Angle headed dragons cage + care.

[Chicken]

Hi, im looking to buy 1 angle headed dragon hatchling / juvenille next year at the melb reptile expo. My cage size is 900mm tall by 440mm deep by 480mm wide, will this be ok for a single juvi to adult?? Its made out of wood with sliding glass doors at the front, it gets really cold out in the garage and i heard they dont need to be warm, but im talking below 8 degrees (c) at night. So if i get a thermostat with a 40w ceramic at the top of the cage and set it at 20 will that be fine? peat moss for substrate, and crickets for feed? Any pics or care sheet links would be great and i'd like to hear your angle headed's enviroment. Thanks in Advance =:lol:

 

[Mr.James]

An adult angle-headed dragon would require a wider enclosure, the height is perfect. If the enclosure is made out of wood, what type? It will need to be waterproofed as the enclosure will require high humidity & regular misting. The temperature is too cold so the ceramic heat emitter will be needed, their preferred temp range is 16-26 degree's. Crickets, woodies & on occasion freshly shed mealworms, small snails, earthworms & silkworms. Palm peat or Coco peat for substrate, just make sure you don't get the one with fertilizer. A good UV source is also required. There are plenty of caresheets & discussions about these dragons on the web, also well worth purchasing 'Keeping & breeding Australian lizards' & also there has been a few issues in 'Australian Reptiles' magazine.

 

[Chicken]

Its made from chipboard, but has a melamine cover over it (white) which makes it waterproof. Thanks for the general info and i think i might have to make a new cage.... are you sure i wouldnt get away with 480mm wide? And i'll look up some more info and research into some care, its a fair while till the next expo. Thanks a lot.

 

[nirofett]

hey guys,
i might buy one soon and i was wondering how often i should feed them? once every two days with a handful of crickets? also do they eat vegatables?
thanks, nilesh

 

[Chicken]

Yeah cricks and woodies are good, probably everyday around 10 small crickets for the hatchling / juvi. Were kind of in the same position here, im getting one soon, what cage dimensions? Have you made / bought it yet?

 

[Mr.James]

Its made from chipboard, but has a melamine cover over it (white) which makes it waterproof. Thanks for the general info and i think i might have to make a new cage.... are you sure i wouldnt get away with 480mm wide? And i'll look up some more info and research into some care, its a fair while till the next expo. Thanks a lot.

Hi Reptilerookie321, melamine is not 100% waterproof, you'll need to seal every edge. I've used it many times & there is no way I would recommend it to anyone. As for enclosure size its possible to keep anything in tiny enclosures but does mean its good.. That size enclosure is fine for the first year but as an adult I would provide them with atleast a 900x900x600mm enclosure.. In the end its up to you but they are very easy to care for & depending on where you live they do not require heat, only UV, so why go cheap on a small enclosure? Glass enclosures work well for Angle-headed dragons.

 

[Chicken]

Thanks, the thing is i don't really want to have to make another cage once it gets a year old, but i'm prepared to make one now so if i make a 1m tall by 900 wide by 600 deep and if you say glass is good then i could use that but it is very deer, could i make a frame of the enclosure out of wood (1m tall by 900 wide by 600 deep) then put in plexiglass as walls (plexiglass is cheaper) with sliding plexiglass doors at the front with a wood top will that be ok? And i will need heat, i'm in Melb and in the winter here it gets down to 5 degrees and my reptiles are out in the garage so i'm planning on buying 1 ceramic fitting + 1 ceramic heat light and a thermostat (+UV fitting and globe) and setting it at 20. My only concern is, if i get a hatchling then will the cage be too big for it? Lets keep in mind i'm only getting 1. How does all that sound? I would rather make a cage out of wood and seal it, but i know you have a lot of experience and i'm kind of a monkey see monkey do kind of person lol.

 

[joel.994]

could a enclosure be to big 4 these lizards?