There are many subjects of debate within the herpetological community: whether reptiles are capable of being affectionate, what kind of substrate is best, which morph is the coolest. The question of what is the easiest lizard to keep as a pet, however, is not one of them. Bearded dragons are extremely popular and widely regarded as one of the best lizards for beginners. The characteristics that make beardies suitable for first-time lizard owners – a wonderful temperament and low maintenance habitat requirements – are the same ones that have earned their reputation as being easygoing.
Inexpensive to feed
Bearded dragons eat a wide variety of foods, some of which you likely already keep stocked in your fridge. They’re omnivores – and not picky ones at that. Beardies love veggies, bugs, and the canned diets. Juvenile beardies need to be fed more often, twice a day for the first few months. Their feeding schedule becomes much more low maintenance once they’re full-grown adults. Once they have reached their full size, they’ll only need to be fed once a day.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about figuring out how much to feed your beardie. While some reptiles require great care as to how much they are given because eating too much can cause injury, bearded dragons are naturally much more self-restrained. Even when excess food is available to them, they never eat more than what they need. This is especially helpful to the first-time reptile owner who may not be used to feeding cold-blooded animals.
Do not require a lot of space (or an expensive setup)
A major part of a pet reptile’s appeal is that it requires very little space to house. There are several types of bearded lizards, the ones most commonly sold as pets average in length from 12 inches to a maximum of 24. This lands them squarely in small-sized-lizard territory and can comfortably be kept in a 55-gallon terrarium which has a fairly small footprint: 48″ x 13″ x 21″.
The tank is only of many expenditures when it comes to a reptile setup. Heat sources, substrate requirements, decorations (for entertainment or otherwise), are costs that can add up quickly when you are trying to recreate a reptiles preferred environment. This is another area where bearded dragons make it easy for their owners.
Bearded dragons originated in the deserts of Australia. As such, they like it hot with low humidity. The only high dollar must haves in the enclosure are heat lamps and uvb lights. This low-humidity enclosure also translates to easy cleaning. To maintain their tanks, a few minutes of light cleaning each day is all you need. This means clearing out old food, cleaning up their droppings, changing their water. A top-to-bottom cleaning of their tanks doesn’t need to be done as often thanks to the low-moisture environments that they prefer.
Finding a bearded dragon for sale is easy too!
Bearded dragons can usually be found at any pet store that sells reptiles. For the greatest variety of bearded dragons for sale (such as type or morph), reptile-specific pet shops offer a superior selection to choose from. They also tend to have close relationships with breeders, making for healthier animals that are better acclimated to human companionship. Bearded dragons are hands-down the easiest lizard to keep as a pet and a wonderful gateway into exotic pet ownership.
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