When I first got to Arizona, I had no idea what a bearded dragon was until I met my brother’s two. Lollipop and Sunshine immediately stole my heart. For the first month I took special care of them, sort of just taking over as their caregiver. I knew that there was something wrong with them, but I just did what I felt I could. I bought them crickets every week and tried to keep their cage clean.
During this time I noticed certain behaviors in them. For instance, Lollipop (our female dragon) bit at Sunshine’s foot. He has hurt it somehow and lost several of his claws. I was gone at the time, but my brother had to separate them, as they had shared a cage all their lives. I thought that was extremely strange, so my curiosity brought me to researching online. Sure enough, my premonition was correct… Lollipop had been severely malnourished. When a beardie is hungry and underfed, they tend to bit at the tails and feet of the ones that are in captivity with them.
I learned that they had to produce calcium for their skin and that is why it was vital to their health to have ultraviolet lighting. I had bought a calcium pack to put on the crickets before I fed them, just because I saw that they were good for bearded dragons.
Sunshine was shedding his skin (a normal process, much like a snake), but I had noticed that Lollipop wasn’t. I had become concerned with her at this point. She was also vomiting every time she ate crickets or even fresh green beans. Not too long ago, Lollipop died.
I told my brother that since I was already caring for Sunshine and had been for two months, that I wanted to adopt him. My brother agreed. Since then his skin looks healthier than ever, his eyes are brighter, his skin continues to shed and overall he is more active, to me.
Beardies need a weekly bath or to be sprayed with a water bottle to enhance shedding and stay hydrated. You may have to teach them how to drink from their bowl, with a medicine dropper. Beardies need to have a good diet of about 10 crickets every other day. There are other things that they like. Sunshine eats fresh green beans (his favorite), meal worms (as a treat since they are full of fat), large crickets (the young beardies need smaller crickets) and a banana (he loves them as well). There are many things that they can eat and many things that are deadly to them. Please do your research and/or ask a reptile specialist.
Clean their cage at least three times a month. Depending on the lining I use, I can use a kitty litter scoop or just use newspaper for easy clean up. I also use windex and paper towels to clean his cage. Bearded dragons love rocks and things to climb on so that they don’t get bored. They love to be petted and held. Enjoy getting to know them; I know I have with Sunshine.