Synopses & Reviews
Featuring the Best Information Best Resources, Best Photos, and The Best Advice to Select and Care For Your Bearded Dragon
With The Bearded Dragon: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet you will discover easy ways to provide the very best in care for your Bearded Dragon. A reptile expert offers straightforward advice so that you can create a thriving environment for your new pet. The Bearded Dragon offers:
- Completely up-to-date resources, including top Web sites of interest to Bearded Dragon owners
- Information on how to choose the right pet Bearded Dragon for you
- Ways to make lizard-keeping an enjoyable, educational experience for you and your family
- An exploration of appropriate reptile housing, diets, and healthcare
- Full-color photographs of Bearded Dragons from hatchling to adult
Synopsis
The Bearded Dragon, also known as the Lizard of Oz, is an enormously popular pet from down under. It is estimated that in 1998, 100,000 Bearded Dragons will be purchased by reptile enthusiasts in the United States. A docile animal, Beardeds are relatively easy to keep in captivity–but they do need special care–all of which will be included in this excellent source for the beginning Bearded Dragon fan.
Synopsis
The authoritative information and advice you need, illustrated throughout with full-color photographsnow revised and redesigned to be even more reader-friendly!
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
About the Author
Steve Grenard is an avid herpetologist with over 30 years of experience in the study, care, and keeping of reptiles and amphibians. In addition to several herpetology text, Steve is the author of Frogs and Toads: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
Table of Contents
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.