Bearded Dragon Your Happy Healthy Pet

by Grenard, Steve

• ISBN13: 9780470165119
• ISBN10: 0470165111
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-05
• Publisher: Turner Pub Co

Summary

The authoritative information and advice you need, illustrated throughout with full-color photographs--now revised and redesigned to be even more reader-friendly!Bearded dragons are increasingly popular; they may soon overtake the green iguana as the most popular reptile in the U.S. With their unique appearance, docile nature, and minimal care requirements, beardies make a great introduction to reptile keeping. With colorful photos, charts, and tables, this guide covers the basics, including: The beardie's background and the various breeds of bearded dragons Choosing your bearded dragon Setting up and maintaining your beardie's home, complete with a basking area and lighting Feeding and caring for your bearded dragon

Author Biography

Steve Grenard is an avid herpetologist with more than forty years of experience with amphibians and reptiles; he published a paper on the reproduction of the Marsupial Frog in 1958. In the summer of 2000, he published a controversial and widely debated review in Natural History Magazine on the possibility of American rattlesnake venoms evolving new properties. He is the author of several Howell Book House titles, including: Your Happy Healthy Pet: Frogs and Toads, An Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet: Lizard and Amphibians: Their Care and Keeping. He is also the author of a number of scholarly medical and herpetological books, including Medical Herpetology and Handbook of Alligators and Crocodiles, and is the author of Introduction to Respiratory Care, a best-selling text review of respiratory therapy. Steve is a board-certified respiratory therapist and polysomnographer and is the clinical coordinator of the Institute of Sleep Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, New York.

Table of Contents

The Wonderful Lizard of Oz	p. 9
What Is the Lizard of Oz?	p. 11
The Types of Bearded Dragons	p. 12
The Wild Life of the Bearded Dragon	p. 20
Temperature Regulation	p. 20
Predator and Prey	p. 25
Beardie Social Interactions	p. 26
Bearded Dragons as Pets	p. 28
Courtship and Mating	p. 29
Beardies in and out of Oz	p. 31
Australian Wildlife Crises	p. 31
How the Bearded Dragon Left Oz	p. 35
An Australian Perspective	p. 39
Your Pet Bearded Dragon	p. 43
The Biology of Beardies	p. 44
Beardie Anatomy	p. 44
Beardie Physiology	p. 46
Beardie Senses	p. 48
Choosing a Pet Bearded Dragon	p. 50
Bring Home a Healthy Beardie	p. 50
Color Variations and Designer Beardies	p. 52
Where to Get Your Bearded Dragon	p. 55
Setting Up Your Beardie's Home	p. 59
Indoor Housing	p. 59
Lighting the Lizard of Oz	p. 64
Providing Heat	p. 66
Cage Cleaning and Maintenance	p. 70
Outdoor Housing	p. 71
Caring for Your Bearded Dragon	p. 77
Feeding Your Bearded Dragon	p. 78
Fruits and Veggies	p. 79
Commercial Lizard Foods	p. 80
Insects	p. 80
Feeding Babies-Newborn to 4 Months Old	p. 82
Feeding Adults-4 Months to Adulthood	p. 84
Water for Your Beardies	p. 87
Keeping Your Beardie Healthy	p. 90
Choosing a Veterinarian	p. 90
Hereditary Diseases	p. 91
Nutritional Disorders	p. 92
Traumatic Injuries	p. 94
Infectious Diseases	p. 95
Parasitic Infections	p. 99
Handling Do's and Don'ts	p. 104
Dystocia	p. 107
Neurological Disorders	p. 107
Environmental Toxins	p. 108
Brumation	p. 109
Breeding Bearded Dragons	p. 110
Sexing	p. 110
Conditioning and Nutrition	p. 111
Getting to Know You	p. 112
Egg Laying	p. 113
Incubating Bearded Dragon Eggs	p. 114
Hatching Eggs	p. 117
Baby Dragons	p. 118
Learning More About Your Bearded Dragon	p. 119
Some Good Books	p. 119
Magazines	p. 119
Internet Resources	p. 120
Reptile Veterinarians	p. 121
Shows, Expos, and Swap Meets	p. 121
Shopping on the Internet	p. 122
Index	p. 124
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