Bearded Dragons make the best pets in my opinion. My bearded dragon journey began with my daughter’s insistence upon keeping a lizard my wife found when she was five years old. It was a small Western Fence Lizard as we discovered later. We kept it for a day and then told her we would turn it loose again and she started bawling, which was quite unusual for our little girl.
The Aftermath of the Baby Lizard Encounter
The only way we could calm our daughter was to entice her with the promise of a pet lizard. So we got our first lizard, a Leopard Gecko. This lizard was not overly affectionate, but was a voracious hunter of insects. We later determined it was in fact a she, so we named her Lizzy. Lizzy went on to become a beloved family pet until dad thought it would be awesome to have another leopard gecko live with Lizzy so she would not be lonely. Unfortunately, this new “friend” ended up being an aggressive male and impregnated Lizzy who died from an impacted egg. The other lizard died shortly thereafter.
How We Overcame Our Sadness
Charlie was beside herself at these developments. She had lost her best friend, Lizzy the Leopard Gecko and no amount of watching “How to Train Your Dragon”, was going to fix that.
We did some research and discovered that Bearded Dragon’s typically make great pets. So we went to the pet store and picked out a bearded dragon. This bearded dragon did not last long as it had digestive issues. We later learned that in addition to a heat lamp, it was vital for them to have UVB light as well so they could digest their food, so this may have been our fault. Again, Charlie was beside herself…
Becoming Better Lizard Parents
My wife and I knew that we needed to get our act together with this whole pet lizard stuff, so we bucked down and did our homework. We learned that an adult Bearded Dragon was heartier than a baby one and we should try to find one that was already grown. My wife scoured the internet and eventually found Big Boy. Big Boy, still alive and kicking today almost fifteen years later, has thrived with our family. When we initially got Big Boy, he was plump fellow. His owners had hand fed him crickets so he had no real reason to be active. We stopped doing this and let him hunt the crickets down. This helped him lean down a bit and stay more mentally alert. He adapted well to our daughter constantly carrying him around. Eventually, she started taking him for walks around the community in a wagon. Later, she would take him to playgrounds and would be the life of the party.
The Divorce
My ex-wife and I got divorced around 2019 and Big Boy went to live with my ex. I didn’t realize how attached I had become to this lizard and found myself secretly desiring a bearded dragon of my own. I also wanted Charlie to have a bearded dragon when she was at my house to make it feel more like home. For my forty-second birthday, my girlfriend bought me a baby bearded dragon with a starter kit terrarium.
I was worried that once again, I would not care for this lizard adequately, but as things turned out, he grew up just fine. We named him Sandy Koufax after the hall of fame Los Angeles Dodger pitcher. Originally kept in our bedroom, when we upgraded his terrarium, we brought him downstairs and now he sits in the middle of the family room.
He cracks us up with his intense staring, habit of watching televisions and video games, and various postures each day: the pancake, the fight with the invisible lizard (reflection), the camouflage posture, and the “Where are my worms?” side-eye? Although Sandy does not “smile” or look generally pleased a lot of the time, we know he secretly runs the house along with the cats.
Why Bearded Dragons Are Perfect Pets
I have had a wide variety of pets. When I was growing up, we had a lot of animals on a acre and a half of land. I have had: rabbits, chickens, turtles, cats, dogs, ducks, indoor birds, and geese to name a few. They are all messy! I love all my pets, but cleaning up dog poop, cat boxes, and bird feathers is a pain. Bearded Dragons do not make a big mess at all. They are solitary, but social creatures, and do not make any noise, destroy any furniture/carpets, or require water to survive in. They also have a ton of personality. They travel well (we used to take Big Boy on road trips), and they are relatively harmless (unless they mistake your finger for a worm). They are great for young children or older folks as companions. In short, bearded dragons make fantastic pets, require little maintenance, and are quite tame and entertaining.
Conclusion
If you are interested in learning more about Bearded Dragons, here is a link to a helpful authoritative guide from Zilla a credible reptile accessories manufacturer. I would recommend spending a little more on an initial terrarium. Here are a few tanks that looked pretty good on Amazon. Some of the terrariums are quite unique looking and can go great with many modern design motifs.
Solid Reptile Terrariums (Paid Link)
Fun Facts About Bearded Dragons – Children’s Book
What about keeping an animal that looks straight from the time of the dinosaurs, has a friendly temperament, and enjoys quality time with its owner?
Bearded Dragons can be the perfect choice for you! In addition to being an excellent species for beginners in the lizard world, it is relatively easy to maintain and full of personality. And you need a reasonably simple terrarium with little equipment. You can easily find them for sale in many colors and patterns.
Written by Fiona Weber, a zoology major and an exotic pet expert with years of experience in animal raising and nurturing, this book will educate children about what it’s like to keep a Bearded Dragon as a pet while also hopefully inspiring them to learn more about these fascinating creatures.
What are your thoughts on this?