Sooo, this post isn’t exactly for me but for my Husband…
He’s been wanting to have a pet for a while since he never got to have one growing up, he LOVES beardies, and his birthday is tomorrow…
He is on the Aspergers/Autism spectrum but he is very high functioning and handles reptiles very well being around all of my snakes. I was wondering if a Bearded Dragon would be an ok pet as far as temperament and activity goes. I have been around Bearded Dragons in the past but I was a young child and can’t exactly recall their care (as my mother did most of it, I just got to feed/water them and handle them).
Just wanted to hear from anyone who has good experience with them so I can help my Husband make his decision. We have spoken about this many times and are very clear on animal boundaries so this is NOT a surprise pet by any means. Right now this all still stands as a possibility and he has not made any decisions on moving forward with buying a beardie, we haven’t even considered buying an enclosure yet.
He isn’t particular on any morphs since he doesn’t have any intentions of becoming a breeder, this is just purely an idea for a pet. He does have concerns about the care of a beardie and what size enclosure would be ok for them in their life stages (he plans on buying a baby that he can bond with as they grow). As well as what substrate is safe as I’ve expressed to him great concern with using sand because of impaction risk. We are already both aware of the UVB/basking needs of a beardie so we aren’t worried about that…
But again if anyone knows what they are doing with Bearded Dragons and have knowledge to share I’d greatly appreciate it!
(Edit): For reference, when I say my husband handles reptiles very well, I mean it. Heres some pics of him chilling with my largest snake (his favorite of my collection) back in 2021.
Have you posted this on the CB side Christina? There is I gentleman there named Greg S who gave me incredible advice when I adopted my blind beardie a few months ago. He is very patient and knowledgeable as he is a breeder as well as a keeper.
I have seen you on CB so this is why I suggested it. If you have already posted there I apologize because I have not looked at that side this morning.
All I can tell you is that beardies are social animals and thrive when they have access to human interaction regularly. I use crushed walnut shells for the substrate but I tong feed his insects because he can’t see them. Unfortunately I have to syringe feed him his greens as well.
Best of luck to you and your husband with this new journey!
Our bearded dragon is now 8 years old, and I think it’s easier to maintain than a snake. We have a 3.3x2.3x2 ft terrarium, and with a large water container, the humidity in the enclosure stays at an appropriate level almost by itself. As for the substrate, we’ve been using a mixture of sand and gravel for dry enclosures since the beginning, and we’ve never had any issues with impaction or illness in our dragon. The only thing I would point out is feeding, because not everyone likes dealing with feeder insects. I personally can’t feed our dragon roaches because they hiss, and their appearance and movement completely repel me. The only thing I can feed him are superworms, while my partner handles the rest. I much prefer feeding mice to our snake, and I have no problem with that. I think it’s an important issue since people on the spectrum may have strong preferences.
Thankfully the only “bugs” my hubby is put off by are arachnids (excluding Jumping Spiders) and Centipedes. He’s perfectly fine with working on roaches and larva (superworms, mealworms, buffalo worms, BSFL) as long as he can use tongs. I just spoke to a breeder that was able to provide me a plethora of detailed information on their care but I do appreciate the advice @z-a-r-i-n-a !
And @cmsreptiles Obie will only eat super worms but I make sure they are dusted with Repashy calcium because super worms will deplete calcium in a bearded. At least this is what my breeder friend has advised me.
However the heads of the super worms need to be squashed or removed before feeding because they can and will bite. Trust me, I know. So I don’t want Obie bitten….
@caron Yes, we also sprinkle them with supplements though he doesn’t get them often. It’s not a staple in his diet, but it’s the only thing I can easily pick up with tweezers We don’t cut off the heads, though our dragon is quite large and has never had any trouble eating them as they are.
I’m so glad you immediately followed this with tong feed. I was never able to stomach crushed walnut bedding after dealing with 2 beardies at my hospital with internal bleeding from ingesting it. That stuff can be so sharp on the edges.
Actually the crushed walnut shell substrate that I have is like sand and sifts through a sifter so I am not sure what you are talking about? So I am not sure about sharp edges? It’s expensive but worth it.
But yeah to correct myself and I should have included this in my post above that impaction is a serious problem and if Obie were not blind and could chase insects etc like a normal bearded I would never use any loose substrate of any kind because of possible impaction. My leopard gecko is on boring paper towels because of this……
Ok I didn’t know how big your guy was. I just know that those little suckers have bitten my and it hurts so I felt sorry for my Obie to get bitten. . He only weighs 383 grams so yeah he’s a little guy!
@caron He’s 8 years old, so he’s fully grown. I must admit, I’ve never seen such a substrate before, good to know that something like this exists. Is it dedicated only to bearded dragons?
Well it says on the back of the bag that it is supposed to mimic desert environments. There is a picture of a bearded on the front and on the side it lists recommendations for:
It may depend on the brand? This was also a long time ago, so they processing for it may have changed? I just never used it after that for any of the critters I was keeping or caring for.
AFAIK, walnut shell can’t be broken down in their digestive tract so yeah, tong and dishes for feeding are a must. At least with dry cocofiber is slightly better at breaking down in small amounts and I find that most critters that take a taste of it hate it. So the chances of them really going for it are rare.
I haven’t worked with beardies for a while and even when I did it was regular carpet changes or we used slate for the flooring. That’s definitely the easiest way to avoid impacted critters. Just gotta be careful on the nails for the carpet.
Yes nails can get stuck in carpet. My vet has always swore by reptile carpet but unless it’s sanitized correctly it can carry bacteria.
Supposedly this walnut substrate is processed so, that it’s more easily digested if accidentally ingested. But the makers of this product state that it is intended for adult reptiles but that said reptiles should be fed by plate or tongs etc to prevent impaction……
So can your kitchen sponge. Lol.
I would always clean reptile carpet with F10 or bleach soaks. If using bleach it gets soaked in clean water with a triple strength dose of water conditioner to help neutralize the bleach after it sanitizes.
Well we actually don’t use a sponges, we use dish cloths but same idea for bacteria. I used bleach myself when I had reptile carpets everywhere but if they are not cleaned with F10 or bleach there can be problems for some.
At my age I am sure I have built up an immunity from dirty dish cloth bacteria!!! But I don’t want my reptiles to get sick if I can help it!
though he doesn’t get them often. It’s not a staple in his diet, but it’s the only thing I can easily pick up with tweezers 
