Adapted from a handout written by Scott Stahl, DVM, DABVP (Avian).

Housing

Bearded dragons can be housed alone, in breeding pairs, or in groups with one male and two or more females.  Provide a terrarium size of at least 72 inches long by 16 inches wide by 17 inches high for a single adult dragon.  A minimum of eight square feet is needed for up to three adults with another four square feet for each additional dragon.  A minimum of 10-20 gallon aquarium is necessary for juveniles.  It is recommended that juveniles be housed alone, but small groups of similar sized juveniles can be placed together if ample food is provided and if the smaller ones are separated out if they are not thriving.  Newspaper or paper pulp material is recommended as a substrate as it is easily cleaned and will not cause gastrointestinal problems if eaten. Play sand (finer than #30) should not be used because sand ingestion may cause problems, and sand is difficult to keep clean.  Another alternative is indoor/outdoor carpeting cut to fit the dimensions of the cage. Provide branches, driftwood, cork bark, and/or large rocks for climbing. Trim the toenails on a regular basis to avoid having them catch on items in their environment.  If several dragons are housed together, provide ample basking sites and hiding areas.  Provide a temperature range of 80-85° F with a basking area of 90-95°F. Place a thermometer in the cage on the cool and hot sides of the tank to accurately monitor the temperature range.  Night temperatures should be approximately 60-70°F.  A night heat source, such as a heat strip, ceramic heating element or red bulb may be helpful.  Provide 12-14 hours of full spectrum light including ultraviolet B (UVB) in the summer and 10-12 hours in the winter.  UVB is important for absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal system.  Change the UVB bulbs every six months as the UVB production diminishes with time, even if the bulb is still producing light.

Feeding Adults

Adults are primarily herbivores (plant eaters) and should be fed a variety of dark green leafy vegetables such as romaine, red/green leaf or Boston lettuce, collard greens, kale, endive, spinach, parsley, bok choy, and broccoli (leaves and florets).  Limited amounts of other vegetables such as carrots, squash, peas, and beans can be offered.  Chop or shred greens and place them in a bowl or on a plate and spray with water prior to feeding.  A calcium supplement can be dusted on top of the salad.  Offer gut-loaded insects two to three times per week. To properly gut load, provide insects with a complete diet, such as rodent chow, dry dog food, or pelleted food for parrots.  Dust insects with a calcium/vitamin D3 supplement twice weekly and every other week with a multivitamin.  Crickets should be the primary insect fed, but mealworms, giant mealworms, and wax moth larvae can also be fed in smaller amounts.  Never feed fireflies—they are toxic to bearded dragons! Pinkie or fuzzy mice can be offered, occasionally.  Commercial bearded dragon diets (moistened with water) can be offered, but should not make up more than 50% of the diet.  If they are readily eaten, it is important to reduce other vitamin and mineral supplements.

Feeding Juveniles

Juveniles are omnivorous (eating approximately 50% plant and 50% animal material).  A variety of leafy green vegetables, as described for adults and appropriately sized crickets (no longer than the width of the dragons head) should be offered twice per day.  Dust crickets with a calcium/vitamin D3 supplement four to five times a week and a multivitamin once a week. Placing the crickets/insects in a deep bowl or dish will provide a feeding station for young dragons to easily locate and catch the food items.  Placing too many insects in the enclosure at once can make it difficult to know if the young dragons are eating and can be stressful if the insects crawl all over them.  Up to 50% of the diet can be moistened juvenile commercial bearded dragon food, but it is important to reduce other vitamin and mineral supplementation if it is being readily eaten.

Water

Provide clean fresh water in dishes or bowls that the dragons can easily climb into.  For juveniles, offer water in smaller containers that they can sit in or run through.  Dragons can be encouraged to drink by dripping water on their heads with a water bottle.  The environment (but not the dragons themselves) can be misted to encourage them to drink the water droplets.  Soaking dragons occasionally in a warm water bath may also encourage drinking.

