Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm considering getting a beardie quite soon, right now i'm making an enclosure thats 48 large x 18 deep x 36 high, is this big enough for an adult beardie ? Since it's quite high, do beardie climb ? Might it be a good idea to put a climbing branch with a basking shelf ? Also, are ceramic tile ok for a substrate ?

In fact i was building this for a temporary home for a small iguana that i have rescued. I may have find him a good home . Since i've always want to have a beardie i was wondering if it can become a beardie enclosure instead of an iguana enclosure lol.
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Mizar 21
1.0 Collared lizard (Ganymede)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (Gethsemani)
1.0 Nerodia Fasciata (Serpentard)
1.0 rescued iguana
1.2 Cats

Sure, that would not be bad for a beardie, as they do like to climb up on branches/rocks to bask. That cage may be a bit intimidating for a young baby, but would be fine for an older juvenile-adult dragon. The width of 18 inches might be a bit tight as dragons can get as long as 18-21 inches average, some longer. Young dragons do better in smaller, simple enclosures until they are sure of their surroundings, and are skilled hunters. You will need to use stronger bulbs to heat the cage because of the added height, but I'm sure you could make it work. The ideal cage would be a wide long cage like a 4x2x2high. With more floor space (running room) then climbing space. I am sure an adult dragon would just love the extra climbing room that cage would provide, and nice high basking spots too. A basking shelf would be cool as that would get the dragon up closer to the basking bulbs, and also provide a shaded hide under the basking shelf. You should be able to get a wide heat gradient in that type of cage which will be good for the dragon as he raises and lowers his body temps by moving around his cage.
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Webshots photos
www.Mystical-Dragons.com

Tile floor would be easy to clean, and be nice and sanitary, but I'm just not sure how much traction it will provide to the dragon. Also you don't want leaning branches or rocks to slip out and possibly hurt the dragon. You could make the tile floor and if it is to slick you could cover with a shelf liner or indoor/outdoor carpet for the extra traction. The shelf liner will be easy to clean like the tile and can be changed out disinfected and reused. The indoor/outdoor is a bit harder to wash daily, and will need to be taken out more frequently to disinfect. I like the idea of the tile floor even if you have to use liner on top. Tile would be better then plain wood, and will last a lot longer with accidental spills and water damage.
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Webshots photos
www.Mystical-Dragons.com