Sexing Bearded Dragons & General Care

[Bella_White]

Hi,
I have recently expanded my collection with 3 Bearded Dragons.
At what age can you normally sex them?
Is it necessary to trim their claws, if so when should i start and how much should i take off?

 

[Bella_White]

I have looked at previous posts and know how to sex them now, but still do not know about their claws

 

[Lovemydragons]

If you have things for them to climb or walk on that can wear their claws down is usually best. I don't have anything specific, logs and fake rock walls etc but I have never had to trim their claws. They still look long and can scratch a bit, but don't really cut at all when I'm holding them.

 

[Bella_White]

Cool, thanks for that.

 

[NinaPeas]

I have a pair of bearded dragons, and I have never trimmed their claws. They have an outdoor aviary they live in during the day, and a tank they come into at night. There are plenty of rough branches and logs for them to climb, and soil in the bottom of the aviary to dig around in.

Just make sure you provide them with lots of things to climb on, and something they can dig around in as a substrate, or if you have newspaper/fake grass etc as a substrate, maybe put a bit icecream container in the tank with some moist sand/soil for them to dig around in

 

[Bella_White]

They are only 7 weeks old so should i yet be putting sand into their enclosure.
I asking about the nails cause i know with cats and dogs you teach them young that it is ok to trim their claws.

 

[Lovemydragons]

Nah, don't need to bother.

But even then my dogs still hate having their claws cut, ears cleaned etc. Doesn't matter how much you do it, mine will always hate it! I'm guessing it would be the same for the dragons. Just give them climbing stuff and you'll be right

 

[Freeloader]

Let them have newspaper as a substrate for a while. There is less chance of them getting gut impaction.

 

[Bella_White]

Mine hate it but tolerate it.

The gut impaction is what i was worrying about. What is a good age to put sand substrate in.

 

[JasonL]

Once they are around 15cm TL, sand is fine. Sexing can be done at any age if you know what your doing, though some hatchling can be harder than others, and you will never get them all 100% correct.

 

[Bella_White]

They are already a total length of 19.5cm....growing quickly

 

[jibba]

They are already a total length of 19.5cm....growing quickly

WOW! 7 Weeks old and almost 20cm? Amazing :shock:

 

[jibba]

In saying that, mine is almost 11 weeks and he is 13cm

 

[Lovemydragons]

Is that nose to tail? Cos 19.5cm is very big for a 7 week old. I have a baby about that age and he would not be anymore than 12-13cm long head to tail tip.

 

[Bella_White]

Yeah...i put them on a ruler weekly and put their nose on 0cm and to the tip of their tails they were at 19.5cm each and they will turn 8 weeks old on Sunday.
Is this good or bad?

 

[jibba]

That is good. Did you breed them or you bought them? The age may not be accurate as mine are very similar to LoveMyDragons

 

[Bella_White]

I bought them on the 21st December and the guy said they were roughly two weeks old. He said they may have been a day or two early or later than two weeks.
Cool, i'm glad it is good i was starting to worry.

 

[Bella_White]

This is one of my babies.....there are more pictures of them in my album. The photo was taken when they were about 3-4 weeks.

 

[Lovemydragons]

This is my little guy spike, I'm not sure of his exact age, but I have had him a few weeks, and I'd say he was maybe 3-4 weeks when I got him.

 

[Bella_White]

Beautiful...i have not named my guys yet waiting to know their sex.

Is bark an ok substrate? What do you guys have?