Reproduction

Use only bearded dragons in good health and body condition for breeding.  A pre-breeding cooling down period is recommended from early December to mid-February.  Reduce the light cycle to 10 hours and provide 14 hours of darkness.  Reduce heat to an environmental temperature of 75-85°F during the day, with a nighttime temperature of approximately 60°F.  Dragons will often be inactive, not eat, and stay hidden during this cooling period.  Fresh water should be provided daily.  The dragons can also be soaked weekly in lukewarm water to help keep them hydrated.  At the end of the cooling period, return to 14 hours of daylight and 10 hours of darkness with a normal heat range.  Feeding will resume and breeding will begin within several weeks.  Females will “wave” their arms and males will become more aggressive, bobbing their heads and chasing the females.  Watch the females for excessive trauma to the skin as the males will bite and carry the females around by the skin of the head and neck.  Eggs will be laid two to three weeks after breeding, and females will become restless and begin to dig in the enclosure.  Freshly dug garden soil, damp sand, a sand/peat mixture, or moist mulch can all be used but should be placed in a container at a depth of 12 inches or more to provide an adequate nesting site within the enclosure.  “Starter” burrows can be dug out in the nest chamber to entice the females to burrow and lay eggs.  Eggs can be incubated in moistened coarse vermiculite (ratio of five parts vermiculite to four parts water by weight) in a sealed container, poked with small holes, to allow a small amount of air exchange.  The eggs should be placed in the moist vermiculite (approximately two thirds buried) in the same position as they are laid and maintained in that position throughout the entire incubation period.  The vermiculite (not the eggs themselves) can be misted with water once weekly if it appears to be dry.  At a constant temperature of 84°F, the eggs will hatch in 50-75 days.  Hatchlings can be left in the incubator for the first day or two after they leave the egg.  Hatchlings can then be placed in a separate sweater box, poked with air holes and lined with moist paper towels, and kept in the incubator for a day or so.  Feed and house them as outlined above for juveniles.

Diseases of Bearded Dragons

Parasites – Gastrointestinal parasites (coccidia, pinworms, and flagellates) are extremely common in bearded dragons. A fecal examination should be performed on all dragons and, if necessary, appropriate anti-parasitic treatment should be prescribed by a veterinarian.  Coccidia are the most common and problematic parasite. Heavy coccidian loads lead to diarrhea, anorexia, weight loss, and secondary bacterial infections. Fastidious cage cleaning is the most critical step in eliminating from the environment. While much more benign than coccidia, pinworms can cause GI discomfort and rectal irritation leading to cloacal lesions.

Hypocalcemia and Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) – Hypocalcemia (low calcium levels in the blood) is the most common nutritional disorder encountered in bearded dragons. Initially, this causes the dragon to feel weak, depressed, anorexic, and reluctant to move. As it worsens, more specific signs of hypocalcemia can be seen. Very young bearded dragons may be tremendously bloated and uncomfortable due to low-calcium-induced gut stasis. Occasionally, twitching of toes and limbs is noted prior to handling or when stressed by handling. Other signs of metabolic bone disease include: swollen limbs (fibrous osteodystrophy), kinked tails, and softened jaws (rubber jaw).  Prevention of hypocalcemia is easier than treatment and is best accomplished by providing calcium in the diet and using a UVB light source for the natural production of Vitamin D3. A calcium powder, like calcium carbonate, should be offered 2-3 times weekly by dusting insects. A multi-vitamin powder including D3 should be used once every two weeks, unless the lizard has access to unfiltered natural sunlight, in which case no additional vitamin D3 should be given.

Eye irritation – If sand or a similar granular substance is used for bedding, bearded dragons can occasionally develop irritation of the eye. You may notice the dragon holds its eye closed or excessive tearing from the affected eye.  Depending on how long the eye has been affected, it may resolve with antibiotic eye drops.

Rectal prolapse – Fortunately this condition is not common, but it can occur following defecation or laying of eggs.  There is usually an underlying cause, such as internal parasites or poor nutrition, but it’s not always possible to identify the cause.  Prolapses can be repaired under anesthesia, but the risk of re-prolapsing at a later time will always exist, and multiple repairs under anesthesia may be necessary.

