Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well,basically what the title says,i was visiting family and a neighbor had a bearded dragon,these things are cool,but how long do they live for??i own a leopard gecko now and they can live an upwards of 15-20 years,its pretty amazing for such a small animal,well thanks for any info on how long(in general) they can live for.also,can i feed mine crickets with calcium powder?i remember my old science teacher feeding one of his lizards vegetables or something,is that ok?thx

-adam

and they seem pretty eay to care for,afetr doing some reading this is what i have come up with.

-always have vegetables and greens avalable in the cage
-feed them crickets once a day,until they are how old?i know to dust them with calcium,maybe the vita powder 1/3 times when feeding.
-have a 20-30 gallon tank and use crushed walnut shells or sand when they are grown up,paper towel when they are babies.

hmm,what else od i need to know before i consider buying one of these guys?

first off, never use walnut shells, they can kill a beardie. Until they are about 5 inches, leave them on paper towels. You need to do a lot mroe research, buy some books, search the web. You need to read for a while, learn possible scenarios that may happen, its out ther and I know you can find it.
-----
~Julie~

It seems to me you got quite a bit more research to do before you are ready to buy your dragon. Don't mean that harshly, just saying you are off a bit.

Scroll down in this forum and you will find a few links to good care sheets that provide the accurate information. Or do a search on google.com for bearded dragon care. Check breeders websites for care sheets and info tips.

There is a wealth of good knowledge out there and it will quite helpful for you.

Good luck with your new dragon when you get one.

brandon
-----
Dragons by Nature

i know, when i got my leopard gecko i researched for a lonnnggg time before i got one,it isnt fair to the animal to buy it without knowing anything about it and such,im going ot keep searching around until i feel like i know enough about them to have one.

In captivity..hopefully 7-10 yrs.
There's alot to learn about their needs/care. Your best bet would be to use a search engine and search for "bearded dragon care". There are many care sheets, read as many as you can.
Pay special attention to heating/lighting needs. For an adult dragon, a 55 gallon tank, "minimum" is required.
**Crushed Walnut shells isn't a suitable substrate.
-----
TheClassyLizard