life & style // no. 18 theotherpress.ca

    

 

How to train—er, raise your dragon!

» A quick guide to looking after Miss Smaug McBeardie

Morgan Hannah
Life & Style Editor

 

| remember being asked once before what it took to
own a bearded dragon and whether it was anything
like owning a dog—and it’s not. Although my dragon
may have dog-like tendencies, she isn’t anything like
the hairy four-legged traditional pet; for one thing, she
hasn’t any hair.

Bearded dragons, like any other kind of reptile
or amphibian, require specific living conditions—all of
which | learned on the ferry ride over to picking up my
new pet. | don’t recommend that approach, but rather
make sure you know everything there is to know about
your pet before you buy one. And be prepared to commit
to your exotic pet as bearded dragons live for around 10
to 15 years.

Diet

At four and a half years old, | skipped the critical years of
my two-foot-long reptile’s growth. | managed to miss out
on making sure she had enough calcium and UVA/UVB in
her day-to-day to avoid Metabolic Bone Disease (basically
Rickets for reptiles). Her previous owners were good
enough to ensure she grew up healthy as she has all her
toes, her whole tail, and she doesn’t walk funny or have
a crunched-up spine. Having adopted my beardie rather
than raising her from birth meant that | was also not in
charge of what she ate for the first half of her lifespan.

Smaug McBeardie was on a strict vegetarian diet up
until | bought her, which is fine, but beardies need live
feeders such as crickets, horn worms, meal worms, and
wax worms. Even though my beardie never tasted bugs
before, she sure knew exactly what they were and that
she was supposed to eat them as soon as | introduced
her to them... almost as if she’s supposed to eat them.

When it comes to veggies and fruits, there are
certain things to watch out for. Citrus fruits aren’t very
good for dragons as they’re too acidic for their little
tummies, and rhubarb and avocado are downright toxic.
Kale is a calcium binder, so too much of that isn’t any
good either. Lettuce is a no-go because it causes diarrhea
in beardies and provides no nutritional value.

Smaug’s favourite non-bug foods are bananas,
apples, and sugar snap peas; oh, how she loves sugar
snap peas. It’s important to provide your reptile with
a good variety of veggies; ensure that their diet is 70
percent veggies, 20 percent bugs, and 10 percent fruits.
And if you’ve got a picky eater, don’t just let them get
away with not eating their food. Reintroduce them to the
same things until they learn to eat what’s given.

It’s also important to make sure your reptile is
getting enough calcium, especially when they’re still
babies. Dairy isn’t an acceptable form of calcium
because it is too rich for reptiles. Instead, reptile calcium
powder is available at most pet stores and will most
likely be consumed if worn by live feeders. But too
much calcium is also not good for your exotic. Generally,
veterinarians recommend that you sprinkle your pet’s
food with calcium two to three times per week.

Some reptiles will use their water dishes as
toilets and poop in the water; this is normal behaviour.

 

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Her previous owners were good enough to ensure she grew up healthy as she has all
her toes, her whole tail, and she doesn’t walk funny or have a crunched-up spine.