Cancer – Cancer can occur in any body system at any age.  Liver, spleen, lungs, reproductive tract, and skin can be involved.  Cancer can be either benign (not likely to spread) or malignant (easily spread).

* The above list of diseases is not intended to include every possible disease of bearded dragons, but to provide bearded dragon owners information regarding common diseases and their symptoms.

Box turtles are among the most popular reptiles kept as pets in the United States.  The ornate box turtle, the eastern box turtle, and the three-toed box turtle are commonly sold in the pet trade.  However, several subspecies exist and identification can be difficult.  Regardless of the species, proper care is essential to the long-term survival of these hearty reptiles.  Unfortunately, most health problems encountered are a result of poor husbandry and nutrition.

Housing Requirements

One to two female or one male North American box turtle can be successfully maintained in an enclosure with at least 12 square feet of floor space. A large bookcase, children’s sandbox, or preformed children’s pool work well if you don’t want to build a pen.  Cement mixing tubs and aquariums are too small for housing adult box turtles on a permanent basis.  Moreover, the high walls on most aquariums make it difficult to establish good ventilation and a proper thermal gradient.  The walls of a turtle pen should be high enough so the animal cannot reach up, grab the top and hoist itself up over the rim.  (Box turtles are remarkably good climbers!)  An 8- to 9-inch clearance above the substrate is adequate if the walls are smooth and there are no plants or other objects (including cage mates) on which a turtle can stand or use as a ladder.  For added security, add a 2-inch overhanging ledge around the inside perimeter of the pen.

Ideally, use smooth plastic or finished lumber (i.e., coated with exterior-grade varnish, polyurethane or an epoxy sealant) to make an enclosure.  Such material weathers well and can be easily cleaned.  If raw lumber is used, it must be lined with a plastic sheet to keep the wood from rotting and maintain sanitary conditions.  Do not use screening on the walls, since turtles may abrade themselves on it.  Also, avoid clear plastic or glass; turtles often pace along walls they can see through.  If there are pets or small children that could gain access to the enclosure, cover it with a screened lid.  Do not use a solid lid with small ventilation panels; it is unlikely to provide adequate ventilation.

Substrates

In the wild, box turtles spend a considerable amount of time partially or totally buried in the substrate to thermo- and hydro-regulate and to hide from potential predators.  In captivity, they may become highly stressed if deprived of the opportunity to burrow or hide and may suffer serious medical problems if the substrate is too dry.  The substrate should be loose for easy digging, nonabrasive, have a low dust content and be free of chemical additives.  Inexpensive substrates that work well include very finely shredded hardwood mulch (e.g., “ICBIN” mulch by Banff, Barrington, NJ) or high quality loam compost.  Add hardwood leaf litter and/or rehydrated sphagnum moss to increase moisture-holding capacity and to keep the substrate from packing.  Rehydrated processed coconut shell (e.g., “Coconut Bark” by T-Rex, Chila Vista, CA) may also be used as a substrate amendment.

Unacceptable substrates include roughly milled hardwood mulch containing wood shards; all pine, fir, and cedar mulches/shavings; corncob litter; processed walnut shells; orchid bark; play sand; alfalfa pellets; recycled paper pellets/litter; indoor/outdoor carpeting (except as a pool edge mat) and newspaper.  (If a box turtle is undergoing medical treatment that requires it to stay clean, the animal may be housed temporarily on several layers of moist newspaper and given a thick, fluffy layer of crumbled, wet, shredded newspaper as substrate.  The shredded paper will satisfy the turtle’s need to burrow and hide in a humid environment.

The moisture content of the substrate is very important to the health of a box turtle.  If it is too dry, the animal may develop swollen eyes, respiratory irritation, and dry, flaky skin.  If the eyes swell shut, the turtle will stop feeding and drinking and ultimately will die.

Eastern box turtles do well in very moist but well-drained substrate.  The relative humidity should be about 80% just above the surface of the substrate (head level) and close to saturation (about 98%) below.

