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Bearded dragons are an Australian species of lizard that are becoming more common as an exotic pet for children. Due to their new found popularity the breeding demand of bearded dragons is fairly high. Unfortunately many inexperienced keepers are deciding to breed from their lizards with major health risks to the dragon.

Before making the decision to breed it is important that your dragons are healthy and happy, of the correct breeding age, living in an optimum environment and on a well balanced diet. It is also a good idea to seek out specialist advice and have your dragons checked over by a vet if you are new to dragon breeding.

HOUSING AND EQUIPMENT

Before breeding, you need to make sure that you have the right equipment for your dragons. You will need the following:

*Large vivarium 200 litres should be a minimum requirement for breeding dragons. You can also buy specialist breeder tanks.

*Soft sand bedding being from a desert, bearded dragons prefer to have a sand base on the bottom of their tank.

*Heat pad / lamp bearded dragons need their houses to be a temperature of around 40 degrees Celsius during the day and 20 degrees Celsius at night.

*Lighting UVB bulbs will provide the dragon with a source of light that will help with the absorption of important nutrients such as vitamin D, iron and calcium, essential in breeding females.

*Thermometer you will need to monitor the temperature of the tank as it can have an effect on not only the dragon's health but also their breeding capabilities.

*Accessories dragons like to bask under the heat, so it is important to provide branches and rocks that they can lie on. They also like to be able to hide at night.

*Food & water dragons have a varied diet of crickets, mealworms and hard vegetables such as carrots and cabbage. Breeding females should also be given a supplement ensuring they have the correct ratio of calcium to phosphorus preventing mineral and nutrient deficiencies.

DRAGON HEALTH

You should not attempt to breed from your bearded dragon until they are at least 18 months old as it can be detrimental to their health. It is also important that your dragons are healthy and not suffering from any form of parasite or nutrient deficiency.

Metabolic bone disease is caused by a lack of calcium in the diet, although it can be treated, it may affect the possibilities of breeding. Calcium deficiency can also affect the strength of the eggs, meaning that even though they may be fertile they may not survive.

EGG LAYING

A female dragon

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