Bearded dragons are increasingly popular; they may soon overtake the green iguana as the most popular reptile in the U.S. With their unique appearance, docile nature, and minimal care requirements, beardies make a great introduction to reptile keeping. With colorful photos, charts, and tables, this guide covers the basics, including:
- The beardie’s background and the various breeds of bearded dragons
- Choosing your bearded dragon
- Setting up and maintaining your beardie’s home, complete with a basking area and lighting
- Feeding and caring for your bearded dragon
Tabela de Conteúdo
Part I: The Wonderful Lizard of Oz.Chapter 1: What Is the Lizard of Oz?
The Types of Bearded Dragons.
Chapter 2: The Wild Life of the Bearded Dragon.
Temperature Regulation.
Predator and Prey.
Beardie Social Interactions.
Bearded Dragons as Pets.
Courtship and Mating.
Chapter 3: Beardies in and out of Oz.
Australian Wildlife Crises.
How the Bearded Dragon Left Oz.
An Australian Perspective.
Part II: Your Pet Bearded Dragon.
Chapter 4: The Biology of Beardies.
Beardie Anatomy.
Beardie Physiology.
Beardie Senses.
Chapter 5: Choosing a Pet Bearded Dragon.
Bring Home a Healthy Beardie.
Color Variations and Designer Beardies.
Where to Get Your Bearded Dragon.
Chapter 6: Setting Up Your Beardie’s Home.
Indoor Housing.
Lighting the Lizard of Oz.
Providing Heat.
Cage Cleaning and Maintenance.
Outdoor Housing.
Part III: Caring for Your Bearded Dragon.
Chapter 7: Feeding Your Bearded Dragon.
Fruits and Veggies.
Commercial Lizard Foods.
Insects.
Feeding Babies—Newborn to 4 Months Old.
Feeding Adults—4 Months to Adulthood.
Water for Your Beardies.
Chapter 8: Keeping Your Beardie Healthy.
Choosing a Veterinarian.
Hereditary Diseases.
Nutritional Disorders.
Traumatic Injuries.
Infectious Diseases.
Parasitic Infections.
Handling Do’s and Don’ts.
Dystocia.
Neurological Disorders.
Environmental Toxins.
Brumation.
Chapter 9: Breeding Bearded Dragons.
Sexing.
Conditioning and Nutrition.
Getting to Know You.
Egg Laying.
Incubating Bearded Dragon Eggs.
Hatching Eggs.
Baby Dragons.
Appendix: Learning More About Your Bearded Dragon.
Some Good Books.
Magazines.
Internet Resources.
Reptile Veterinarians.
Shows, Expos, and Swap Meets.
Shopping on the Internet.
Index.
Sobre o autor
Steve Grenard is an avid herpetologist with more than forty years of experience with amphibians and reptiles; he published a paper on the reproduction of the Marsupial Frog in 1958. In the summer of 2000, he published a controversial and widely debated review inNatural History Magazine on the possibility of American rattlesnake venoms evolving new properties. He is the author of several Howell Book House titles, including:
Your Happy Healthy Pet: Frogs and Toads, An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet: Lizard and
Amphibians: Their Care and Keeping. He is also the author of a number of scholarly medical and herpetological books, including
Medical Herpetology and
Handbook of Alligators and Crocodiles, and is the author of
Introduction to Respiratory Care
, a best-selling text review of respiratory therapy. Steve is a board-certified respiratory therapist and polysomnographer and is the clinical coordinator of the Institute of Sleep Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, New York.