Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I've ben thinking about getting a Bearded Dragon but I have a couple of questions. First the room where I plan to keep it's cage usually has some lights on long into the night, I've heard that this can stress BD's and was wondering if I could place something over the cage to block out the light over-night, some cloth I'm thinking. Also I've heard alot of people are raising their BD's crix free, is this just because of the hastle of dealing with crix or are there other healt related resons?

Thanks,
Roko

I have a similar issue with my BD. I just put a blanket over the majority of his cage, still allowing for air flow through the screen top. This blocks the light, and I remove it before I go to bed. He seems to go right to sleep after I cover him up. I've used this method for the two years I've had him.

Thanks, I figured it sould work but i just wanted to double check to make sure I'm wouldn't be killing the little guy.

I keep my dragons in my office, where i often have the lights on late b/c i have an online volunteer job that takes up a lot of my evenings. I have found that if i turn the lights off early and close the door, and leave the lights off for about an hour, my dragons will fall asleep and not wake back up even when i turn the lights back on, no matter how long i have them on for. I dont know if its just a fluke and my dragons are weird, but you could try that if the blanket thing is too unweildy for you or whatever. Mine also fall asleep in the evening with their overhead lights on, as long as all the other lights in the room are off. Thier natural bedtime seems to be about 8pm now that the days have gotten shorter, and about 9 -10 pm in the summertime.

Good luck!
Jamie
-----
Jamie A. Stine and the Gang:

1.1 Bearded Dragons (Lancelot & Guenivere)
0.1 Borneo Short Tailed Python (Ezmerelda)
0.1 Red Tailed Boa (Buffy)
1.1 Cook's Tree Boas (Sharon & Ozzy)
1.0 Short Tailed O'possum (Jethro)
1.2 Guinea Pigs (Bud, Buffy, & Belinda)
1.0 Greyhound (Hank)

Save a life, adopt a retired racer!

As for raising dragons cricketless, it's mainly because of dealing with the crickets. I take it you've never had to deal with them before. One you first get your dragon, it's no big deal, a stop at the pet store twice a week for a couple dozen, then a 100, then you'll find your self ordering them by the thousand once every 4 or 5 weeks. That's when it starts. Having 1000's of crickets in your house, chirping ALL NIGHT. Smelling terrible, eating as much as the dragon (BD's by the way are pigs when it comes to eating, little miniature garbage disposals). It's also great fun when you lose them and find them in all kinds of places, or when you can't find them, but you hear them chirping for weeks. Anyways, if you have a pet store and don't mind speding the extra money to buy by the hundred it won't be that bad (figure $5-$8 per 100 at the pet store and about $15-$25 per THOUSAND online). Otherwise do some research and go for cricketless or spend the extra money and go for silkworms (quiet and don't smell).