Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How large of an enclosure should an adult bearded dragon have as an adult? I plan on making a really large enclosure, but I want to know what the suggested minimum is before I start to build. Also, how tame is a small bearded dragon? The ones at the pet store are about 5-6 inches. Does it take time to get them to calm down, or do they put up with being handled at that age? Thank you for the information in advance.

-[HOTBELLY]-

I would use at least a 4'L x 2'W x 2'H for anywhere from 1 to three beardeds (making sure they are old enough and get along in advance of course). As for the tameness, it varies with how much they've been handled. Pet stores generally don't handle the animals that much, but they *generally* will tame down with a bit of time and patient handling. I would try to avoid buying from a petstore though... Go to a reptile show and get a dragon from a breeder (or, if you have a bit more money, order online).
-Drew
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Owned by:
1.2 bearded dragons - Legolas, Rosy, Miss Scarlet
0.1 Indonesian blue tongue skink - Sarah
1.0 reverse oketee corn snake - Bernard
1.0 ball python - Patrick
2.0 guinea pigs (I know, they're not herps!) - Punky, Jeepers

Thank you very much! It's exactly what I needed! Even though the internet is a great resource for care sheets, getting advice from someone who actually raises the animals is great!

-[HOTBELLY]-

The minimum size of tank for a single adult bearded dragon would be 4'x2'x2'. For addition dragons the cage would need to be larger.

It takes patience and regular handling to tame a bearded dragon. They can be very flighty and nervous when young. THough sometimes they will sit absolutely still without any indication of fear for awhile then later, they will run, puff up and mock bite. But keep up with regular handling and eventually they calm down and are much more docile. However, keep in mind that each beardie is an individual and some are calm right from teh start, others take a long time to calm down when handled.
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PHLdyPayne