

These reptiles are generally ground or rock dwellers, and dig deep tunnels in the wild. Long hot days and nights are spent keeping cool in these tunnels. Some of these reptiles like to climb, and bask in the sunlight on top of branches, fence posts, large rocks and wood.

Diet
Bearded dragons and uromastyx eat both plant products and insects. Juvenile lizards should be fed crickets, mealworms, wax worms and other various insects at least 3-4 times weekly. Most juvenile lizards favor insects over plant matter. Adult diets include 60-75% of leafy greens, such as mustard greens, collard greens, kale, endive, and spinach. Twenty-five to 40 percent of the plant diet consists of frozen vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, lima beans), grated carrots, squash, or other such vegetables. Adults should be offered fresh plant matter daily and live foods every 7-10 days.

Bearded dragons and uromastyx obtain most of their water intake through the plant products they obtain. It is a good idea to mist them off daily, several times a day for juvenile’s, and soak them weekly. To soak these reptiles, place them in a shallow bowl of lukewarm water for about ten minutes. If you decide to leave a water bowl in the lizard’s cage, be sure to clean it well every few days to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Housing
Enclosures come in all shapes and sizes, being as unique as the people who design them. They range from aquariums with screen tops, custom wood cages, cabinets with glass sliding doors, or large box type cages. When selecting a cage it is important to keep the full-grown animal in mind. The length of the enclosure should be four times the length of the reptile, with the width of the enclosure measuring twice the length of the animal. The substrate can range from newspaper, alfalfa pellets or pea gravel, CareFresh, fake grass, or linoleum. Juvenile bearded dragons and uromastyx should be kept on a substrate that is large enough, so the animal won’t ingest it. Adult reptiles can be kept on sand, however, it is strongly recommended to keep juveniles off sand.

Some sort of shelter should be provided to decrease stress and provide protection from heat and light. Cork bark, wood or rocks provide an excellent source of shelter. Rocks can be stuck together with concrete to provide crawl spaces. Take notice to the positioning of shelters and other objects in the enclosure to prevent them from collapsing on your reptile.

Temperature
The bearded dragon and uromastyx should be provided with a day time temperature in the upper 80s, and a night time temperature to drop tin the 70s. These lizards should have a basking sight where the temperature is allowed to reach 100-110 degrees, which should be available for 12-14 hours of the day, and turned off at night. The best way to achieve these temperatures is with heat lamps, placed outside the cage to prevent burns. It is a good idea to keep areas out of the spotlight or basking area to allow the lizard to thermoregulate. Timers work well to achieve the maximum hours of day and night light, and are commonly sold at hardware stores. To keep these lizards at their healthiest, they should be exposed to at least 6-12 hours of natural sunlight a week in a screen enclosure. Under the tank heaters are available and are commonly used to achieve these temperatures, however, please use caution if this is the way you decide to go. If under tank heaters malfunction, it could cause extreme burns to your animal that could potentially be fatal.

Common Problems
Internal Parasites
Fecal exams should be performed regularly for newly acquired reptiles. A fresh fecal, preserved in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours, should be submitted to your veterinarian for a microscopic parasite exam. A parasite is an organism that lives in or on another organism. Internal parasites are more common and can be difficult to diagnose. Internal parasites produce microscopic eggs which pass through the reptile in their feces. If your veterinarian has a negative finding, test again. A negative finding in the sample submitted does not necessarily mean your reptile is free of parasites. If fecal samples come back negative two or more times, it is safe to assume your reptile is parasite free. However, if your reptile does have parasites, which many of them do, they can be treated with two oral treatments approximately 10-14 days apart. A veterinarian exam is necessary for treatment of your reptile.

External Parasites
 Mites are blood sucking organisms that may be black, bright red or orange, or old dried blood in color. They can be found roaming the body, or tucked under edges of scales around the eyes, ears, or tympanic membranes. Mites are a common external parasite, and in most cases are microscopically small. Mites can be difficult to treat, since they can live in your reptile’s environment for long periods of time. If your reptile has external parasites, you will need to treat both your reptile, and it’s environment. Most "miracle treatments" sold in pet stores are generally ineffective. The best way to treat your reptile is with warm soap and water soaks. The animal’s environment must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. To sterilize the cage, remove and change substrate, bake any wood items in the oven, boil rocks, and bleach enclosure and any food and water bowls.

Kidney Failure
Aged reptiles may eventually suffer from kidney failure. Some signs to look for are lack of appetite or weight loss, lack of producing feces, lethargy, or loss of muscle tone. If caught early enough, treatments would consist of a better diet, and change of environment. Most cases of kidney failure, by the time they are caught, can be fatal.

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