Ornate box turtles do well in enclosures where most of the substrate is slightly moist with a surface relative humidity of about 80% and a subsurface value of 85%.  There also should be several very moist areas created by the addition of a humidity box (see our handout on Humidity Boxes).

Water Supply

Box turtles must have daily access to water for drinking, soaking and eliminating wastes.  Plastic plant saucers and plastic paint roller trays sunk into substrate are commonly used as pools.  However, since the water depth should not exceed 1-1½ inches (shallower for juveniles), even large saucers hold little water and become polluted quickly.  Moreover, most plant saucers are steep-sided and can be especially difficult for smaller turtles to negotiate.

Better options tan plant saucers and paint trays are large, shallow photograph development trays (available online from photographic supply companies and at some camera supply stores) and large, shallow cat litter pans.  Add a gently sloping access ramp on all sides that can be approached by the turtle.

Whatever the choice of pools, remember to sand the inside surface to make it less slippery.  Keep the pool scrupulously clean, and fill it with water at room temperature.

Lighting/Heating

Turtles living indoors should be maintained under full-spectrum fluorescent lights (e.g., 5.0 ReptiSun, ZooMed Laboratories, www.zoomed.com). Place the lights no more than 18 inches above the substrate, and replace them every 6-12 months to ensure that sufficient UVB radiation is reaching the turtles.  (This light is important for vitamin D synthesis, calcium metabolism and the prevenion of metabolic bone disease.)  Add a 50-watt spotlight to create a daytime basking spot at 85-88°F; do not use hot rocks.  The background temperature should be 72-75°F in the daytime, and several degrees cooler during the night.

Keep the animals under a diurnal cycle of 12-14 hours of light and 10-12 hours of darkness.  Use a separate timer for the basking light, so it turns on 15-20 minutes before and off 15-20 minutes after the overhead lights, to simulate dawn and dusk.

In the wild, North American box turtles hibernate during the winter, except in the extreme southern portions of their range. If these turtles are over-wintered indoors, they must be maintained under summer-like conditions or they will cease eating and possibly become ill.  Even if a summertime environment is provided, some individuals will attempt to hibernate, remaining buried and inactive much of the time with little or no appetite.  They are not in a true state of hibernation, however, and their physiologic need for food and water remain high.  The situation can become life-threatening if they “hold out” too long.

Location & other considerations

Box turtles are shy animals and may be stressed by excessive nearby noise and activity.  Place their pen in a quiet room.  Also, avoid placing the enclosure on the floor or near doors and heating/cooling vents where there may be rapid changes in temperature and undesirable drafts.  Pens may be placed near east-facing windows for natural light as long as care is taken to provide adequate cool shady retreats in warm weather.  Pens should not be placed near windows in cold weather.  Many homes commonly experience relative humidity of 30% or less in the winter.  This is much too low for box turtles.  Consider using a warm air humidifier in the room holding the box turtle pen to increase the ambient humidity to at least 50%.

Diet

In the wild, box turtles are omnivores, eating a large variety of plant and animal material.  Contrary to popular opinion, there is no evidence to suggest that there is any difference in diet between animals of different ages.  However, ornate box turtles appear to be more insectivorous/carnivorous than the eastern box turtles.  Diet in captivity should include a variety of raw leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, berries, and animal protein. When preparing your turtle’s food, we recommend using the following guidelines.

• Feed adult box turtles every other day; feed hatchlings daily.
• Offer all meals on a flat rock, tile, plastic butter tub lid or the like to facilitate eating and to prevent the animal from ingesting substrate with the meal.
• Provide each animal with its own food dish.
• Feed turtles in the morning, right after they have had time to warm up.
• Remove leftovers within several hours to prevent access to spoiled food and to keep flies away.
• If a turtle is reluctant to eat, try misting the enclosure just before feeding to simulate a light summer rain shower.  It also may help to feed the animal underneath foliage, where it feels secure.

This list is far from complete, but represents a reasonable variety of commonly available foodstuffs that are palatable and nutritious.  Try to vary which items are used from each list.  Be sure that any field-collected foodstuff has not been exposed to harmful chemicals.