Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If so then why?

Is there any reason not to give them that much space right a way?

I Mean I know about problems there could be with being too small, but are there any drawbacks to letting them grow up in that size tank?

Thanks!!

The biggest concern with having a young dragon in a big cage is stress. Though the big wide world were little baby bearded dragons naturally grow up on is much bigger than the cages we can provide them, keep in mind that most baby dragons spend most of their time under cover. Either climbing trees, hiding in low underbrush etc, to remain as much out of sight as possible to avoid predators etc. Even their natural coloration and pattern is designed to make them hard to see if they are out basking.

For the most part, our cages are rather sparce compared to what they can find in the wild, as we do want to see our dragons and not have them so shy they flee at the first hint of movement.

Thus, the smaller cage gives the babies more sense of security, encouraging them to come out and bask and eat normally and to get used to the usual movements around their cages as we go about our daily lives. Once they reach about 14" they are typically ready for the adult cage.

Another reason for the smaller cage size is it is much easier for the dragon to find their food. As we like to ensure no loose crickets are left in the cage, we can't allow the quantity of insects crawling around on a hot summer day to be in the dragon's cage. Thus it is harder to find insects and eat them all before they find cover in a large cage for a baby dragon. By the time he realizes you are putting food out, half the crickets may already be hidden in the substrate, under hides etc.

There is nothing wrong with buying or building the full adult cage right away but it's best to either section off a third or so and enlarge the cage as needed, as your dragon grows. You can also insert a smaller cage (sterlite tube etc) inside the bigger cage, taking advantage of the larger uvb light fixtures of the adult cage without the need of buying two different sizes of uvb fixtures and bulbs (for tubes especially).
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PHLdyPayne

Wouldn't there be signs of stress?

That is the only real concern that I have considering the fact that I feed her outside of the cage anyway.

She doesn't look timid in there, she explores the cage and looks happy. She seems to like being able to move around and have space to explore.

I would imagine it would be boring if you could only walk 2 or 3 steps and be at the end of the cage.

What do you think about it. Everything looks good to me but I would appreciate other thoughts on what to look out for as far a stress is concerned. Thank you

It is always possible some young dragons don't feel intimidated by a large cage. However in general, many do show signs of stress, stop eating, remain hidden for most of the time and can develop stress related problems, such as a flare up of parasites (coccidia mainly) and have their immune system weakened.

Stress can be seen in many ways, lack of appetite, lethargy, failure to bask properly or remaining in hides most of the time etc. Dark bars on the throat and underbelly or a dark overall body color are some minor signs of stress. Dragons normally have clear bellies of a uniform color (most often off white but the color morphs may have other tints on the belly, such as yellow). Babies do have a few but these fade in time. Stressed dragons tend to have alot more, and are dark overall as well.

If your dragon is eating well, active and basking normally, then he may be fine in the full sized cage for the rest of his life. Just make sure insects are kept in a bowl high enough to keep them from crawling out or easily jumping out but low enough for your dragon to see into the bowl and get at the insects inside. Putting the feeder bowl near the basking log or low rock/branch allows for having a higher bowl without preventing your dragon from eating from it. Just make sure the bowl isn't so big that your dragon can fall into it and not be able to get out.
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks for info on the signs of stress they helped me a lot, so far so good. She acually looks better in this cage then the 20 gallon she was in.

After you mentioned stress I was really concerned, so I thank you again for the information. Have a good day.

You could keep a baby dragon in a warehouse-sized enclosure without problems, as long as you remember the basics. You need to keep the terrarium dense with hiding spots, you need to keep it well-lit, you need to find a way to allow the dragon to eat enough insects (though in captivity they are, for the most part, eating way too many crickets. This is why many are finicky eaters), and you need to make sure that every other aspect of husbandry is taken care of.

Besides, bearded dragons are way more likely to succumb to parasites in smaller cages. They all have a small amount of parasites in them, but little things like constantly walking through their feces (which they will do in a small cage), and being stressed out by the lack of hiding spots, innappropriate basking spots, etc. etc. that they are so often given in captivity, will allow the parasitic infection to grow to a dangerous level.