Buying a bearded dragon can be a very exciting time, but there are a few things that you should have ready before bringing it home.
You would not want to move into a new home and not have the electricity, water, or phone hooked up yet. The same thing can be said about bringing a new bearded dragon home for the first time.
You want to make sure everything your bearded dragon needs is available before bringing it home.
So if you are getting ready to make that purchase, here’s what to do before buying a bearded dragon.
Have the Habitat Completely Set Up
Once you have decided to acquire a bearded dragon, it is very important to have a few things before ever bringing it home.
You should have the enclosure in its permanent location.
The habitat should already have the substrate, hide box, basking perch, thermometers, food bowl and water bowl, and any decor items you’d like to add.
Determine where the basking area and where the cooler area will be located.
All of this should already be set up and ready to go at least a few days before you bring the bearded dragon home.
Have All Heating & Lighting Set Up
A key element of developing a good home for your new bearded dragon is supplying the needed heating and lighting to keep it happy and healthy.
Make sure you have heat bulbs and full-spectrum bulbs required for the size enclosure you are using. You will also need the correct lighting fixtures to safely house the bulbs.
Use a supplemental under tank heat pad to keep cooler areas of the habitat warm enough.
Set up all the heating and lighting equipment a few days before your bearded dragon arrives. Go through the day and night time schedules to get accustomed to the routine.
Bringing a bearded dragon into a new environment can cause it much stress. You want to help it feel safe and comfortable as much as you can.
Having the habitat and all equipment completely set up and operational before the occupant arrives can help it settle in much faster.
Have Food & Water Readily Available
With the habitat completely functional, do not forget about food and water.
You want to have insect feeders and prepared vegetables available before you bring the bearded dragon home.
Make sure you offer a water bowl filled with fresh, clean water just before introducing your bearded dragon to its new home.
Have a small offering of finely chopped greens or fruit already in place. This will help it get accustomed to eating right away.
Make sure you have any vitamin and calcium supplements on hand, and don’t forget to dust the food with it according to the directions on the container.
Add the food and water before introducing the reptile into the habitat, not after. You want to allow the new pet some time to acclimated to its new surroundings as stress-free as possible.
Moving bowls in and out of the enclosure, and reaching around can spook the beardie even more, so have everything ready before hand so you do not disturb it as much as possible.
Preparation Is Key to Success
Being prepared before purchasing your new bearded dragon is very important to getting it successfully acclimated to its new home.
Take a few minutes to make sure everything is in order and you will have a great start to being a new bearded dragon owner!
Lou says
Really helpful advice. I have a question I’m buying my first bearded dragon from a friend who is giving me his own current VIV .. How do I set this up a few days before hand if they come at the same time and where to I house my dragon while I set it up?
Veronica Janer says
Plushhorizon77 here and this is some good advice you should check it out!?
Andre says
That was really helpful because what I was looking for it is all there and it didn’t tack no long than 10 min
Joanna says
I’m going to be getting a beard sometime in august, I work at the pets store and he’s already semi used to me but, whats the best way I can make sure he’s comfortable?